New Program Seeks to Rebuild Universities in Myanmar

The Institute of International Education on Tuesday announced a new program for American colleges interested in establishing ties with universities in Myanmar, also known as Burma, to help rebuild the country’s higher-education system. The new effort was introduced shortly after President Obama’s recent visit to the country, in which he spoke at the University of Yangon. The country’s flagship higher-education institution fell deep into disarray during years of military rule. The program is a Myanmar offshoot of the IIE’s International Academic Partnerships Program, which has helped American colleges cement ties with institutions in China, India, and Brazil. The Myanmar effort, which IIE called “broader in scope” than its programs elsewhere, involves institutions that “have significant experience with the country, whether through diaspora students and faculty on their campuses or through previous work in the country,” IIE said in a news release.