Volume 3
Chapter
1
Introduction
In the introduction, the authors provide an overview of the origins of the Cambodia 2040 book project and summarize the foresighting methodology used to set out the potential scenarios that Cambodia is likely to confront two decades from now.
About the Author
DETH Sok Udom, Bradley J. Murg, OU Virak, Michael Renfrew
DETH Sok Udom is Associate Professor of International Relations and Rector of Paragon International University. Dr. Deth received his bachelor’s degree with high honors in Sociology from Boĝaziçi University (Turkey), a master’s degree in Southeast Asian Studies from Ohio University (USA), and a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies from Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany). He is a member of the Board of Academic Advisors of Future Forum and a Senior Fellow at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace. Dr. Deth is credited with several academic publications and has been invited to give guest lectures at various institutions/universities. Occasionally, he shares his insights on local and regional media about Cambodian and regional affairs as well.
Bradley J. Murg is Associate Professor of International Relations, Director of Research, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Paragon International University. Additionally, Dr. Murg holds positions as Senior Academic Advisor at Future Forum and Senior Advisor and Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace. 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; the politics of foreign aid; and the political economy of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Dr. Murg graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with a B.A./M.A. in philosophy, received a M.Sc. in economic history from the London School of Economics, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Washington. He first visited Cambodia in 2000 during his tenure as a Henry Luce Scholar at the Asian Development Bank.
OU Virak is the founder and president of Future Forum. He is one of Cambodia’s most prominent and principled political analysts and human rights activists, with proven expertise in strengthening grassroots movements, conducting political economy analyses, spearheading organizational development and directing risk assessments. Prior to founding Future Forum in late 2015, Virak led the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, one of Cambodia’s premier human rights organizations, where he turned the organization around and rebuilt it from the ground up after significant losses in both staff and funding. He has led successful campaigns to free human rights activists and tackled some of the most controversial issues in Cambodia: rule of law, freedom of expression, racism, LGBT rights, forced evictions and more. He holds a MA in Economics from California State University of San Jose.
Michael Renfrew is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Glasgow working on international trade and trade agreement characteristics, with a focus on the ASEAN region. Michael works with Future Forum as Program Manager for Cambodia Outlook, the think tank’s publication and output arm. He holds a master’s degree in economic development from the University of Glasgow, alongside an honor’s degree in international business and economics from the University of Strathclyde. He began his association with Cambodia in 2016 as the Communications Volunteer at local youth-development NGO Youth Star Cambodia, of which he is currently chairperson.