Tapas R. Dash, Ph.D.

Professor & Research Advisor

CamEd Business School

Tapas R. Dash is a professor of economics and research advisor at CamEd Business School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As an accomplished academic and consultant to several organizations, he has had the privilege of commissioning more than 50 research and consultancy projects funded by international and national organizations, including the Royal Government of Cambodia. Prof. Dash is the recipient of the 2025 ACBSP (USA) Teaching Excellence Award (Region 10). He successfully guided over a dozen scholars in their doctoral degrees and examined dissertations at the doctoral and post-doctoral levels. His latest edited books are Economy, Society, and Education: Learning from the COVID-19 Crisis (Allied Publishers, India, 2025), Cooperatives in the Global Economy (The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., USA, 2021) and COVID-19: The Economy and Society (Allied Publishers, India, 2021). Currently, he is the chief editor of CamEd Business School’s bi-annually published journal – the Journal of Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Social Sciences. 

Prof. Casey Barnett

President

CamEd Business School

Casey Barnett is a professor of accounting and the president of CamEd Business School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is an expert in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and has trained many professionals from the Big Four, the General Department of Taxation, and listed companies in Cambodia. Prof. Casey is the president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). He was an advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and a member of the Working Group on Accounting, Tax, and Securities Markets for Microenterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the MEF, Royal Government of Cambodia. Previously, he was a World Bank consultant in public sector financial reporting. Prof. Casey is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, USA. 

Shakeel Ahmad

Deputy Resident Representative
UNDP Cambodia

Mr. Shakeel Ahmad is a development economist with a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in Development Management and a master's in Agricultural Economics (Gold Medal) from the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Before his current assignment, Mr. Shakeel was the Country Programme Specialist at the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH), responsible for programme oversight and support to UNDP country offices in the Asia and the Pacific Region. During his time at BRH, Mr. Shakeel also worked with the UNDP Afghanistan Country Office as a Policy Advisor. He served as the acting UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and programme advisor with UNDP Sri Lanka, and led the UNDP SURGE Mission in response to the 2022 floods in Pakistan. Mr. Shakeel has more than 22 years of experience in international development, including 16 years with UNDP at the regional and country office levels.

Milan Thomas, Ph.D.

Country Economist
Cambodia Resident Mission
Asian Development Bank

Dr. Milan is the Country Economist for the Asian Development Bank in Cambodia. His responsibilities include macroeconomic monitoring, project analysis, and economic research. He has over a decade of experience in the design, implementation, and impact evaluation of development innovations from positions at ADB, the Results for Development Institute (Washington, D.C.), USAID, and the World Bank. He has published over a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles on topics ranging from the impact of sanitation on children’s growth to team performance in the National Basketball Association. Milan completed a B.A. in Economics at the University of Cambridge and a Ph.D. in Economics at Georgetown University, where his dissertation, “Economic Essays on Development Innovations,” was supervised by two renowned development economists: Martin Ravallion and Michael Kremer.

Prof. Casey Barnett

President

CamEd Business School

Casey Barnett is a professor of accounting and the president of CamEd Business School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is an expert in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and has trained many professionals from the Big Four, the General Department of Taxation, and listed companies in Cambodia. Prof. Casey is the president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). He was an advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and a member of the Working Group on Accounting, Tax, and Securities Markets for Microenterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the MEF, Royal Government of Cambodia. Previously, he was a World Bank consultant in public sector financial reporting. Prof. Casey is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, USA. 

Dr. Pinnara, a Ph.D. in Agricultural Science and Biological Engineering from the University of Liège-Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Belgium, and a Master's degree in Water Resources from the University of Liège (ULiège), Belgium, is a highly regarded expert in irrigation and agricultural management with over 10 years of experience. Her work spans from large-scale irrigation basin-level assessments to on-farm irrigation practices, emphasizing sustainable environmental management. Dr. Pinnara possesses both theoretical and practical expertise in irrigation and soil management, with a strong focus on water-saving, water-shortage technology development, and quantifying water resources.

Throughout her career, she has successfully collaborated with governmental agencies to enhance engagement in integrated water resources management, demonstrating her ability to bridge the gap between research and policy implementation. Her in-depth experience includes developing modelling frameworks and manipulating irrigation data, enabling informed decision-making in resource allocation. Currently, she is working as Vice Dean at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia.

Tapas R. Dash is a professor of economics and research advisor at CamEd Business School, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As an accomplished academic and consultant to several organizations, he has had the privilege of commissioning more than 50 research and consultancy projects funded by international and national organizations, including the Royal Government of Cambodia. Prof. Dash is the recipient of the 2025 ACBSP (USA) Teaching Excellence Award (Region 10). He successfully guided over a dozen scholars in their doctoral degrees and examined dissertations at the doctoral and post-doctoral levels. His latest edited books are Economy, Society, and Education: Learning from the COVID-19 Crisis (Allied Publishers, India, 2025), Cooperatives in the Global Economy (The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., USA, 2021) and COVID-19: The Economy and Society (Allied Publishers, India, 2021). Currently, he is the chief editor of CamEd Business School’s bi-annually published journal – the Journal of Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Social Sciences. 

Dr. Kenneth Paul Charman is a professor in business strategy and behavioral economics at CamEd Business School and chairman of the research committee. He started his career in the oil sector and then in consulting London, and after completing his MBA in 1991, he worked in economic development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where he has led major development projects for the European Union including national and regional development, regulation and sector-specific development assignments.

Mr. Tola is the CEO of Prudential Cambodia and of CLM Hub (Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar). Recognized as a pioneer in the Cambodian life insurance industry, Mr. Tola has significantly contributed to the growth and innovation of the insurance sector in Cambodia. Since joining Prudential, Mr. Tola has been instrumental in expanding the company’s reach and fostering innovation across Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. His leadership has driven Prudential CLM Hub to achieve ambitious growth targets.

Previously, Tola served as CEO of Dai-ichi Life Cambodia, where he played a key role in enhancing the company’s market presence. His decade-long tenure at Manulife Cambodia saw him successfully build the agency distribution channel, manage strategic bank partnerships, and drive customer-centric marketing and branding initiatives.

A dedicated father of three, Tola’s experience as a parent has shaped his leadership style, emphasizing teamwork and a supportive environment. An avid runner, he advocates a healthy lifestyle and balances his professional and personal life with vigor. Tola’s deep local knowledge and innovative approach continue to propel Prudential Cambodia, and the CLM hub toward new heights, making a lasting impact on the industry and the region.

Ms. Mengheak, a Master’s degree holder in Water and Environment, is a research scholar in the Ph.D. program at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia under the Water Cooperation Project, a collaboration between ITC and the Gansu Academy for Water Conservancy (GAWC), Lanzhou, China. Her doctoral research focuses on evaluating the effects of different water-saving irrigation practices on water use and rice yield during Cambodia’s dry season. She is skilled in literature review, field data collection, and statistical analysis, ensuring reliable findings for sustainable farming and supporting climate-resilient agriculture.