The CHAIn Conference I: "Internationalising Higher Education: Bridging Academia, Industry and Policy" was successfully held on 22–23 July 2026 at the University of South-East Asia (USEA), Siem Reap, Cambodia. The conference was organized by the National University of Management (NUM) under the CHAIn (Cambodian Higher Education Advancing in Internationalisation) Project, an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project co-funded by the European Union. The event served as a national platform for bringing together higher education institutions, government agencies, industry, development partners, researchers, and international experts to strengthen collaboration and promote the internationalisation of higher education in Cambodia.

The conference welcomed representatives from Cambodian and European universities, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), the European Union Delegation to Cambodia, industry, researchers, students, and development partners. The opening ceremony featured remarks from the host institution, the CHAIn Project, the European Union Delegation to Cambodia, and MoEYS, highlighting the importance of international collaboration and institutional capacity building in Cambodian higher education.

Throughout the two-day programme, participants explored key themes related to the internationalisation of higher education, including opportunities for cooperation between the European Union and Southeast Asia, experiences in developing successful public-private partnerships, and the future development of the CHAIn Network. These sessions provided valuable perspectives on expanding international collaboration and fostering sustainable partnerships across the higher education sector.

A major highlight of the conference was the Partnership & Collaboration Forum, where participants engaged in interactive discussions on Talent Development and Research & Innovation. The forum created valuable opportunities for universities and industry representatives to explore future collaborative initiatives.

The second day focused on policy dialogue, featuring presentations on higher education internationalisation guidelines, a panel discussion involving representatives from MoEYS and Cambodian higher education institutions, and an open forum examining the practical implications and implementation of these guidelines.

The successful organization of this conference represents another important milestone for the CHAIn Project in supporting Cambodia's higher education internationalisation agenda. Through strengthened partnerships among academia, industry, and policymakers, the conference contributed to enhancing institutional cooperation, promoting knowledge exchange, and fostering sustainable international engagement across Cambodian higher education institutions.

The project extends its sincere appreciation to all speakers, panelists, moderators, workshop facilitators, partner institutions, participants, the University of South-East Asia for hosting the event, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the EU Delegation to Cambodia, and all CHAIn partner institutions for their invaluable contributions to the success of the conference.