Featured Stories
Jed Foundation: K-12 Navigator Reimagines Access to Student Mental Health Support in Schools
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 7 -- The Jed Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
Nov 05, 2026
K-12 Navigator Reimagines Access to Student Mental Health Support in Schools
Guide streamlines the entire process of adopting digital mental health tools for districts
-
NEW YORK, NY - Headstream, a SecondMuse initiative aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of adolescents in marginalized communities, today announced the latest version of its K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator, a free, one-stop resource designed to help school administrators, district leaders, and state agencies navigate
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 7 -- The Jed Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
Nov 05, 2026
K-12 Navigator Reimagines Access to Student Mental Health Support in Schools
Guide streamlines the entire process of adopting digital mental health tools for districts
-
NEW YORK, NY - Headstream, a SecondMuse initiative aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of adolescents in marginalized communities, today announced the latest version of its K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator, a free, one-stop resource designed to help school administrators, district leaders, and state agencies navigatethe process of identifying and implementing digital tools that improve access to mental health support for students.
Fifty-eight percent of schools across the U.S. reported that the number of students seeking school-based mental health services increased year-over-year, and over that same time period, there was a 61% increase in concerns expressed by staff about students exhibiting depression, anxiety, trauma, or emotional dysregulation. Additionally, in a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 29% of students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness also reported an unmet need for counseling or therapy.
Among the new offerings is AI-Enabled Mental Health Technologies in K-12 Schools, a practical guide developed by The Jed Foundation in collaboration with Headstream to help schools evaluate AI-enabled mental health tools and consider safety, privacy, student well-being, community input, and implementation. Technology is shifting rapidly, and school settings require a different vetting process than traditional office environments. This guide was developed with students' needs and the realities of staff and district leaders in mind.
"Schools are facing unprecedented funding challenges, and our goal is to help relieve that financial strain and help as many districts as possible to augment their in-person staff with digital products that meaningfully expand access to quality care," said David Ball, Head of Well-Being at SecondMuse. "We know that exploring and rolling out new digital health products to students requires care and expertise. The Navigator gives education leaders confidence that they are integrating tools that put the best interests of their students and staff first."
The Navigator was created by Headstream in partnership with The Jed Foundation, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, and the National Center for School Mental Health. The Navigator guides leaders through the entire process of adopting digital mental health tools. Its resources cover five key areas: assessing student needs, driving community engagement, easing product assessment, exploring funding sources, and advising on thoughtful implementation. The guide is intentionally comprehensive, knowing the need to reach more students is urgent. Each stage of the process is designed to build on the one before, creating a strong and growing foundation for success.
"AI is adding another layer of complexity to decisions about digital mental health technologies. School and district leaders need to consider not only whether these tools are effective, but whether they support their students, what safeguards are necessary, and how they fit within a broader system of mental health support," said Jennifer Reed, Senior Director of School and District Programs for The Jed Foundation. "This guide can help leaders navigate those decisions and make choices that reflect the needs of their students and their families, staff, and school communities."
District and school leaders can begin engaging with the Navigator by taking the needs assessment, watching the What to Expect from the K-12 Mental Health Tech Navigator video, or exploring our webinars on the Navigator resources webpage.
Since its inception, Headstream has supported 95 edtech, well-being, and social tech startups, reached over 49M users through startups that participated in the Accelerator and Residency programs, and engaged 140 youth co-creators in its programming. If you are interested in partnering or collaborating with the Headstream community to scale these innovations, please contact us at hello@headstreaminnovation.com.
