March 2011

I went to the University Central Library and managed to get scanned photos from the Eng Student Annual Magazines 51-52, 52-53, 56-57 and 60-61. Photos include photos of Sayas, students of that year. From these when can know about the Sayas at that year. We can also identify the students at that year.

U Sein Hlaing (Prof EE) was a final year student in 1951-52 and became an A/L starting 1952-53. Saya U Tin Swe was a student in 1951-52 and 52-53. He was a member of the Eng Student Union and the victorious Prome Hall football team. Ex-Burma Selected Footballer U Chan Tha (Chief Engineer, Roads, Rangoon Municipal) was the Captain. U Khin Si husband of RIT Finance Officer Daw Yin Yin Htway and part time lecturer Textile; U Tin Si, U Khin Si’s brother and tennis doubles partnership that won RU as well as national championships; were members of the Prome hall team.

The 1956-57 magazine contains photos when the new Leik Khone Engineering Buildings were inaugurated in 1956 Nov by the Prime Minister at that time U Ba Swe.

In the 1952-53 magazine I found out that Mr. Robert Hole (ex-EE, Highways, PWD,PWC,CC; uncle of Percy Maung Maung and uncle Bobby to me) was the English editor. I called Uncle Bobby and requested him to write something about his engineering student days, his teachers and fellow students. He agreed and asked for about three weeks time.

I need to go back and to the UCL to get more info from the RIT handbook 1966-67 and photos from the Hlyat Sit Sar Saung.

U Ba Than has donated some of his Engineering College photos to the MES library and I need to go there to check up on the photos.

May 2000

The mention of RIT, BIT, and BOC college in the first newsletter bring back memories of our good old days in Rangoon University. Although we did not graduate from Rangoon University, we had a really great two and a half years there before we went for studies aroad under government scholarship.

Our first year 1956-1957 was in Yankin College. Yankin was a campus of RU for first year science students. It is now Yankin State High School No. XX? Hteedan was for the 1st year arts students. Our second year I.Sc. was at the RU campus itself which we refer to as Main. The Arts students have classes at Judson. That time the new Social Science Building (now Institute of Economics) was completed. We had our second year ISc exams in that new building.

Then it is our 1st year B.Sc. Engineering course at the new Faculty of Engineering in Prome Road (now Institute of Medicine I). We attended for six months till December 1958. That campus was designed and built especially for the Faculty of Engineering. Civil, Electrical, Mechanical Departments were there but Chemical, Textile, etc. were in the old BOC building at the back.

The 1st year classes were from 7 to 9 a.m. for Mathematics. We then have a one hour break and we start the engineering courses at 10 a.m. We usually have a snack during the break at a small cafe between Tagaung and Prome Halls. Those halls were only for engineering students then. The mathematics (Pure & Applied) lecturers were from India hired under contract. We had three engineering courses: Building Materials taught by Mr. Tan Ba Hli (the Dean of Engineering himself). Heat Engines taught by U Aung Khin. Principles of Electrical Engineering taught by U Kyaw Tun. We had EE lab with Ko Htin Paw and Ko Ba Nyunt as lab instructors. We also had engineering drawing with Ko San Hla Aung and Allen Htay (for Chem, Tex, etc.) as instructors.

Those were the days when Rangoon University was one of the best universities in SE Asia and Asia. It also had a really nice campus.

RIT Saya Football/Soccer Team

Reading about the communications from Richard Khoo (Dr. Aung Soe, C61) and seeing the list of Sayas in the 1966-67 handbook brings back memories of our soccer team.

As I remember it was from 1964 to 1968 or 1969. We played against (i) the senior students of different majors Civil, Mechanical, Electrical etc. (ii) the sayas at GTI and Natmauk Technical Institute (iii) the Burma Air Force officers.

We also played in the annual tournament for RIT Staff. The staff teams are the Sayas, Workshop staff, Lab staff, Hostel staff and the youth team from the RIT compound.

As I remember (other Sayas & graduates may correct me) these were the people in the team.

Goalkeepers:

• Richard Khoo (Civil)
• Maurice Kyaw Zaw (Chemistry),
• Sein Myint/Ah Sein (Petroleum)

Defenders:

• Ko Maung Maung Than (Textile)
• Ko Aung Soe (Math)
• Ko Aung Hla Tun (Met)
• Ko Sann Tint (Elect)
• Christopher Maung (Civil)
• U Tin Swe (Elect)
• Ko Tin Win (Mech)

Midfielders:

• Ko Tin Maung Nyunt (Agri)
• Desmond Rogers (English)
• Ko Khine Oo (Elect)
• Ko Maung Maung Win (Mech)
• Ko Tin Hlaing II (Mech)

Forwards:

• Ko Pike Htwe (Chemistry)
• Ko Aung (Math)
• Ko Tin Hlaing I (Agri)
• Ko Soe Min (Elect)
• Ko Kyin Soe (Auto)
• myself (Elect)

We rarely practiced but we enjoyed playing the games. We split games with the GTI sayas & the Air Force officers. We beat the Natmauk sayas and we won more than we lost in the RIT staff tournament. But I am sure we lost more than we won against the final year students. Would appreciate comments on this; especially on the names I missed in the team.