Rany Sam

Dr. Sam Rany is the Vice-Rector of the National University of Battambang (NUBB), a public university in northwest Cambodia, which he joined in 2008. He has served as the Cambodian Director of the Confucius Institute at the National University of Battambang since 2019. He received his Ph.D. in Education from the School of Educational Studies at the University of Science Malaysia (USM) in 2016. In 2017 and 2022, he graduated from the Royal School of Administration in Cambodia with diplomas in public administration, leadership, and innovation programs. He graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Law (LL.B & at the Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), Cambodia, in 2004 and 2007, respectively. He is also actively involved in some projects, including Erasmus+, KOICA, JICA, and WB. He is also actively involved in some projects, including Erasmus+, KOICA, JICA, and WB.

EDUCATION

February 2018: International Certificate on Practitioner Project Management (PRINCE2) from the Global Best Practice, United Kingdom
2016-2017: Diploma of Public Administration for High-Ranking Officer’s Professional Improvement Program at the Royal School of Administration (RSA), Cambodia; my internship report is “The Study of Port Operation Services at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port”.
2011-2015: PhD in Education, School of Educational Studies, University of Science, Malaysia (USM), Malaysia; my research topic is “The Influence of Institutional Factors and Integrations towards Students’ Intellectual Development: A Case Study of Three Cambodian Public Universities”.
2004-2007: Master of Law (, specializing in International Business Law and Corporate Counsel at the Faculty of Law, Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), Cambodia.

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Law, Education, Language and Linguistics, Business and International Management

Scopus Publications

Academic accreditation and evaluation in cambodian higher education institutions: Development, challenges, and opportunities
Rany Sam, Mardy Serey, Hour Ry, Chiv Sarith, Morin Tieng, and Hak Yoeng
IGI Global
This chapter explores the development and challenges of the Quality Assurance (QA) system in Cambodian higher education institutions. Following the end of the civil war in 1998, Cambodia has made significant strides in establishing a robust QA framework to enhance the standards of its higher education sector. Key milestones include establishing the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC) in March 2003 and implementing various policies to align with international QA practices, especially those of ASEAN quality assurance. The Royal Government of Cambodia has unequivocally prioritized quality assurance and accreditation in higher education as a central aspect of its educational reform and strategic plan; especially in the rectangular strategy 2023-2028. The development phase has been marked by a steadfast focus on building institutional capacities, creating quality assurance guidelines, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.


CAMBODIAN EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING PRONUNCIATION
Chandarey Vong, Rany Sam, and Seth So
Sanata Dharma University
This study aims to explore students’ perceptions of factors influencing pronunciation. The study was designed quantitatively. The purposive sampling method was used, and 50 Cambodian EFL students at the National University of Battambang were selected as the sample. The questionnaire was designed in a semi-structured format. The data was analyzed by SPSS. The result showed that most participants believed learning English from a young age leads to better pronunciation. Interestingly, it indicated that the mother tongue (Khmer) influences English pronunciation since learners find it difficult to produce some sounds, especially the /th/sh/f/v/ sound in English, as these sounds do not exist in the sound system of Khmer. Additionally, the majority of the respondents believed that being exposed to an English-speaking environment, including real communication with English native speakers or access to English-speaking learning media, can enhance pronunciation. Last but not least, it was also assumed that feedback on pronunciation errors and motivation contribute to a positive learning process. Therefore, this study provides insight into effective pronunciation instruction.


Private supplementary tutoring in the cambodian educational system: What matters for policies?
Rany Sam, Morin Tieng, Hak Yoeng, Ry Hour, and Chiv Sarith
IGI Global
In Cambodia, as in many ASEAN countries, private supplementary tutoring, also known as 'shadow education,' is a significant component of the educational landscape. This chapter examines the root causes of shadow education in Cambodia, the challenges it poses, and the effectiveness of existing policies aimed at regulating this sector. Through semi-structured interviews with 21 principals and teachers, the study identifies key drivers of shadow education, including inadequate formal education, insufficient resources, regulatory gaps, and teachers' low salaries. The findings indicate a widespread reliance on private tutoring to compensate for these deficiencies, which exacerbates educational inequalities. The chapter concludes with targeted recommendations for students, parents, educators, and policymakers, underscoring the critical need for robust and effective regulatory frameworks to address the challenges of shadow education and to enhance the quality and equity of Cambodia's educational system.


