About Us

Built by Researchers Who've Worked From the Grassroots Up

Nearly two decades of experience interviewing households, business leaders and government officials across Cambodia — now channeled into AI-Asia.

Our History

From Grassroots Fieldwork to National-Level Research

AI-Asia's founders previously worked together at BDLINK (Cambodia) Co., Ltd, engaging directly with households and small enterprises at the grassroots level, and interviewing business leaders, government officials at national and provincial levels, and ministry leaders.

After pursuing different paths, the founders came together to establish AI-Asia, combining that grassroots fieldwork experience with rigorous analytical capability to deliver practical, data-driven research tailored to Cambodia's context.

José VAHL, Managing Director, presenting research findings
Track Record

Experience Working With

Across the founders' careers, the team has delivered research for the following institutions and government bodies.

IFC-MPDF World Bank Asian Development Bank IOM USAID GTZ UNDP UN Women UNOPS UNCDF JICA ILO Oxfam WWF KOICA Pact The Asia Foundation Winrock International People in Need Caritas Australia Australian Award DFAT National Bank of Cambodia Council for the Development of Cambodia

…alongside ministries of commerce and business, business associations, agricultural and rural development departments, and local and international NGOs and donors.

Our People

Executive Team

José VAHL

José VAHL

Managing Director

"Over two decades of experience in project initiation, implementation, and impact and evaluation research."

A Dutch national with over two decades of experience in project initiation, implementation, and impact and evaluation research across qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Specializes in longitudinal research, women's economic development, youth employment, MSME development, and digital payments among low-income populations. Holds a Master's in Agriculture from Wageningen University, The Netherlands (1992).

Pisidh V

Pisidh V

Director of Business Development

"Over a decade of experience in the research and development sector."

Over a decade of experience in research and development across higher education, NGOs, and consulting firms, spanning research design, data management, analysis, and reporting. Contributed to international publications on food safety, livelihoods, food security, and climate change in Southeast Asia. Holds a Master's in Rural Economics and Sociology from the University of Liège (2010).

Prof. Gazi Mainul Hassan

Prof. Gazi Mainul Hassan

Technical Advisor

"Top-tier economist in experimental and behavioural economics, macroeconomic and mathematical modelling."

Specializes in experimental and behavioral economics, macroeconomic modeling, development macroeconomics, energy, and applied econometrics. Over 24 years of experience overseeing multi-country research initiatives, with substantial contributions to the literature on migration and development. Has taught and worked across Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, New Zealand, and the UAE.

Dr. NGOY Yuthnea

Dr. NGOY Yuthnea

Senior Consultant

"Accomplished economist and educator with extensive academic and professional experience."

Holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and master's degrees from James Cook University and the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Research focuses on international trade, economic development, and public policy, with notable publications on Cambodia–China trade and mobile app adoption among SMEs. Since 2015, has lectured and researched at leading Cambodian universities, supervising Ph.D. theses and consulting for international organizations.

Dr. TRY Sophal

Dr. TRY Sophal

Associate Consultant

"Regional expert on assessing flood risk, climate extremes, and water-related disaster prevention."

Recognized regionally for expertise in flood risk assessment, climate extremes, and water disaster prevention. Earned a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Disaster Prevention Engineering from Kyoto University and a Master's from Kyungpook National University. Leads research on flood forecasting, inundation modeling, climate change impact assessment, and early warning systems; published in leading international journals and an active member of AGU and EGU.

CHHIM Vornthyroth

CHHIM Vornthyroth

Associate Consultant

"Expertise spans research and analysis, academic and curriculum development, and leadership and management."

Expertise spans research and analysis, academic development, leadership, and program management with a monitoring and evaluation focus. Holds a Master's in Development Studies and has led research for 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. Lectures on social work research and community practice at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Dr. BUN Bopith

Dr. BUN Bopith

Associate Consultant

"Experienced economist and data analyst specializing in labour market dynamics, economic policy and quantitative research."

Serves as an Advisor at Cambodia's Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, specializing in labor market dynamics and economic policy. Completed a Ph.D. in International Studies from Waseda University and an MA in Economics from the International University of Japan. Technical expertise includes econometric analysis, data visualization, and statistical modeling using STATA, Python, and Tableau; research interests center on FDI impacts, international trade, and labor market analysis.

CHHORN Solita

CHHORN Solita

Data Analyst

"Delivers end-to-end data and AI solutions, with expertise in Python-based machine learning and real-world analytics."

A graduate in Data Science from Cambodia's Institute of Technology, delivering end-to-end data and AI solutions with expertise in Python-based machine learning and real-world analytics. Work spans the complete data lifecycle, including NLP solutions for the Khmer language and retrieval-augmented generation systems, serving agriculture, SMEs, and development sectors.

KIM Daro

KIM Daro

Research Intern

"Fourth-year Social Science student majoring in International Relations at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia."

A fourth-year Social Science student majoring in International Relations at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia. Through his internship, is developing practical skills in research processes, data collection, and analytical thinking, with a focus on research and education development supporting inclusive, sustainable advancement.

SUNG Leang Ey

SUNG Leang Ey

Research Intern

"Senior student majoring in International Relations at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia."

A senior International Relations student at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, gaining hands-on experience in the practical application of research and data-driven studies. Committed to supporting impactful research that informs decision-making and development outcomes.

Governance

Board Members

Dr. IM Soksamphoas

Dr. IM Soksamphoas

Board Member

"Political scientist specializing in Cambodia's authoritarian politics, governance and social welfare."

Political scientist (Ph.D. and M.A., University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; MSc., Durham University). Associate Director of the Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University. Research focuses on Cambodia's authoritarian politics, governance, social welfare, and Cambodia–China relations.

Noel M. Matthews

Noel M. Matthews

Board Member

"Irish citizen with 30+ years designing governance and civil society programs across Asia, Africa and Europe."

Irish citizen with a master's degree in education and 30+ years designing programs across Asia, Africa and Europe. Expertise in local governance, institutional development and civil society development; has collaborated with DfID, the EU, the World Bank and the UN. Based between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Dr. LAY Sok Heng

Dr. LAY Sok Heng

Board Member

"Director of Economic Research at the National Bank of Cambodia, with two decades in finance and central banking."

Director of the Economic Research and International Cooperation Department at the National Bank of Cambodia. Two decades in academia, finance and central banking; research interests include financial inclusion, financial development and FinTech. Ph.D. in Economics, University of Adelaide; MA, International University of Japan.

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