In the second quarter of the 21st century, the education system worldwide, including universities, is no longer limited to being knowledge transmitters; they must also serve as a space, catalysts, and enablers for students who possess innovative, entrepreneurial, and problem-solving capabilities. However, while universities in Cambodia are equipped and established with such a framework, the structure has yet to be strengthened for effectiveness and efficiency in ensuring that those students who have innovative ideas can implement them realistically.

Over the past few years, the Office of Student Services often met with students who would visit and ask whether such opportunities existed for them to be able to put their ideas into reality. Paragon International University previously operated such an initiative, known as the Innovation Center. However, due to structural and technical difficulties, the center became non-functional. 

The Innovation Center is designed under the Office of Student Services’ Student Empowerment and Innovation Center with the goal that aligns with Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy in promoting digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification. The center will position itself as the center where students, who have innovative, implementable, and developable ideas, can contribute to economic, social, and even environmental solutions within Cambodia.

The scopes of the Innovation Center are to:

• Promote discipline among Cambodian youth: The center stands to train the innovative students with decision-making, time-management, teamwork, resilience, and responsibility as the students immerse themselves in the projects.

• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration: The center promotes cooperation across facilities within and outside the university in an attempt to link students from different fields into collaboration.

• Support national development goals: The center encourages innovation in areas such as digital technology, sustainable development, raising awareness, and small and medium enterprises.

• Build university-industry partnerships: The center serves as a platform for companies, think-tanks, NGOs, and government to connect and engage with innovative students.

Creativity and Curiosity: Ideas can only be implementable with the right environment. The Innovation Center nurtures open-ended exploration and encourages students to push boundaries without fear of failure. 

Collaboration and Inclusivity: The center binds students' innovative minds and the diversification Paragon International University possesses, and co-creates solutions. 

Impact and Responsibility: While students will engage in gadgets and start-up ideas, the core of it all is real-world problem-solving. The Innovation Center emphasizes solutions that contribute to Cambodia’s social, economic, and environmental development.

Integrity and Professionalism: Reality is rather demanding, which requires more than pure ideas and innovative thoughts. Trust and work ethic are also part of the Innovation Center’s long-term thinking and practice, where transparency and respect must be a norm, not a choice.

Sustainability and Future-Readiness: The center values the outcome and practice that align with sustainable development and Cambodia’s national development plan. 

Challenges and Innovation: Students will be given real-life technology, social, and economic challenges that reflect the current issues in Cambodia.

Capacity-building: Students will undergo training and workshops with experts on areas such as design thinking, problem-solving, and basic coding skills. The capacity building is focusing on general lectures that apply to all areas regardless of their themes and categories.

Mentor’s Networking: Students will also get one or two meetups with their mentor, assigned by the Student Empowerment and Innovation Center.

Midterm Review: Students will need to submit progress reports and information to the SEIC to fulfill the duty.

Competition and Awards: By the end of the semester, the students will be able to present their projects and be judged by the judges on who would be the winner, runner-up, and second runner-up.