Cattle Raising Practices in North-West Cambodia




Decolonial perspectives on intercultural research in a study of educational inclusion in rural Cambodia
Jackie Ravet, Peter Mtika, Amy McFarlane, Catriona MacDonald, Bunlee Khun, Vandy Tep, Rany Sam, and Hak Yoeng
Elsevier BV



Comparative study of the Pakistani and Indonesian student's anxiety towards the english language learning




Academic adjustment issues in a malaysian research university: The case of cambodian, laotian, burmese, and vietnamese postgraduate students' experiences
Rany Sam, Ahmad Nurulazam Md Zain, Hazri Bin Jamil, Thongma Souriyavongsa, and Le To Do Quyen
Canadian Center of Science and Education
The Malaysian government aims to help the bottom billion countries, which are its neighbouring countries in the South East Asian region, for their human capital development through providing university postgraduate scholarship projects. Those countries include Cambodia, Laos PDR, Burma or Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV), which are favourite countries for its technical assistance. Due to the countries’ various educational systems, postgraduate students have experienced some academic difficulties during their studies and research in Malaysian universities. A qualitative research method is employed to investigate students’ living strategies, perception of academic success, and academic adjustment problems in a Malaysian university.  Research samples were conducted conveniently selected from a total of 17 students made up of 6 Cambodian, 4 Laotian, 2 Myanmar, and 5 Vietnamese postgraduate students (47, 05% females and 52, 94% males) who have studied in the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) so called the Research University in the academic year 2012/2013, where they have attended the schools of educational studies, social science, and materials and mineral resource engineering. The result showed that the most difficult problem in term of academic adjustment which is English language difficulty in their new learning environment. In order to remedy such matters, they must strive to study hard, to improve English proficiency, and to make good relations with their academic staff, thesis supervisors, and other postgraduate students. In other words, social adjustment is considered as one of the important strategies that enable them to cope with the context of Malaysian culture. Based on the findings, the researchers provide recommendations to facilitate CLMV students to make better adjustments in a Malaysian research university and to achieve their academic endeavour.


Investigating learning English strategies and English needs of undergraduate students at the national university of Laos
Thongma Souriyavongsa, Mohamad Jafre Zainol Abidin, Rany Sam, Leong Lai Mei, and Ithayaraj Britto Aloysius
Canadian Center of Science and Education
This paper aims to investigate learning English strategies and the requirement of English needs of the undergraduate students at the National University of Laos (NUOL). The study employed a survey design which involved in administering questionnaires of rating scales, and adapting the items from (Barakat, 2010; Chengbin, 2008; Kathleen A, 2010; Patama, 2001; Richards, 2001), to measure learning English strategies and the needs of English skills from 160 Lao undergraduate students of NUOL. The findings of this study revealed that speaking skill was the most important skills that students needed to improve in their undergraduate program. All participants reported a medium frequency use of strategy on learning English. The most frequently used strategies involved in using vocabulary books and electronic dictionaries to remember new English words. Based on the research findings, the researchers provided some recommendations for course developers to be reconsidered and redesigned the curriculum and syllabus including the instructional materials, learning behaviours and learning strategies of the English courses in all faculties in order to enhance the quality of learning and teaching activities as well as to meet the learners’ needs and social demands for their prospective careers and country’s development.


Conceptualizing institutional policies for students' academic success in Cambodian universities: What matters for policy?
Rany Sam, Thongma Souriyavongsa, Ahmad Nurulazam Md Zain, Hazri Jamil, Xiaojuan Wu, and Seng Sovath
Canadian Center of Science and Education
The Cambodian government aims to promote students’ academic success in the country’s tertiary education. In order to reach this goal, it is important to explore possible potential factors that determine the educational attainment of Cambodian students. There has been no previous research on students’ academic success in Cambodian higher learning institutions, while this topic has been widely researched in the United States and some developed countries since the 1970’s. Accordingly, a number of research models have been developed by famous scholars to determine institutional factors which lead to the outcome of better academic performance in post secondary education. Therefore, this paper intends to conceptualize the academic experiences connected to existing institutional policies for contributing to the enhancement of students’ academic success in the specific context of Cambodian higher education institutions. In this paper, Astin’s theory (1984, 1993, 1999) and a Tinto’s theory (1975, 1993) are employed to link the concept of institutional policies and Cambodian students’ academic success because they model the relationship between institutional experiences of students, which are deemed to be relevant to the current status of Cambodian educational policies. Based on these concepts, this paper will propose ten variables as predicting factors that influence institutional policies toward students’ academic success and will design a conceptual model to elaborate this influence within the Cambodian educational system. Thus, this model to predict students’ academic success is proposed as a result of a literature review among the relationships of theoretical model of student input (pre-entry attributes), academic environment (institutional experiences and policies), and students’ academic success. Based on these relationships, ten propositions are developed.