* * *
About Headstream
Headstream, an innovation program by SecondMuse, exists to improve the mental well-being of adolescents, with a focus on systemically excluded communities including BIPOC, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Headstream reshapes how the health, education, and social tech systems prioritize youth mental health. Learn more about our programs at: https://www.headstreaminnovation.com/
* * *
About SecondMuse
SecondMuse is a leading innovation company dedicated to creating economic value through market-driven solutions that advance climate and well-being. We work with clients to fuel sustainable growth while delivering measurable benefits for businesses, communities, and the planet. For over 15 years, we have designed, developed, and implemented programs that support entrepreneurs and financial solutions that open new markets, expand access to capital, and drive economic transformation. Our work spans 190+ countries and territories. Learn more at https://www.secondmuse.com/
* * *
About The Jed Foundation
JED is committed to protecting emotional health and preventing suicide for our nation's teens and young adults. JED partners with high schools, colleges, school districts, and youth-serving community-based organizations to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. JED equips teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other, and encourages community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
* * *
Original text here: https://jedfoundation.org/k-12-tech-navigator-reimagines-access-to-student-mental-health-support-in-schools/
Foundation for Economic Education Issues Commentary: Another Train Crash in Spain Raises Questions About Country's Infrastructure
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 7 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary:
* * *
Friday, November 6, 2026
Off the Rails
Mark Nayler
Another train crash in Spain raises questions about the country's infrastructure.
-
On October 28, 69 people were killed in a train crash in the Toledo province of central Spain. The collision occurred on the high-speed line connecting Madrid with the southwestern city of Seville, just one month before a general election on November 29. It is the second disaster on the Madrid-Seville corridor this year, after a crash near Cordoba in
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 7 -- The Foundation for Economic Education issued the following commentary:
* * *
Friday, November 6, 2026
Off the Rails
Mark Nayler
Another train crash in Spain raises questions about the country's infrastructure.
-
On October 28, 69 people were killed in a train crash in the Toledo province of central Spain. The collision occurred on the high-speed line connecting Madrid with the southwestern city of Seville, just one month before a general election on November 29. It is the second disaster on the Madrid-Seville corridor this year, after a crash near Cordoba inthe south in January killed 46 people. Due to its timing, the Toledo collision is likely to be even more politically contentious than the last, further diminishing Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez's chances of reelection. Both tragedies suggest that a once cutting-edge rail network is now showing its age--and that successive Spanish governments have failed to invest in its maintenance.
Both the Socialists and conservative Popular Party (PP) halted their campaign activities on the day of the collision, which occurred just before 9 AM near the village of Urda, about 90 miles south of Madrid. Hostilities between Sanchez and PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo were suspended, while both leaders visited the crash site and expressed solidarity with the victims' families. Sanchez announced that his government was working to ensure that such a catastrophe "never happens again"--a promise he also made after the crash near Adamuz in January (alongside an admission that Spain's railway safety protocols were "not infallible"). Both he and Feijoo are locked in a battle for first place on November 29, with most polls putting the PP a few points ahead of the Socialists.
Only Vox, a party to the right of the PP that's currently placed third in the polls, refused to halt campaigning. Just a few hours after the collision, its leader Santiago Abascal gave a wild speech in the northern city of Santander, expressing his "absolute rage" at a government that he described as a "criminal organization" (a reference to the corruption scandals surrounding Sanchez's inner circle, one of which centers on the now-jailed former Transport Minister). Abascal assured his listeners that Sanchez would "use the pain and mourning" to "silence the people's protests." If that was the prime minister's plan, it didn't work: demonstrators clashed with police outside the Ministry of Transport on the night of October 28, demanding that both Sanchez and Transport Minister Oscar Puente resign.
Unlike the January crash, which was attributed to a faulty section of track, last month's disaster seems to have been caused by a combination of technological failure and human misjudgment. A glitch in the computer system halted several trains along a 60-kilometer (37-mile) stretch of track, after which Spain's state railway administrator Adif took manual control. As heard on audio files leaked to Spanish media, a Madrid-based controller then instructed the driver of a train from public operator Renfe to proceed southbound "at normal speed," despite a red light. These recordings also reveal that the driver of a privately-operated Iryo service, also headed for Seville, told the same controller several minutes before the crash that she was stalled and couldn't restart her train. But no one told the Renfe driver to brake, and 25 kilometers (15 miles) down the line, his train slammed into the Iryo's stationary rear carriages at an estimated speed of between 160 and 200 kilometers (94 and 124 miles) per hour.
Puente, desperate to deflect blame from the government, called the controller's decision to green-light the Renfe train "inexplicable." This outraged CSIF, one of Spain's main public sector unions: "We demand that the government respect the investigation and presumption of innocence for the head of traffic at Adif," it said in a post on X. CSIF joined the calls for Puente's resignation, claiming that it was unfair to blame one person before the complex nexus of causal factors has been examined.
