Vol 1, No 1, January - June 2024

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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

AI in the think tank World: My Personal Assistant, Not (Yet) My Friend
(CamEd Business School, 2024-06-30) Jason Chumtong
In 2019, I shifted my approach towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) from academia to the political sphere. I transitioned from studying the risk of AI for autonomous driving in Edinburgh to serving as a policy advisor on AI in Berlin. Although I was never a supporter of the Kurzweil-Narrative in The Singularity is Near (2005) regarding AI’s evolution to surpass human intelligence, I remember that at that time, the consensus among the community was that AI would at least become ubiquitous in the following few years. Highlighting this point might seem almost redundant, considering that at least half of the readers of this text are likely wondering if ChatGPT played a role in its creation. However, it’s important to note that discussing AI often feels like missing the forest for the trees. There are many AI applications out there that make life much easier. However, there are nearly as many problems associated with their use, demonstrating that AI is far from being a friend. Therefore, the text that follows shine upon aspect of the benefits AI provides as a digital tool akin to a personal assistant especially within the think tank world but also analyses ethical considerations and the state of technology that prevent it from being entirely reliable.
Beyond the Numbers: How AI Empowers Accountants for Strategic Impact
(CamEd Business School, 2024-06-30) Edman Padilla Flores
The Evolving Role of Accountants: Historically, the duties of accountants mainly involved maintaining financial records, reconciling accounts, and preparing financial reports. While these responsibilities remain critical, the role of accountants has evolved considerably. Nowadays, accountants are expected to provide strategic financial advice to businesses. They assist in establishing financial goals, crafting budgets, and developing growth strategies. Accountants play an important role in organizational strategic planning and decision-making, extending their expertise beyond financial reporting to strategic management accounting (SMA). SMA takes a broader business perspective and informs strategic decision- making. The changing business environment and the introduction of new techniques have prompted management accountants to adopt a business orientation and strategic approach. In addition, accountants actively participate in risk management efforts. They assess financial risks, identify vulnerabilities, and devise strategies to counter potential threats. Through this proactive approach, businesses can safeguard themselves from unforeseen financial crises. Accountants are also involved in financial forecasting, which helps businesses plan ahead. They use historical financial data and market analysis to forecast financial trends and recommend budget adjustments.
DON’T AIM FOR PROFIT. INSTEAD, CREATE CUSTOMERS!
(CamEd Business School, 2024-06-30) Virak Prum
Purpose of any business: It is well known that the purpose of a business is to create customers. Nothing else should matter as much. Peter Drucker, the well-regarded creator of management study as a distinct discipline, announced his wisdom early on when he published his The Practice of Management in 1954. There is, he wrote then, “only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer.” (p.37) Yet, it is not uncommon to find managers and economists so focused on profit maximization which leads them to prioritize on quick wins, neglecting the need for a more comprehensive strategy. True, business environment in the 1950s might have been quite different to what we are facing presently. Globalization and technological advancements have brought about new challenges and changing realities into the market, a phenomenon which could make long-term strategies less certain. But, even so, half a century after his famous book first appeared, in the revised edition of Management published in 2008, the assertion remained unchanged: “to maximize profits…is not only false, it is irrelevant.” (p.97)
Green, Social, and Sustainability Bonds in Cambodia: Status and Prospects in Q1 2024
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Varabott Ho
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is deeply committed to combating climate change and fulfilling its obligations under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the nation aims at significant climate adaptation and mitigation, financial strategies including Green Bonds are considered pivotal. Despite their potential, only a limited number of bonds have been issued, with none qualifying as Green Bonds, highlighting a major opportunity for growth and impact. The adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 marked a global consensus on reducing climate change effects, focusing on low-carbon initiatives such as Green Bonds. These bonds are part of a broader category known as Thematic Bonds, which fund projects with explicit environmental and social benefits. Despite their growing popularity, challenges such as high issuance costs and complex regulatory frameworks are notable, especially in emerging markets like Cambodia.
How to Measure Creating Shared Value
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Kenneth Paul Charman
The concept of creating shared value (CSV) was put forward by Professor Michael Porter and Mark Kramer in 2011 to identify company strategies which directly address a social need for profit through the business model rather than addressing the same social needs through redistribution of profits already made. Many companies, including large corporations have adopted CSV principles to govern and guide their business strategies. CSV represents a further progression in rethinking the role of the firm from the more narrowly defined responsibility of providing shareholder value, to the wider perspectives of addressing the impact of the firm on its stakeholders through corporate social responsibility (CSR). The principles of corporate governance are well established to oversee the activities of firms, and sustainability reporting is common today, and which now extend to frameworks and guidelines for reporting. Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), put forward by the OECD has provided a framework to incorporate due diligence to guide actions to reduce or alleviate the negative impact of a firm on its stakeholders. More recently the growth of ESG accounting has provided metrics for measurement of the impact of the firm on the economy, social factors and its environment, creating huge steps towards sustainability accounting.
Lessons in Cambodia’s Real Estate: RawOpinion of a Practitioner
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Kevin Lim
With political stability, Cambodia has opened to the world and has become one of the fastest growing-economies in Asia, with strong record of sustained GDP growth of over 7% in the past two decades prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, driven largely by export-oriented manufacturing, tourism and real estate developments. Geographically, Cambodia is located at a very strategic location within ASEAN. It is the central hub and gateway to ASEAN member nations. So, investing in Cambodia is to target the overall ASEAN market with 670 million populations. Cambodia also joined RCEP. Such regional integration laid a good foundation for Cambodia to boost its exports further through multilateral and liberalized trading system. Investors may also benefit from the bilateral Free Trade Agreements established between Cambodia and China and other ASEAN/RECEP member nations.
Opportunities and Challenges in Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Enforcement in Cambodia
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Ly Tayseng; Sophorn Pouvchannita
Cambodia’s IP framework has undergone significant development in recent years to align with international standards and facilitate innovation-driven growth. Cambodia is a signatory to various international treaties and agreements, including the Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). At the time of Cambodia’s accession to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1995 and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in 1998, the regulatory framework to protect IP in Cambodia was weak. After the accession, the Cambodian Government has enacted numerous laws and regulations to strengthen the protection of IP rights in order to attract foreign direct investment. Those laws include the Law Concerning Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition; Law on Copyrights and Related Rights; Law on the Patent, Utility Model Certificates and Industrial Designs; Law on Geographical Indications; Law on the Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services; Law on Seed Management and Breeder Rights.
Sihanoukville’s recovery and tax incentives – treating the disease and not the patient?
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Clint O’Connell
Twenty-five years before he was elected president, a certain D.J. Trump appeared at Capitol Hill to complain that Congress had closed too many tax loopholes for the real estate industry2 ; “Real estate really means so many jobs… you create so many other things. They buy carpet. They buy furniture. They buy refrigerators. They buy other things that fuel the economy.”
The Growing Scope of Central Bank Mandates - Lessons for Cambodia
(CamEd Business School, June 30, 2024) Pat Beck
Throughout history, central bank mandates have evolved. Generally, these adaptations involve an increase in the scope of the aegis of the institution evinced through the refinement and addition of tools central banks possess. However, the arguments for the creation of central banks began with a need to help facilitate the funding and marketing of sovereign debt. Public debt management remains a central tenet of central banks today. In this early period, central banks were also tasked with issuing currency. Yet, over time, the banks began to be issued a wider range of responsibilities. (Redish, 2012)