Department Head, Department of Religious Affairs of Cambodia

Sophanara Khan earned a master’s degree in development management from Norton University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; his studies focused on social and economic development issues at both local and international levels. In 2006 he began working at the Ministry of Cults and Religion in Phnom Penh, serving as an officer in the General Department of Religious Affairs. In this capacity, he contributed to the administration and regulation of religious institutions across the country. From 2008 to 2019, Mr. Khan served as deputy director of the Department of Paganism, where he helps oversee policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and departmental operations related to indigenous religious practices. In the fall of 2018, he successfully completed a technical course in public financial management at the Economics and Finance Management Institute. This intensive course provided training in program-based budgeting, fiscal accountability, and public finance reform strategies consistent with Cambodia’s evolving financial governance framework. In 2019, Mr. Khan was promoted to director of the Department of Paganism, taking full leadership responsibility for departmental governance, strategic planning, and coordination with both national and local religious communities.