Executive Team

José VAHL

José, a Dutch national, has accumulated over two decades of experience in project initiation, implementation, and impact and evaluation research, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Her expertise notably extends to longitudinal research, including diaries, with a keen interest in topics around women’s economic development, youth employment, MSME and livelihoods development, smallholders, value chain research, and digital payments, particularly among low-income groups. She has served in roles ranging from research leadership to country director level for implementation. José holds a Master's degree in Agriculture from Agricultural University Wageningen, The Netherlands (1992)

Pisidh V

Mr. Pisidh is a highly accomplished professional with over a decade of experience in the research and development sector. He has worked with various organizations, including higher education institutes, local and international NGOs, and research consulting firms. His expertise lies in research design, data management and analysis, and reporting. Mr. Pisidh has played a pivotal role in driving impactful research projects that have helped organizations make informed decisions and achieve their objectives throughout his career. Moreover, Pisidh is an independent researcher who has been working with research teams in Southeast Asian countries for almost five years. He has contributed to many international publications on food safety, livelihood, food security, and climate change in the context of Southeast Asia. Mr. Pisidh holds a master's in Rural Economics and Sociology from the University of Liège (2010).

 

Prof. Gazi Mainul Hassan

Professor. Gazi Mainul Hassan is a top tier economist in the field experimental and behavioural economics, macroeconomic and mathematical modelling, development macroeconomics, energy and the SDGs; and applied econometrics, and finance, time series forecasting and panel data methods. His expertise has contributed to a significant publication and research in the field of migration and development.

Over 24 years of experiences, Professor Gazi Mainul Hassan has overseen multi-country research initiatives and contributed substantially to the literature on migration and development. Professor Hassan has taught and worked in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates, experience that informs his comparative, policy-oriented approach to economic analysis and capacity building.

Dr. NGOY Yuthnea

Dr. Ngoy Yuthnea is an accomplished economist and educator with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds a PhD in Economics from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and master's degrees in Economics and TESOL from James Cook University, Australia, and the Royal University of Phnom Penh, respectively. His career spans academia, research, and policy advisory roles, serving as a researcher in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and a former advisory specialist at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Since 2015, he has been a lecturer and researcher at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and other leading Cambodian universities. His research focuses on international trade, economic development, and public policy, with notable publications on Cambodia-China trade and mobile app adoption among SMEs. He has also consulted on labour market assessments and development trends for international organizations. Beyond research, Dr. Ngoy has supervised PhD theses on business, technology, and education management. Proficient in statistical analysis tools like SPSS, STATA, and R-Studio, he applies quantitative methods to his economic studies. His international exposure includes conference participation in Australia and teaching experience in New Zealand. Fluent in Khmer and English (IELTS 7.0), he effectively communicates across academic and policy spheres. His dedication to education and research has made significant contributions to Cambodia’s economic and educational landscape.


 

Dr. TRY Sophal

Dr. Try Sophal is a regional and well-known expert on assessing flood risk, climate extremes, and water-related disaster prevention. He holds a PhD in Hydrology and Disaster Prevention Engineering from Kyoto University, Japan, and a Master’s degree in Water-Related Disaster Prevention Engineering from Kyungpook National University, Republic of Korea.

At AI-Asia, Dr. Try is an associate consultant leading research on flood forecasting, inundation modeling, climate change impact assessment, and early warning systems.

Dr. Sophal has extensive research experience across Cambodia, Japan, Korea, and Germany, including a JSPS-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Kyoto University and a research fellowship at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His work has been published in leading international journals on hydrology, climate change, and flood modeling, and he is an active member of several professional societies, including AGU, EGU, and JSHWR.

CHHIM Vornthyroth

Mr. Chhim Vornthyroth’s expertise spans four key areas: research and analysis, academic and curriculum development, leadership and management, and program management including monitoring and evaluation.

He is an experienced professional in social work and justice, governance, socio-economic and community development. With a Master’s in Development Studies, he has led research for organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Save the Children, covering the full research cycle—from design and sampling to tool development, data analysis (SPSS, STATA), and report writing—on issues including youth development, gender and GBV, child protection, poverty, and community empowerment.

As a Lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, he designs and teaches courses on social work research, M&E, and community practice, and has contributed significantly to curriculum development and quality assurance.

In leadership positions, including Program Director and Acting Executive Director at SILAKA, he has overseen program operations, set strategic goals, built M&E systems, and managed staff, budgets, and compliance.

Dr. BUN Bopith

Dr. Bopith BUN is an experienced economist and data analyst specializing in labour market dynamics, economic policy, and quantitative research. Currently serving as an Advisor at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in Cambodia, he brings in both his academic and practical policy expertise to aligns national employment policies with Cambodia's economic development goals, and assesses the impacts of global trade tensions on the economy and labor market. With a Ph.D. in International Studies from Waseda University and a Master of Arts in Economics from the International University of Japan, Dr. BUN has prepared himself to understand the regional and global economic trends and labour markets, which are essential to effectively inform the national policies and data-driven decision-making. His technical expertise includes econometric analysis, data visualization, and statistical modeling using STATA, Python, and Tableau. He is particularly interested in research on the development impact of foreign direct investment, international trade, and labour market analysis. He also has experiences in facilitating important workshops and conferences, including the Labour Economics Conference, and being a panelist to share his knowledge and discuss research findings and policy recommendations with key stakeholders.D.