The Adif controller's decision does need to be explained--but the underlying problems here, as in January, are with the state of Spain's high-speed railways, especially the 35-year-old Madrid-Seville line (the first to be opened in 1992). SEMAF, Spain's main train drivers' union, has repeatedly raised concerns about the deterioration of the country's high-speed infrastructure, describing "severe wear and tear" in a letter to Adif last August--but to no avail. The union went ahead with a strike last Thursday, which was planned before the previous day's crash, and has called for two more on November 10 and 12.
Adding to the October 28 tragedy (and making things even worse for Sanchez) is that the driver of the Renfe train killed on impact was himself a left-wing activist, who had criticized the government's level of investment in railway infrastructure.
A member of Izquierda Espanola ("Spanish Left"), Antonio Acedo, 36, helped launch the party's transport platform. According to party leader Guillermo del Valle, Acedo echoed SEMAF's concerns by highlighting "overcrowding of passengers following a failed liberalization, the glaring lack of funding for maintenance, and years of neglect that have resulted in a disastrous deterioration of railway infrastructure." Lawyer Paula Fraga, an associate of Acedo's in Izquierda Espanola, told El Mundo that he was "very worried" after January's crash, "saying that if things didn't change, we were doomed to repeat the same mistakes. And look, it's happened to him. It's unbelievable."
Sanchez has one fact to cling onto--namely, that his government has invested much more in railways than its conservative PP predecessor. But of the Euros1.5 billion annual average spent on high-speed tracks under Sanchez, most is channeled into new projects. Between 2018 (the year he took power) and 2022, only about 16% went to maintenance, compared to between 34% and 39% in France, Germany, and Italy. As one EU rail expert recently told Politico: "Maintenance is vital--but also politically invisible." The Madrid-Seville line has recently received a Euros700 million renovation, but not along its entire length, as Puente himself admitted after the Adamuz crash.
The Toledo tragedy has also refocused attention on railway signaling and safety systems, part of a wider issue across the EU. Neither of the trains involved were using the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), a more sophisticated replacement of the German-made LZB system that apparently failed on the morning of October 28 (although it has yet to be ascertained whether the new system could have prevented the collision). The Madrid-Seville line is currently being upgraded to ERTMS, but progress is far behind schedule, as it is across the EU as a whole. By the end of 2024, ERTMS signaling technology was active on only about 10% of Europe's rail network.
In the run-up to the Spanish election, though, voters are likely to remain fixed on the domestic situation. Sanchez has been in power for almost a decade--plenty of time, one might have thought, to improve a railway network fast approaching its 40th birthday. Yet he is merely the most recent Spanish prime minister to have prioritized, along with the EU, building new lines over the maintenance of existing ones. Hopefully, Spain's next government won't make the same mistake.
* * *
Mark Nayler
Mark Nayler is a freelance journalist and critic based in Malaga, Spain. He writes regularly for The Spectator and Times Literary Supplement and is working on a biography of the philosopher Bryan Magee, due to be published by Bloomsbury (London) in 2028.
* * *
Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/off-the-rails/
WLF Urges Supreme Court to Review Mississippi Law Targeting Participants in Federal 340B Program
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
WLF Urges Supreme Court to Review Mississippi Law Targeting Participants in Federal 340B Program
*
"A State can't reshape a federal program by imposing special burdens on the entities that help carry it out."
--Jay DeSanto, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Washington, DC--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit decision upholding a Mississippi law that regulates drug makers participating in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
WLF Urges Supreme Court to Review Mississippi Law Targeting Participants in Federal 340B Program
*
"A State can't reshape a federal program by imposing special burdens on the entities that help carry it out."
--Jay DeSanto, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Washington, DC--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit decision upholding a Mississippi law that regulates drug makers participating in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.In its amicus brief, WLF argues that review is necessary to stop States from interfering with a federal program by imposing distinct burdens on the very participants that agree to help carry the program out.
