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PAIS doctoral collaboration wins award
This week, PAIS PhD candidate Raymond Hyma accepted the Artful Integrators Award at the 2026 Participatory Design Conference in Milan, Italy. The award recognises groups that have developed exceptionally creative new forms of participation and collaboration in design.
The award was presented to the full 25-member Cambodia–Thailand research team, which undertook a participatory inquiry into cross-border conflict as tensions escalated in 2025. Despite the outbreak of violence and growing polarisation between the two countries, the team remained actively engaged in collaborative research and relationship-building.
The initiative has since evolved into Peace Developer, a youth-led network that continues to foster dialogue, learning, and cooperation between Cambodian and Thai participants. At a time when opportunities for cross-border engagement remain limited, the network represents a rare space where young people from both countries continue to build relationships across conflict divides.