Month: May 2025

Video Broadcast

U Aung Hla

• Saya is an early native Professor of Mathematics at the University of Rangoon.
• Wrote musical notes for Burmese songs.
• Spouse : Daw May Than (distinguished vocalist)
• Son : Mya Than (Lead Guitarist)

U Kar

• Senior lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Rangoon
• Served as Minister of Education in the Caretaker Government
• Later, Rector of the University of Rangoon
• Sons : Dr. Thein Maung (EENT), Dr. Tin Maung (UCC, DCS, ICST).

U Ba Toke

• Phwa Bet Taw of Rangoon University and the First RU Student Strike in December 1920.
• Studied at Mandalay University and Harvard University.
• Joined the faculty at the University of Rangoon
• Taught Mathematics to Science and Engineering students
• Professor of Mathematics at RASU
• Rector at MASU.
• Voluntarily requested transfer to RIT as Professor of Mathematics.
• Camp Commander of a Lu Ye Camp
• Member of the RU Sports Council
• Leader of the Burma Olympic Team.
• His life journey is recorded in the book by Maung Thin Char (Dr. Khin Maung Swe).
• Passed away on December 2, 2020.

Dr. Chit Swe

• Studied at Mandalay University, University of London (for B.Sc. Special), University of Glasgow (for M.Sc.) and University of Liverpool (for Ph.D. In Mathematical Statistics).
• Founded Universities’ Computer Center (UCC) with the help of Saya U Soe Paing, Saya U Myo Min and Saya U Ko Ko Lay (GBNF).
• During the planning stage, the volunteers of the UCC project had to use some rooms at the Department of Mathematics in RASU, and conducted orientation and training courses at Mandalay Hall.
• Allowed me to work on several of his projects : High School Mathematics, Children’s Treasury of Knowledge (CTK) and Team of System Specialists (TOSS).
• Passed away in Sydney Australia in November 2019

Rangoon Institute of Technology

Mathematics teachers at RIT include

• U Aung (Alphoso)
• U Hla Myint
• U Hlaing Oo
• Daw Khin Lay Myint
• Daw Khin Nwe Yee
• Daw Khine Nyan
• U Ko Gyi
• Daw Myint Nyan
• U Sein Shan (Lecturer and Head of the RIT Mathematics)
• U Shwe Hlaing (Chemical Engineer, Mathematician, Taught Engineering Mechanics)
• U Thein Han (Burma Basketball Selected)
• U Tun Shein
  
  Note : There are many sayas who taught Mathematics at RIT after we graduated.
• Sayagyi U Ba Toke (GBNF, Professor)
• Daw Myint Myint (GBNF, Head of Department)
• Dr. Saw Tin (GBNF, Head of Department)
  

Mandalay University

• U Net (Professor)
  Daughter : Khin Ma Mar
  Grand son : Wunna Ko Ko
• Dr. Ba Kyi
  He and Saya Chit were two sayas with Maths doctorates in the mid 1960s
• U Ba Min (SPHS56)
  Masters at the University of California at Berkeley
  Taught Mathematics and Astronomy at RASU and MASU
  Due to medical reasons, he resigned when he was transferred to Myitkyina College
  Opened a shop in Mandalay Zay Cho. One day, some Japanese students visited their shop. They were surprised that U Ba Min was a classmate of their professor. They took photos to show them to their professor.

Sayas from various Departments

Met several sayas from RASU (Rangoon Arts and Science University and its affiliated Colleges), Institute of Education, Institute of Economics, BERB (Burma Education Research Bureau) and worked with some of them. They include

• U Aung Sein
  Holds the record for highest marks in Honors exam
  Brother : Dr. Maung Di
• U Hla Myint
• Daw Khin Ma Ma
  Spouse : U Soe Nyunt
• Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Maung Thin Char)
  Spouse : Myint Myint Khaing
• Dr. Khin Maung Win
• U Ko Lay
• Dr. Kyaw Nyunt
• Dr. Kyaw Thein
• U Maung Maung Tin
• Dr. Min Oo (SPHS63)
  Second in the Matriculation examination in 1963
  Lu Ye Chun in 1965
  Later a Staff saya at a Lu Ye Chun Camp
  Received two doctorates in Mathematics from Germany
  Taught in Canada, Germany and as Visiting Professor in USA.
• Daw Myint Myint
• Daw Myint Myint Khaing
  Father : Arzani Mahan Ba Khaing
  Spouse : Dr. Khin Maung Swe
• Dr. Pyke Tin
• Dr. Saw Tin
• U Sein Min
• Dr. Sein Win (Doctorate from Germany)
  Father : Arzani U Ba Win
• U Sein Win (Astronomy)
• U Soe Min
• U Soe Naing
• U Soe Nyunt
  Spouse : Khin Ma Ma
• Dr. Thein Myint
• U Tin Hlaing
• Dr. Zaw Win (from Nyaung Oo)
  Second in the Matriculation examination in the early 70s.
  Doctorate from the same school as Min Oo.

