In 2020, the Lower Mekong Initiative was upgraded and expanded to the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP). A flagship initiative of the Partnership is the MUSP Track 1.5 Policy Dialogue series, which includes seven virtual and in-person dialogues between 2021 and 2023 focusing on key policy and sustainability challenges facing Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. This discussion will launch the summary report to share takeaways and policy recommendations from the 4th Policy Dialogue on Human Resources and Capacity-Building, which was held in person in Phnom Penh in July as a deep-dive on needs related to education, skills training, healthcare, and digitalization.
Keynote Speaker
Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Daniel J. Kritenbrink became Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs on September 24, 2021. He has served as an American diplomat since 1994, including posts as U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2017-2021), Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council (2015-2017), and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing (2013-2015). See his full bio here.
Discussants
Porntip Kanjananiyot, Special Advisor, SEAMEO Regional Center for Higher Education and Development
Porntip Kanjananiyot (Ms.) is currently Special Advisor for SEAMEO Regional Center for Higher Education and Development. She worked in various capacities in government agencies, most of which related to education, and Executive Director of Fulbright Thailand. She co-authored a book chapter about internationalization of Thai higher education in Education in Thailand (Springer, 2018). Her interests include internationalization, cross-culture linkages, and medical education accreditation.
Porhour Ly, Senior Product Manager, Boost Capital
Ms. Ly is currently the Senior Product Manager at Boost Capital — a fintech startup working towards financial inclusion and empowering women entrepreneurs. Prior to joining Boost Capita, she spearheaded the digital product development effort at Manulife (an international insurance company) and Cellcard (one of Cambodia’s biggest telecommunication companies). Porhour helped founded STEM Cambodia Organization in 2015, with the mission to inspire young Cambodians to consider a career in STEM.
Moderator
Bradley J. Murg, Distinguished Senior Research Fellow and Senior Advisor, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace
In addition to his role at CICP, Dr. Murg holds positions as Associate Professor of Political Science at Paragon International University; Senior Academic Advisor at Future Foru; and lead editor of the Journal of Greater Mekong Studies. His work, supported by grants from the Social Science Research Council and the International Research and Exchanges Board, focuses on contemporary international relations in Southeast Asia; politics of foreign aid; and the political economy of the Greater Mekong.