If drug makers want their products reimbursed under Medicaid and Medicare Part B, they must participate in 340B and offer discounted drugs to qualifying providers, who often resell the drugs at a profit. Federal law allows drug makers to condition discounts on a provider's agreement to limit the number of outside pharmacies it uses to resell the drugs. But Mississippi enacted H.B. 728, which bars such limits and effectively expands manufacturers' 340B obligations beyond what federal law requires. The Fifth Circuit upheld the state law, reasoning that it regulates drug distribution, not drug pricing. Novartis Pharmaceuticals filed a petition seeking the Supreme Court's review.
WLF argues that the Supremacy Clause bars States from singling out and burdening entities who help carry out a federal program. By its terms, H.B. 728 applies only to manufacturers participating in 340B, raising concerns under longstanding Supreme Court precedents that protect federal policy from state interference. The brief also warns that, absent review, H.B. 728 and similar state laws will expand the number of 340B transactions and risk billions in increased costs across other federal healthcare programs. The Supreme Court's review is needed, WLF contends, to resolve whether States may effectively reshape a federal program through targeted regulation of its participants.
***
Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2026/11/06/communicating/wlf-urges-supreme-court-to-review-mississippi-law-targeting-participants-in-federal-340b-program/
Seven Ramona Nonprofits Receive $35,000 for Health, Arts and Community Programs
SAN DIEGO, California, Nov. 6 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
* * *
Seven Ramona Nonprofits Receive $35,000 for Health, Arts and Community Programs
*
November 6, 2026 - Ramona, CA - Older adults in Ramona can access affordable meals delivered to their homes, young people can explore their creativity through visual arts programs, and children in foster care can receive dedicated advocacy thanks to $35,000 in grants awarded to seven nonprofit organizations by Ramona Community Foundation (RCF), a regional affiliate of San Diego Foundation (SDF).
The grants also
... Show Full Article
SAN DIEGO, California, Nov. 6 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
* * *
Seven Ramona Nonprofits Receive $35,000 for Health, Arts and Community Programs
*
November 6, 2026 - Ramona, CA - Older adults in Ramona can access affordable meals delivered to their homes, young people can explore their creativity through visual arts programs, and children in foster care can receive dedicated advocacy thanks to $35,000 in grants awarded to seven nonprofit organizations by Ramona Community Foundation (RCF), a regional affiliate of San Diego Foundation (SDF).
The grants alsosupport access to medical and dental care, free clothing and other essential items, and animal-assisted therapy for children and adults. Recipients were recognized Nov. 5 during RCF's annual grants celebration at Ramona Town Hall.
Photos from the event are available here.
The seven organizations receiving grants are:
* Archie's Pantry, $5,000: To support a free community thrift store where neighbors can find what they need and pay what they can.
* The Art Center of Ramona: Second Saturday, $7,500: To offer free community art classes and creative workshops through the Art Center of Ramona.
* ArtReach San Diego, $3,700: To engage young people in visual arts activities that encourage creative expression and community connection.
* Hearts and Hooves Therapy Inc., $4,000: To provide animal-assisted therapy for children and adults through on-site and off-site visits with miniature horses and other farm animals.
* Ramona Senior Center, $5,800: To provide low-cost meals served at the center or delivered to residents' homes, along with organized activities for older adults.
* TrueCare, $4,000: To support access to healthcare services, including primary care, pediatric care and dental care, for Ramona residents.
* Voices for Children, $5,000: To advocate for Ramona children in foster care, working to ensure their needs are represented.
"Ramona Community Foundation was built on the belief that local people know their community best," said Paul Zawilenski, a founding member of Ramona Community Foundation. "What means the most is seeing that vision continue year after year, with neighbors coming together to invest in the community we love and the organizations that make Ramona such a special place to call home."
Since beginning its grantmaking, RCF has awarded more than $590,000 to 53 nonprofit programs. To learn more or become an RCF member, visit the Ramona Community Foundation website.
RCF is part of the SDF Regional Affiliates program, which brings together local leaders and donors to build community endowments, support nonprofit organizations and strengthen philanthropy throughout San Diego County.
