New super-university offers hope for Myanmar
A new university planned for the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, offers fresh hope that education reform can forge the army of professionals vital to Myanmar’s development.
We believe it would be appropriate to amalgamate the existing universities near Nay Pyi Taw as faculties under this new and comprehensive site of learning and research. Oversight should be vested in a single and autonomous government ministry, in keeping with the practice in most Western countries.
The single comprehensive university at Nay Pyi Taw will be the most efficient way to meet the broad educational needs both in the region and nationally. The result will be well-rounded graduates who can contribute to future national development. This would be consistent with views expressed by Aung San Suu Kyi at education forums in England and Myanmar in 2013. There, said education expert Jamil Salmi, “The current situation offers a unique opportunity to undertake courageous reforms that often are not possible in other countries because of vested interests and entrenched positions that block meaningful change.”
Support for the new comprehensive university could come from Britain, Australia and Thailand, which have reaped success from similar reforms. Funding could likely be secured from the World Bank and/or Asian Development Bank.
We urge Minister Myo Thein Gyi to undertake the courageous reforms necessary to create a truly comprehensive and autonomous institute of learning in the capital.
Dumrong Leeanauruksa
Former vice-president of Maejo University in Chiang Mai
Graham McDowell
Former deputy vice-chancellor of La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia
