RECOFTC and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) recently marked the formal exchange of a PhD scholarship agreement under the Explore programme. David Ganz, executive director of RECOFTC and Hao Zhuang, programme manager of Explore, were accompanied by other Explore team members on a courtesy visit to AIT on 16 July 2025.
The Explore scholarship agreement will support Souksaveuy Keotiamchanh, a doctoral student enrolled at AIT’s School of Environment, Resources and Development. Keotiamchanh, who is from Lao PDR, was selected following a rigorous double-blind evaluation. Her scholarship makes her eligible to receive research funding of up to USD 25,000 over three years and co-supervision by RECOFTC and CIFOR-ICRAF experts. It also entitles Keotiamchanh to capacity-development opportunities under Explore.
Launched in March 2024, the Explore scholarship for young women PhD students was initiated to support women doctoral students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Timor-Leste conducting research on forest landscape governance in Southeast Asia.
The formal exchange of the scholarship agreement between RECOFTC and AIT marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between the two organizations. Speaking during the courtesy visit, Ganz said, “This agreement not only supports the academic development of a talented young woman researcher but also paves the way for a larger partnership framework for RECOFTC and AIT.”
Welcoming the collaboration, Li said, “RECOFTC’s mission aligns closely with AIT’s priorities in climate resilience, inclusive development and sustainable resource management.” He also highlighted opportunities to expand nature-based solutions and address biodiversity loss by building on RECOFTC’s regional network and multi-sectoral approach.
RECOFTC’s partnerships and private sector team is liaising closely with AIT’s Office of International and Public Affairs to follow up on the opportunities identified during the visit. These include potential collaboration with AIT’s Entrepreneurship Center and its incubator programme, which supports private sector spin-offs from innovative research. There is also potential to explore opportunities such as joint fundraising, graduate internships for AIT students at RECOFTC, joint research supervision, support for student fieldwork and collaboration on policy dialogues, outreach and engagement.
##
Utsav Maden is communication and knowledge management officer at RECOFTC.
About Explore
Explore is a research network and community of practice dedicated to expanding and applying knowledge on forest landscape governance in Southeast Asia. The network is funded by the government of Sweden. It is hosted by RECOFTC, in partnership with the CIFOR-ICRAF, in collaboration with universities, research institutes, governments, civil society organizations, local communities and the private sector in Southeast Asia.
For more information about Explore, contact [email protected] or visit here.