***
Original text here: https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/seven-ramona-nonprofits-receive-35000-for-health-arts-and-community-programs/
Scleroderma Research Briefing: Shining a Light on Hope & Progress
DANVERS, Massachusetts, Nov. 6 -- The National Scleroderma Foundation posted the following news:
* * *
Scleroderma Research Briefing: Shining a Light on Hope & Progress
*
On Friday morning, the National Scleroderma Foundation hosted a Scleroderma Research Briefing at ACR Convergence 2026, bringing together patients, researchers, clinicians and partners to explore where research is headed, emerging treatments, and the discoveries moving the field closer to better outcomes for people living with scleroderma. Desiree James and Monica Ramirez shared patient perspectives, followed by research highlights
... Show Full Article
DANVERS, Massachusetts, Nov. 6 -- The National Scleroderma Foundation posted the following news:
* * *
Scleroderma Research Briefing: Shining a Light on Hope & Progress
*
On Friday morning, the National Scleroderma Foundation hosted a Scleroderma Research Briefing at ACR Convergence 2026, bringing together patients, researchers, clinicians and partners to explore where research is headed, emerging treatments, and the discoveries moving the field closer to better outcomes for people living with scleroderma. Desiree James and Monica Ramirez shared patient perspectives, followed by research highlightsfrom Dr. Carol Feghali-Bostwick and Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann.
A central theme throughout the briefing was the importance of keeping people with scleroderma at the center of research. As Desiree James shared, research can provide answers, create a brighter future, give patients a voice and, more importantly, give them hope. That patient-centered perspective aligns closely with the Foundation's strategic priorities: earlier diagnosis and access to expert care, a connected and supported scleroderma journey, stronger patient voice and influence, and research accelerated toward better outcomes.
Drs. Feghali-Bostwick and Volkmann highlighted several areas of progress and opportunity:
* Broadening the focus of clinical research. Researchers are increasingly studying manifestations beyond skin and lung disease, including limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, gastrointestinal disease and calcinosis. Patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis have historically been underrepresented in clinical research, so a first-of-its-kind pilot trial demonstrating that dedicated trials in this population are feasible is an important step.
* Developing better ways to measure disease. New imaging approaches may make it possible to objectively track calcinosis over time, while an international research effort supported by the Foundation is developing a new patient-reported outcome measure to better capture changes in gastrointestinal symptoms.
* Exploring transformative treatments. Cellular therapies, including approaches targeting CD19, remain an exciting area of research and have shown dramatic improvements in small early studies. Recent safety events and trial pauses, however, underscore the need for continued research to better understand and prevent serious inflammatory complications.
* A robust clinical development pipeline. Research activity in systemic sclerosis remains strong, with hundreds of studies represented in ClinicalTrials.gov. More than 50 ongoing scleroderma trials are highlighted through the Foundation's Carebox clinical trial finder, and its personalized trial-matching tool helps patients identify studies that may be relevant to them. Session activity on the tool has increased by more than 50% over the past year.
* New scientific frontiers. Investigators are advancing work in genetics, the microbiome, immune-based therapies, extracellular vesicles, fibrosis pathways and new disease models. Research presented at ACR also included emerging tools to predict lung-function decline, new insights into juvenile systemic sclerosis, the possible molecular basis of female predominance in scleroderma, and new understanding of how fibroblasts become activated and drive fibrosis.
The briefing also highlighted the growing scale and connectivity of the scleroderma research community. Scientific publications have increased substantially over time, international collaborations continue to expand, and major initiatives such as the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases program (AMP AIM) are creating new opportunities to understand disease biology and accelerate discovery.
This morning's event offered an encouraging picture of a field that is evolving rapidly, marked by more collaboration, better tools, broader clinical trials, new therapeutic approaches and a growing commitment to studying the aspects of scleroderma that matter most to patients. There is still much work ahead, but the breadth of research underway provides real reason for optimism and reinforces why sustained investment, partnership and patient participation are so critical.
I can't imagine a better way to kick off ACR Convergence 2026!
***
Original text here: https://scleroderma.org/scleroderma-research-briefing-shining-a-light-on-hope-progress/
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project Reaches Full Power
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 6 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project Reaches Full Power
*
November 6, 2026 (Boston, MA) - Vineyard Wind, a 62-turbine offshore wind development off the Massachusetts coast, is now fully operational. The project can generate enough clean energy to power 400,000 Massachusetts homes. It would also eliminate 1.6 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually - the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road.