Curriculum Committee

Members of the Mathematics Curriculum Committee include

• U Ba Shan
• U Myint Than
• U Myint Thein (now Dr.)
• U Kyaw Soe (now Dr.)
• U Yan Naing

UCC Connection

• U Aung Zaw
  Transferred to UCC as Systems Programmer.
  MSc (Computer Science), University of Southampton in the UK.
  Training at the University of California at Santa Cruz
  Taught at UCC before moving to CSO
  Taught at Assumption University in Bangkok and in Sydney, Australia
  Wrote two books : “Bawa and Dhamma” and “Cetana Thi Thar Kan“.

ICST Rectors

• Dr. Tin Maung (GBNF)
  Succeeded Dr, Chit Swe as Director of UCC.
  During his tenure, DCS and ICST were established.
  First Rector of ICST
• Dr. Kyaw Thein (GBNF)
  Conducted tutorial classes for our I.Sc.(A) class.
  Succeeded Dr. Tin Maung as Rector.
• Dr. Pyke Tin
  Taught Computational Mathematics at ICST.
  Succeeded Dr. Kyaw Thein as Rector of ICST.

Magazine and Book

• Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Maung Thin Char, GBNF) and U Soe Naing (Geometry and Puzzles) were Editors and/or Publishers of the Thin Char Sar Saung.
  
• Dr. Khin Maung Swe interviewed Sayagyi U Ba Toke and wrote a book about Sayagyi’s life journey.
• His spouse Daw Myint Myint Khaing (daughter of Arzani Mahn Ba Khainf) transcribed the interviews.
• The book was sponsored by the RU Thin Char Mi Thar Su and was published to commemorate Sayagyi’s 90th birthday.

Video Broadcast on December 12, 2020

Space Race between USSR and USA

Early lead by USSR

• First cosmonaut
  Yuri Gagarin
• Second cosmonaut
  Gherman Titov
• First female cosmonaut
  Valentina Tereshkova

NASA Projects

• Mercury Project
  for single astronaut
  We Seven (book by the seven astronauts)
  The Right Stuff (book and movie)
  
• Gemini Project
  for two astronauts
  
• Apollo Project
  for three astronauts
  
• Apollo 1
  Fire due to electrical system failure caused the deaths of three astronauts)
  Needed time to rethink safety measures
  
• Apollo 6 and Apollo 7
  after the program restarted
  
• Apollo 8
  Orbit the moon and return to earth
  in December 1968
  
• Apollo 9
  Tested the start/stop of Lunar Module engine
  
• Apollo 10
  Flew Lunar Module to a specified height above the moon
  
• Apollo 11
  Landing on the Moon
  in July 1969
  Neil Armstrong (Mission Commander)
  Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot)
  Buzz Aldrin (Lunar Module Pilot)
  My poem sent to NASA
  Also published in the Guardian newspaper
  
• Apollo 12
  Longer stay on the Moon
  
• Apollo 13
  Power failure in Command Module
  Devised plan to use the power from Lunar Module to return safely to Earth
  Movie
  
• Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, Apollo 17
  Use of rover
  Extensive collection of lunar rocks
  One Geologist/Astronaut

Video Broadcast

• “Who’s who in Health and Medicine in Myanmar?”
  by Dr. Mya Tu and Daw Khin Thet Hta
• “Pioneers of Medicine in Myanmar”
  by Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint
• “A Tribute to Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw-Myint”
  Present for 70th birthday by former colleagues and students
• Articles by Dr. Maung Maung Nyo

Some early doctors

• U Min Sein
• U Ba Than
• U Kyee Paw
• U E
• U Ko Gyi
• U Maung Maung Gyi
• U Khin Maung Win
• U Mohan
• U Mya Tu
• U Aung Than Ba Tu
• U Hla Myint
• U Tin U
• U Pe Nyun
• U Khin Maung Tin
• U Ne Win
• U Maung Maung Sein
• …
• Daw Yin May
• Daw Phay
• Daw Khin Si
• Daw Myint Myint Khin
• Daw Khin Than Nu
• Daw Hla Hla
• Daw Mya Mya
• Daw May May Yi
• Daw Hnin Yi
• …

Thanks

SME (Subject Matter Experts) who earlier helped me include

• Dr. Khin Maung U (First in Burma in 1963)
  Retired Researcher, FDA
  Taught in Burma and USA
• Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor, Fourth in Burma in 1963)
  Retired Professor of Physiology
  Taught in Burma and Malyasia
• Dr. Kyaw Nyunt (Robert, SPHS65)
  Retired Medical Specialist in Florida, USA

Video Broadcast on December 14, 2020

Geology

• Lawrence Dudley Stamp
  Served as Professor of Geology and Professor of Geography at Rangoon University.
  
