Students browse through books at the National Library in Phnom Penh. Hong Menea
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) on June 16 launched a pioneering partnership to make ADB digital publications available in CDRI’s online catalogue.
They also released their flagship book titled “Asia’s Journey to Prosperity: Policy, Market, and Technology Over 50 Years” to mark the launch of the collaboration.
ADB said in a press release on June 16 that CDRI is the first knowledge centre selected as a partner for the ADB depositary library programme.
It said Cambodia is among the 15 countries across Asia and the Pacific selected for the programme, which aims to promote knowledge and innovation to address national development issues.
Founded in 1966 and owned by its 68 member countries, ADB said it is committed to achieving prosperity, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific region in line with its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
ADB country director Sunniya Durrani-Jamal said the bank’s operations go beyond providing financial assistance, including providing knowledge for solutions that are the best way to ensure sustainable growth and development.
“This role is even more important as Cambodia is recovering from the public health and economic crisis caused by Covid-19,” she said.
ADB said that quarterly, they expect to share at least 50 publications with CDRI, including documents on economics, finance, transportation, trade, environment and natural resources, gender, education, agriculture and innovation.
The flagship book provides an overview of growth and change in Asia over the last 50 years, as well as discusses key policy lessons drawn from regional experiences.
“This morning we launched a new book to bring public attention to the library,” CDRI acting executive director Eng Netra told The Post on June 16.
Netra said the book will be one among many ADB-provided sources of knowledge in digital form available in the CDRI online library.
“CDRI believes that the e-library partnership will contribute significantly to building Cambodia’s human capital,” she said.
CDRI has plans to host more than 1,000 ADB publications in its online library, available at library.cdri.org.kh free of charge to the general public, educational institutions and researchers, government agencies and private sector companies and non-governmental organisations.
ADB is currently carrying out $2.1 billion in investment projects in Cambodia through its country partnership strategy for 2019–2023, incorporating comprehensive technical assistance and knowledge programmes.
This year, it plans to publish 27 knowledge papers and organise 11 events, including documents and programmes to support Cambodia’s economic development and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