"A full operational Vineyard Wind means New England families have another clean, affordable,
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 6 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project Reaches Full Power
*
November 6, 2026 (Boston, MA) - Vineyard Wind, a 62-turbine offshore wind development off the Massachusetts coast, is now fully operational. The project can generate enough clean energy to power 400,000 Massachusetts homes. It would also eliminate 1.6 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually - the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road.
"A full operational Vineyard Wind means New England families have another clean, affordable,local source of energy being delivered to their homes through the coming winter season," said CLF Staff Attorney Anxhela Mile. "Clean energy projects like wind and solar not only help cut our energy bills and stabilize prices, they bring good, local jobs to the region, support our port areas, increase energy security, and do not contribute to planet-warming carbon pollution. Federal and state leaders should be preparing to build out more of these projects to help lower energy costs and keep our air clean."
While the price of fossil fuels is spiking, contracts between Vineyard Wind and Massachusetts ensure stable prices for decades, projecting to save Bay State families and businesses $1.4 billion on electricity bills over the next 20 years. Vineyard Wind has also created about 4,000 jobs and delivered nearly $2 billion in economic output.
Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine offshore wind development delivering affordable, clean power to Connecticut and Rhode Island, also recently became fully operational.
***
Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/massachusetts-offshore-wind-project-reaches-full-power/
Australia and The Asia Foundation Advance Cambodia's Knowledge Future
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 6 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news:
* * *
Australia and The Asia Foundation Advance Cambodia's Knowledge Future
Nov 4, 2026
Today, Australia and The Asia Foundation convened the National Policy Forum 2026 in Phnom Penh, bringing together more than 100 participants from government, research institutions, universities, civil society, the private sector, development partners and communities to discuss how Cambodia can sustain a strong and connected knowledge ecosystem toward 2030.
Under the theme "Cambodia's Knowledge Future: Sustaining Evidence,
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 6 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news:
* * *
Australia and The Asia Foundation Advance Cambodia's Knowledge Future
Nov 4, 2026
Today, Australia and The Asia Foundation convened the National Policy Forum 2026 in Phnom Penh, bringing together more than 100 participants from government, research institutions, universities, civil society, the private sector, development partners and communities to discuss how Cambodia can sustain a strong and connected knowledge ecosystem toward 2030.
Under the theme "Cambodia's Knowledge Future: Sustaining Evidence,Talent and the Knowledge-Policy Partnership Toward 2030," the Forum focused on how Cambodia can continue to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking as the donor funding landscape shifts.
Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Dr. HANG Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, said, Cambodia's knowledge sector will be critical to the country's next stage of development, and its future will depend on investing in people, research skills and institutional capabilities.
Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia H.E. Derek Yip said, "Australia's investment in Cambodia's knowledge sector has been an investment in people, institutions and partnerships that will continue strengthening evidence-informed policymaking into the future beyond any single program."
The Asia Foundation's Country Representative, Ms Meloney C. Lindberg, said, "Cambodia's knowledge sector has come a long way, and this Forum shows what is possible when government, researchers and communities work from the same evidence."
The Forum featured plenary discussions on connecting evidence demand with evidence use and financing Cambodia's knowledge future, followed by Knowledge Sector Labs where participants explored practical ways forward. Discussions identified priorities for a Cambodia Knowledge Sector Agenda toward 2030 and options for a mechanism to sustain collaboration between the knowledge sector and government.
The National Policy Forum is an initiative of Ponlok Chomnes II: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia, funded by the Australian Government and implemented by The Asia Foundation. The program strengthens Cambodia's knowledge sector by connecting policymakers, researchers and communities. With the program set to conclude in mid-2027 and Cambodia preparing for Least Developed Country graduation, this year's Forum was a valuable opportunity to discuss how the successes and functions of the program can be institutionalised by partners and how a strong knowledge sector will be critical to inform policymakers' decisions on the country's long-term development.
* * *
Original text here: https://asiafoundation.org/australia-and-the-asia-foundation-advance-cambodias-knowledge-future/
