Rekindling MIT’s Relationship with Myanmar

the early 1950s MIT had a promising relationship with Myanmar, the southeast Asian nation (also known as Burma) that is pivotally located between India and China. Professors from the Institute lectured about engineering and sanitation science at the former Rangoon University, one of the nation's most acclaimed technical colleges.

After just a few years, though, widespread instability cut short the partnership. Fighting between ethnic minority groups and Myanmar's military-led government transformed jungles into minefields. Meanwhile, the military junta barred undergraduates from college in an effort to thwart political demonstrations.

After military rule ended in 2011, the undergraduate ban was lifted. Retired professors in Myanmar were so excited that some agreed to teach again without salaries, Thompson said. Inspired by this and other political changes, Thompson and a few MIT alumni are rekindling the Institute's decades-old relationship with Myanmar's universities.

A lack of hardware and IT infrastructure is one of the greatest barriers facing Myanmar's technical colleges. One computer science student told The New York Times earlier this year that he has to write most of his computer programming code on paper.

Although Frontiir was founded just five months ago, it has tackled this problem by establishing one of Myanmar's first digital networks for academic use. The University Digital Network (UniNet) provides Wi-Fi access throughout the ten-acre campus of the University of Computer Studies, Yangon.

While Frontiir offers ongoing technical support, the startup wants its clients to feel capable of managing their own IT systems. To promote sustainability, they hired and helped train a team of engineers who live in Myanmar.

UniNet lets the University of Computer Studies, Yangon share curricula with other institutions. For instance, students can telecommute to Cambridge, Mass., through distance learning programs such as MITx. They can also share video feeds with local peers at the former Rangoon University, now known as Yangon Technological University.

Yangon Technological University was choosen, in part, because it is Myanmar's oldest and largest engineering university, and one its most selective. When YTU held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of UniNet this spring, the atmosphere was full of excitement and optimism, Winn said. Frontiir and YTU invited Professor Thompson to give a seminar about micro- and nano-systems.

Professor Thompson, director of the Materials Processing Center at MIT, teaches in Asia and has a longstanding interest in global education. He is likely the first MIT faculty member to lecture in Myanmar since 1952. Thanks to UniNet, students at the nearby University of Computer Studies, Yangon were able to watch a live stream of his speech.

Frontiir will continue expanding Myanmar's IT infrastructure by creating a point-to-point digital network spanning several other universities. As the technology evolves, Winn said, it will likely impact all aspects of students' lives. Benefits may include faster, more efficient research tools; a better healthcare system; and easier interdisciplinary collaboration, with the help of online courseware.