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Exploring EFL students’ challenges in oral presentations at National University of Battambang
V Keo, B Lan, R Sam, W Rouet
International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning 7 2025



Exploring Cambodian Teachers' Views on Transformational Leadership of School Directors
S Em, S Mok, R Sam
Journal of Social Knowledge Education (JSKE) 6 (1), 76-89 2025



Academic Accreditation and Evaluation in Cambodian Higher Education Institutions: Development, Challenges, and Opportunities
R Sam, M Serey, H Ry, C Sarith, M Tieng, H Yoeng
Academic Accreditation and Evaluation in Higher Education: Practices 2025



Enhancing Research for Academicians in Cambodian Higher Education Institutions: A Policy Perspective
R Sam, M Tieng, H Yoeng, C Sarith, M Serey, S Sam
Enhancing Research for Academicians in Higher Education, 225-248 2025



Transactional Leadership Style in Higher Educations: A Systematic Literature Review
S Hieng, C Hum, S Seoung, R Sam, P Phorn, S Vy
Scientia. Technology, Science and Society 1 (3), 126-144 2024



Exploring EFL learners' perception toward the difficulties in oral presentation
B Lan, V Keo, R Sam, W Roeut
ELT Forum: Journal of English Language Teaching 13 (3), 174-190 2024



Perspectives on Directors' Transformational Leadership: Insights from Cambodian High School Teachers
S Em, S Mok, R Sam
Journal of General Education and Humanities 3 (4), 411-432 2024



Teachers’ Perceptions on Directors’ Instructional Leadership in Secondary Resource Schools: Regional Variations and Impacts on Teachers Commitment in Cambodia
S Khan, S Mok, R Sam, S Mam, S Em, D Pen
European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning 2 (6), 259-274 2024



The Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Retention: A Case Study of High School Teachers in Battambang, Cambodia
S Meas, S Sok, V Tumvet, R Sam, C Soeurn
European Journal of Management, Economics and Business 1 (3), 52-62 2024



The Impact of Service Quality on Customers Satisfaction and Loyalty: A Case Study of Commercial Banks in Battambang City, Cambodia
S Meas, H Hoeurng, S Phal, R Sam, E Doeurn
European Journal of Management, Economics and Business 1 (3), 63-75 2024



Servant Leadership Style in High Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review
V Dul, R Sam, S Hak, D Bou, S Vy, S Kheuy
European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning 2 (6), 116-139 2024



Factors Influencing Students’ Enrollment Decisions in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of the National University of Battambang
C Chhor, V Sek, R Norng, S Hoeurn, R Sam
European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning 2 (6), 169-186 2024



The Laissez-Faire Leadership Style in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review
C Chhom, S Vy, R Chheav, D Bou, S Kheuy, R Sam
European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning 2 (6), 140-168 2024



Influencing factors in teaching career choices in Cambodia in teacher education colleges: A conceptual framework
S Huot, R Sam, T Nguon
European Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 1 (6), 97-108 2024



Autocratic Leadership Style in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review
P Yea, C Hum, S Chea, D Bou, R Chheav, V Dul, R Sam
European Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 1 (6), 88-96 2024



Cybercrime's Global and National Dimensions: Policy Frameworks, Challenges, and Future Solutions
M Nget, R Sam, K Im, S Kheuy, D Em, H Yoeng
2024



Factors That Cause EFL Learners’ English-Speaking Anxiety: A Case Study of Cambodian Higher Education Institutions
R Sam
VietTESOL International Convention Proceedings 4 2024



Decolonial perspectives on intercultural research in a study of educational inclusion in rural Cambodia
HY Jackie Ravet, Peter Mtika, Amy McFarlane, Catriona MacDonald, Bunlee Khun ...
International Journal of Educational Research 128 (1), 1-13 2024



Cambodian EFL Students’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Pronunciation
C Vong, R Sam, S Seth
LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching 27 (2), 985-996 2024



Gender Equality in Cambodian Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of the National University of Battambang
S Touch, S Sok, R Ra, S Makara, S Hoeun, K Sok, R Sam, H Yoeng
Journal of General Education and Humanities 3 (4), 339-358 2024

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Factors causes students low English language learning: A case study in the National University of Laos
R Sam
Available at SSRN 4850858 2024
Citations: 304



Cambodia's higher education development in historical perspectives (1863-2012)
R Sam, HB Jamil, AN Md Zain
International Journal of Learning and Development 2 (2), 224-241 2012
Citations: 119



Investigating Learning English Strategies and English Needs of Undergraduate Students at the National University of Laos
T Souriyavongsa, MJZ Abidin, R Sam, LL Mei, IB Aloysius
English Language Teaching 6 (10), 57-71 2013
Citations: 46



Establishment of Institutional Policies for Enhancing Education Quality in Cambodian Universities
R Sam, AN Md Zain, H Jamil
International Journal of Higher Education 1 (1), 112-127 2012
Citations: 37



Comparative study of the Pakistani and Indonesian student’s anxiety towards the English language learning
M Javed, LS Eng, AR Mohamed, R Sam
Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 18 (11), 1563-1572 2013
Citations: 29



Conceptualizing Institutional Policies for Students’ Academic Success in Cambodian Universities: What Matters for Policy?
R Sam, T Souriyavongsa, ANM Zain, H Jamil, X Wu, S Sovath
Asian Social Science 9 (10), 283-294 2013
Citations: 27



Investigating the Institutional Policies That Contribute Toward The Students' Academic Success In A Cambodian University
R Sam
Available at SSRN 4850891 2024
Citations: 22



Academic Adjustment Issues in a Malaysian Research University: The Case of Cambodian, Laotian, Burmese, and Vietnamese Postgraduate Students' Experiences
R Sam, HB Jamil, AN Md Zain
Laotian, Burmese, and Vietnamese Postgraduate Students' Experiences (June 01 2024
Citations: 20



Academic adjustment of freshmen in Cambodian higher education institutions: A systematic literature review
B Lan, R Sam, V Keo, W Roeut
Journal of General Education and Humanities 3 (2), 169-196 2024
Citations: 17



Institutional Integration Factors That Impact Students' Academic and Intellectual Developments: A Case Study of Three Cambodian Rural Universities
M Tieng, H Yoeng, R Sam, V Nhean, R Hour, E Doeurn
International Journal of Learning and Development 13 (3), 39-64 2023
Citations: 14



The Impact of Service Quality on Teachers’ Satisfaction: The Case of Battambang Teacher Education College
C Chork, R Sam, S Huot
Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) 9 (2), e002662 2024
Citations: 9



Challenges and Opportunities of Educational Technology Integration in Cambodian Higher Education Institutions: A Literature Review
V Keo, R Sam, B Lan, R Wen
International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling (IJEPC) 9 (54 2024
Citations: 8



Exploring the Benefits and Drawbacks of Directing Undergraduates' Self-Study Pursuits: An In-depth Analysis through Literature Review
P. Chin, R. Sam, M. Serey, and S. Em
J.Gen.Educ.Humanit. 3 (2), 117-132 2024
Citations: 6



Factors influencing academic adjustment and learning outcomes in higher education institutions in Battambang: A conceptual framework
B Lan, R Sam, V Keo, W Rouet
European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences 2 (5) 2024
Citations: 6



The Impact of Assessment for 21st Century Skills in Higher Education Institutions: A Narrative Literature Review
L Chiva, R Sam, C Ny, C Chhang, R Ren, C Ngork, R Sorn, M Sorn, C Sor
International Journal of Advance Social Sciences and Education (IJASSE) 2 (1 2024
Citations: 6



History of education in Cambodia: a review of literature from past to present
S Em, S Mok, R Sam, GF Kurniawan, D Pen
2024
Citations: 4



Legal Challenges of Intellectual Property in Southeast Asia: Key Issues and Implications for Cambodia
M Tieng, H Yoeng, R Hour, P Vam, R Sam
Available at SSRN 4853213 2024
Citations: 4



A Comparison of Youth’s Value Systems: The Case of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups
R Le To-Do-Quyen, Norzarina Mohd-Zaharim, Intan, Sam
International Journal of Psychological Studies 6 (2), 128-137 2014
Citations: 4



The Impact of Leadership Styles on Professional Learning Communities and Mediated by Teachers’ Behavior toward Student Learning: A Conceptual Framework
S Thay, R Sam, R Keo
International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling (IJEPC) 9 (54 2024
Citations: 3



Integrating artificial intelligence in higher education: A case study of Cambodian universities
H Hoeurng, P Phorn, S Kheav, R Sam
European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences 2 (5), 462-473 2024
Citations: 3