Faculty virtue and research capacity-building in the context of poorly funded universities: the case of the Royal University of Phnom Penh

摘要

A nation's capacity to absorb and produce knowledge is increasingly linked to advancing its social and economic well-being. While the bulk of research attention has focused on knowledge management in the private sector, universities worldwide continue to play pivotal roles in developing the human capability to work with knowledge. This article draws on a qualitative case study of a public flagship, comprehensive university in a developing nation in Southeast Asia to identify existing research capacity strengths and the hopes some academic faculty and administrators have for the future in a resource-limited and politically constrained context. It points out that faculty virtue may be the basis on which research capacity can develop when gaps in organizational processes, physical resources, and outside support exist. The findings have relevance for richer and poorer nations alike, as rapidly changing economic conditions threaten levels of funding to universities around the world.