• Dr. Tha Hla
  Professor Of Geology
  Rector of Rangoon University
  Retired from UN
  Anecdotes
  Defending his protege for States Scholar
  Two incidents with Director Thar Du (Censor Board, Academy Award)
  Led students by example (Protests, Ajala)
  Equal treatment to his visitor (Pro, Anti)
  Provided drinks (whiskey …) to those who heeded his “guidelines on drinking”
  
• Dr. Nyi Nyi
  Deputy Minister of Education
  Supported UCC Project
  Established the then new Education System (including some controversial issues such as ILA)
  Author (Ok Aw)
  Retired from UN
  
• U Ba Than Haq
  Pro Rector, RASU
  RU Sports Council
  
• Dr. Maung Thein
  Professor
  Told students (e.g. Soe Myint) about applying for courses at UCC
  Invited Soe Myint and me to give lecture / seminar during the vacation at MASU
  Some sayas were not delighted with the idea
  Invited UCC to give a short course on Computers at RASU
  
• U Ba Maw
  Senior Lecturer
  He and his students discovered items related to Ramapithicus
  Higher authorities “warned” him for letting a young US researcher take photos of Ramapithicus and reporting in a US magazine

Miscellaneous

• Minor subject for early Civil Engineering students
  
• Option for early Science Scholars
  
• Diploma in Applied Geology (DAG)
  
• Specialization in Gems
  
• NASA astronauts (especially for the Lunar Missions) had to study Geology
  
• Apollo 17 had Dr. H Schmidt (Geologist/ Astronaut, later became a US Senator)

Video Broadcast

Background

• Had to write essays in English and Burmese
• Sometimes only the title is provided
• Sometimes an outline is also given
• Studied “Tom Thumb’s Essays”

Characteristics

An essay usually has three (or more) paragraphs

• Introduction
• Body (one or more paragraph)
• Conclusion

An essay for a test / competition may have a length limitation
(e.g. maximum number of words)

Presentation style can vary

• Descriptive
• Narrative
• Argumentative (Logical reasoning)
• Abstract

I once wrote “My life as a fighter bomber” (trying to bomb the Nazi forces).

Politically Correct?

One writer (some attributed to Sir Winston Churchill) wrote:

An essay should be like a lady’s skirt
Long enough to cover the subject
Short enough to be interesting

In the early days, there was no “political correctness” and “gender sensitivity”.

To lighten the atmosphere, I quoted the tongue-in-cheek definition described above in the “Count Down to the Union” series for SPZP-2000.

A brilliant Sayama Lay (with a foreign doctorate) accused that I was irresponsible and had made fun of women.

Ashin Pannagaveska (Bobby, Myo Tun, A69) wrote :

I remember my sixth standard English teacher, our beloved Headmaster Mr.(later Reverend) Booth’s wife, entered me and a few others into the Essay Writing Competition held by the St. John’s Diocesan Boys’ School + St. Mary’s Diocesan Girls’ School Association. I chose the topic “A Visit to the Zoo” and, to my surprise, won the first prize in the middle school category! Two hardback books, one on Quotations and the other on Synonyms, were awarded in a ceremony held at the Judson Church on Prome Road.Pleasant and proud memories!Another vivid memory is of the essay I chose to write in the GCE ’O’ level English Language exam paper taken at Clifton College in the UK in 1960. The title chosen was “A Book or a Film Read or Seen Recently”. I had a great time writing on my favorite author John Steinbeck’s “Sweet Thursday”, which incidentally, I’ve read at least six or seven times since then!

Video Broadcast

Early Encyclopedias

“Chamber’s Cyclopaedia” was one of the earliest encyclopedias. It covered 40+ subjects.

In our younger days, we had “Pear’s Soap” and “Pear’s Cyclopaedia”. The company was probably building its brand name by supporting the publication of an encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

My uncle had a set of “Encyclopedia Britannica”. It covers many topics written by SME (Subject Matter Experts). Yearly supplements were published. The final supplement came out a couple of years ago. There will no longer be printed editions. There will only be on-line subscription.

Wikipedia

• Wikipedia is a collection of encyclopedias in multiple languages.
• The English edition of the Wikipedia is the largest.
• The accuracy of the Wikipedia is comparable to that of the “Encyclopedia” thanks to the countless volunteer contributors and editors.
• I was a volunteer to correct discrepancies (mostly entries on Burmese/Myanmar). For example, a young author wrote that St. Paul’s High School was the first among the De La Salle Schools in Burma. He was unaware that St. Patrick’s High School in Mawlamyaing was the first (and was established a few months earlier than St. Paul’s).

