Engagement in research is crucial for university academics to fulfil their tripartite roles related to teaching, research, and service. While there is a substantial literature that examines how academics perceive and engage in research, studies investigating research engagement of academics in the Global South remain limited. Employing a qualitative case study approach, this study examines Cambodian academics' research engagement. Data derived from interviews with 20 Cambodian academics from two universities show a low level of research engagement, much of which is in consultancy research. The academics' pervasive need to generate extra income through teaching and the absence of clear academic career paths at both national and institutional levels are major barriers to their research engagement. The findings of this study point to an underdeveloped and under-productive research environment, which potentially prevents Cambodia as a developing country from enhancing its competitiveness in the global knowledge economy and realising its aspirations to transform itself into a knowledge-based society.