The BALANCE project will be implemented in Cambodia as a Structural action and its general objective is to strengthen financial autonomy & accountability of HEIs in Cambodia via modernisation of financial management (FM) practices & legal framework.The partnership was conceived to face some of the most relevant deficiencies on HEIs FM and sustainable financing such as shortage of qualified staff on FM; inadequate IT infrastructure & systems at FM units; lack of effective national and institutional-level strategies or policies and need to improve quality & ensure sustainable financing of HE.BALANCE present an innovative proposal to ensure that FM practices are harmonised in the Cambodian public HE system. The project specific objectives are (i) to promote modernisation of human and organisational capacities of FM in Cambodian HEIs through capacity building and experience exchange; (ii) to set up a sustainable communication platform between Cambodian HEIs & relevant ministries with the objective of improving transparency & systematisation of FM practices.The BALANCE activities implemented by 11 Cambodian HEIs, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport & 2 EU HEIs with an outstanding trajectory on the FM and University Governance field, will include:- Needs analysis activities & benchmarking will provide an insight of the situation of Cambodian HEIs on financial frameworks & practices& will identify good practices on financial models in EU HEIs;- Capacity building on FM, via 5 workshops that trainees will adapt for the implementation of the replication seminars at institution level. - Modernisation of IT infrastructures at FM units;- Developing FM Action Plans for 2020 -2024;- Creation of a BALANCE communication platform to host real time information on Key Performance Indicators from each Cambodian partner HEI to ensure the sustainability of the project;- White Paper for a Financial Model for the Cambodian public HE system.

Based on the model of the European Economic Community, the ten countries of Southeast Asia making up ASEAN signed an agreement in November 2015 opening the way for the creation of an ASEAN community. The ambition of the countries of ASEAN is to develop a common market through the free flow of persons, goods and investment capital. However the development gap and quality of higher education and research among the ten member countries is still very evident. In this context it appears necessary to reinforce the research and innovation policy in Cambodia.Since the 2000s, Cambodia’s universities have been developing research projects and joint degree programs with European countries. However, the universities must now take on new challenges relating to building their institutional capacity in the areas of governance and quality control. Economic development and training of the future generations requires the modernizing of university structures.The project proposes to build capacity in partner institutions in the fields of research and innovation in the humanities, as well as, more broadly, to impact the operation of Cambodian higher education systems and to develop a ‘research culture’. Based on the competencies of partners and advanced university education, the project will offer training sessions and workshops for university faculties and students. These training sessions will deal with such crucial know-how and knowledge fields as control quality policy, human resources, writing project drafts, bibliographic research, and intellectual property and developing international partnerships.In tandem with training activities and with a precise focus on the human and material needs, an inter-university team of researchers will be established

Mental health is an important healMental health is an important health component throughout the lifecycle and forms an integral part of an individual's ability to lead a fulfilling life. On the other hand, poor mental health impedes an individual’s capacity to realize their potential, work productively, and make a contribution to their community. Moreover, as echoed in the 2005 Green paper, mental ill health imposes manifold costs, losses and burdens on citizens and societal systems. Despite the increasing recognition globally of the importance of mental health governance for sustainable development, mental health is still of low priority in Southeast Asia compared to other development priorities. The purpose of our MentalHigh project is to build capacity for mental health in (and through) HEIs in Vietnam and Cambodia with the long-term goal to transform the universities into health-promoting settings that enable students and all staff to thrive and succeed to their best potential. Mental health is central to human development and the results of the MentalHigh project are expected to contribute to the regional priority of governance, peace, security, and human development in Asia. With their many ties to the community and large population, Higher education institutions are predestined organizations to promote positive mental health, de-stigmatize mental health problems, facilitate easy-to access opportunities for enhancing mental health and wellbeing, and act as a resource for mental health in the community. To bring about sustainable change, the project uses a settings-based approach by addressing decision makers, academic staff, support services, and students through various interlocking mental health promotion and prevention interventions. The main output of the MentalHigh project is a digital mental health platform, which provides students with easy access to mental health resources, ehealth, and a pathway to traditional on- and off-campus mental health support.