No Absolute Perfection

There is a slight chance that there are errors in an encyclopedia (or an equivalent “book of knowledge”). One author was unaware that Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira Gandhi. He was a pilot and entered politics only when his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi (touted as Indira’s confidante and successor) died in a plane crash.

Collaboration

The advent of Internet and the rise of “Collaborative Work” have lowered the time and cost to maintain encyclopedias.

A few years back, I received a call to submit entries to “Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife”. I emailed to the editors that I was willing to help them on the Burmese section. They sent me four samples and asked me to send back one short article (not exceeding 500 words and with two or more references) on a chosen Head Word (e.g. Burmese American Festivals). They reviewed my article and accepted me. The remuneration was $10. I replied that I would like to have a copy of the 2-volume encyclopedia. A deal was struck. They would give me the encyclopedia if I submit at least 8 articles. Nine articles were accepted. Two articles were merged with the work of other authors. One author was a Burmese College Professor. Another was probably a graduate student, who inserted the wrong date for Martyr’s Day. The Editors promised to correct his error in another edition. I received a 3-volume encyclopedia (initially projected to be 2-volume) and an additional $10.

Google Books

• Some are not aware of “Google Books”.
• If one goes to “Google Books” and search for my name, one can find the nine articles.

Burmese Encyclopedia

In my younger days, my parents bought me “Myanmar Swel Sone Kyan” (Burmese Encyclopedia).

I heard that the “Myanmar Swel Sone Kyan” is under re-development with the help of SME (Subject Matter Experts).

Video Broadcast

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint (SPHS60)

• Top Paulian in his class
  The Brothers were disappointed when he missed the top five positions by a mark each.
• Founded “Alumni of the Institutes of Medicine in Myanmar” group
  Wrote about his mentors and other trail blazers.
• Wrote several posts

Related Posts

• Paulian Doctors
• Class of SPHS 1960
• Seven Siblings
• U Kyaw Myint
• The Empty Tomb (of ICS U Tin Tut)
• Dr. Tin U
• Dr. Mohan

Video Broadcast

• Medium for Communication
  
• Spoken Language
  e.g. Myanmar Sagar
  
• Written Language
  e.g. Myanmar Sar

• Natural Language
  Natural Language Understanding
  Natural Language Processing
  
• Native Language / Mother Tongue
  
• Foreign Language
  TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  ESL (English as a Second Language)
  
• Computing
  Formal Language
  
• Chomsky Language Hierarchy
  Context Free Language
  Context Sensitive Language
  …
  
• Programming Language
  Machine Language
  Assembly Language
  High Level Language
  Compiler
  Interpreter
  Script
  
• Esperanto
  Experiment in universal language
  
• Babel
  Biblical story
  
• Rosetta stone
  Key for studying Egyptian hieroglyphs
  
• Special Language
  Sign Language
  Braille
  Meta-language
  Domain specific language

Video Broadcast on December 17, 2020

RIT Graduates in 1974

• Dr. Htay Lwin Lwin (EP74, GBNF)
  RIT Luyechun
  MSc.(CS) from UCC
  Ph.D from Syracuse University
  Passed away in San Jose (where he was teaching at SJSU)
  See my posts about his Last Journey
  
• U Myint Swe (EP74)
  Worked in Singapore and USA
  Vice President, NorCal RITAA
  Spouse : Daw San San Nwe / San San Swe (EC74)
  
• Daw Khin Swe Oo (EC74)
  Retired Associate Professor, YTU
  Moved to Singapore
  Spouse : U Than Lwin (UCC, CSO, Singapore)
  
• Sai Aung Thurein (EC74)
  M.Sc.(CS) from UCC
  Worked in Singapore and Australia
  Spouse : “Swe” (EE74)
  
• Dr. Charlie Than (M74)
  Navy, Maritime University and MEC
  
• U Maung Maung Thant (M74)
  Rowed for Ye Gyaung Lu Nge
  
• U Sann Aung (M74)
  RUBC Gold
  U.S.A Photo Lab
  
• U Win Myint Aung (ChE74)
  Pen name : Win Myint (Myeik)
  Spouse : ChE (daughter of SPHS Saya U Kyaw Sein)

U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khin

• 3rd UNSG and first Asian UNSG
• Passed away in USA
• Body brought back to Burma (for final resting place)
• Dy. Minister who paid respect to the body at Mingalardon air port was dismissed
• Students were dissatisfied at the Higher Authorities for not honoring Burma’s son
• The Ah Yay Ah Khin caused the death, imprisonment and career loss of several innocent young people.
  
• Ko Win Htein (Dat Pon) published a book with rare photos and articles

• I posted an article “Burma’s Son” about U Thant.
• I spoke about U Thant at his Centennial Celebration in the San Francisco Bay Area.