Community Engagement in the Planning and Building of an Advanced Higher Education System in Cambodia Tithchanbunnamy Lor 1 , Ngoy Mak 2 Abstract The present study concerns itself with the processes that Cambodia’s higher education institutions are designing in order to engage the community so as to facilitate a better embedding of the country’s education policies and programs within the broader needs and values of the people. In order to inquire about those processes, the authors engaged with one of the key higher education institutions in Cambodia that is being impacted by the current reforms. On the basis of the data provided, the findings of the study revealed a multitude of gaps that may need addressing if the reforms are to strengthen the role of the universities in Cambodia as education and community leaders. Keywords: community engagement, higher education reform, impacts of globalisation; 1. Introduction The Khmer Rouge genocide of 1975-1979, and the subsequent political turmoil, has left Cambodia with diminished cultural capital and resources as countless people responsible for the transmission of cultural and educational heritage were murdered, educational institutions were closed, and the traditional links between different layers of Cambodian society were broken. There is growing empirical evidence showing that, unlike interstate conflicts, which often mobilise national unity and strengthen societal cohesiveness, violent internal conflicts weaken the social fabric, divide the population, undermine trust and the norms that underlie cooperation and collective action for the common good, According to a World Bank funded study by Colletta and Cullen [3] it has been established that even if other forms of capital are replenished, “economic and s ocial development will be hindered unless social capital stocks are restored”. The evidence points to the relevance of social capital to the sustainable development of countries: “Social capital refers to the internal social and cultural coherence of society” and “Without social capital, society at large will collapse, and today’s world presents some very sad examples of this” [4]. In light of this evidence, rebuilding of the community emerges as a central component of Cambodia’s higher education reforms. This is well-understood by policy makers, who recognise the need for appropriate integration of education and research into the community. However, it is not certain how well the universities will approach the task of rebuilding the community. As Cambodian higher education institutions look to the developed countries for direction and expertise, it is not clear how they plan to draw on community input, and interactions between the various layers of Cambodian society and stakeholders, in order to facilitate a better embedding of the country’s education policies and programs within the broader needs and values of the community. It is in this sense that “community engagement” is framed in this study. The aim of the present study is to inquire about the strategies that the leading universities in Cambodia are setting up in order to rebuild the community of Cambodia and, as a result, assert their leadership role in the society. 2. Research questions The study focused on the following questions: 1. How do the leading universities plan their vision for addressing higher education reforms? 2. What strategies emerge from these plans? 3. What aspects of planning show to be missing and how can they be addressed 3. Methodology and research design The authors engaged the Directorate General of Higher Education of Cambodia (DGHE) and academics holding executive positions in one of the leading universities in Cambodia to assist in the task of mapping the needs of their university to meet the higher education reform objectives specified by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) [6]. The study analysed these plans by 1 Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia 2 Directorate General of Higher Education, Cambodia