by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Deans

• Rangoon University had Deans for the Faculties.
• U Ba Hli was the first native Dean of Engineering

U Ba Hli

• First native Dean to head the Faculty of Engineering of Rangoon University
• Transferred to the Faculty of Engineering, RU from GTI (Government Technical Institute) where he was Principal and Professor of Civil Engineering
• Credited for the “Twinning Program” between the Faculty of Engineering, RU and the prestigious universities in the USA
• Per request from U Aung Khin (retired Professor & Head of Mechanical Engineering), Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (EE) — the only son — wrote about his beloved father for the commemorative issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP-2000. It has been re-posted in the newsletter updates and in the RIT Alumni Facebook Pages. Sayagyi passed away in his house on U Wisara Road in Rangoon.

Interim Deans

• Dr. Htin Aung
• Dr. Maung Maung Kha
• Dr. Tha Hla
• U Po Tha

Dr. Htin Aung

• Principal, Rangoon College
• Rector, Rangoon University
• Vice Chancellor, Rangoon University
• Interim Dean, Faculty of Engineering
• Burmese Ambassador to Ceylon
• Folklorist / Historian

Dr. Maung Maung Kha

• Doctorate in Meteorological Physics from Imperial College, London University
• Professor & Head of Physics Department at Rangoon University
• Interim Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Rangoon University
• Longest tenured Rector
• Rector of Rangoon University
• Rector of RASU
• Rector of University of Distance Learning

• Plays the violin well
• Accompanied U Ba Kyi (Artist, translator/composer of songs”) singing “Hne Yauk Hte Nay Chin De” in Burmese and English
• Passed away in Yangon in 2005.
• Centennial celebrations for his birthday were held in 2015.

Early Rectors

• Dr. Htin Aung (RU)
• Dr. Hla Myint (RU)
• Dr. Tha Hla (RU)
• U Kar (RU)
• Dr. Maung Maung Kha (RU, RASU)
• U Yone Mo (RIT)
• Dr. Aung Gyi (RIT)
• U Khin Aung Kyi (RIT)
• U Maung Maung Than (RIT)

U Yone Mo

• Retired Chief Engineer, Burma Railways
• In 1961, the Faculty of Engineering, Rangoon University moved to Gyogone and had a new name Burma Institute of Technology (BIT).
• Appointed Dean of Engineering at the BIT Gyogone Campus
• Under the new Education System, BIT became an autonomous Institute with the name Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT). He became the Rector.
• Proponent of taking power naps
• U Wynn Htain Oo (M72) remembers how his friends were having fun with the “Ye Punn ရေပန်း” (Water Foundation). Saya saw them, but did not scold them. He said with a smile, “Young men, you can go to the University Swimming Pool or to the Inya Kan ကန် (Lake)”.
• Established the weekly “Yoke Shin ရုပ်ရှင်” at the Assembly Hall.
• Dr. Aung Gyi (Professor of Civil Engineering) remembered seeing a letter from U Yone Mo (Rector) sent to U Yone Mo (Parent of a son who happened to visit his gambling friends at the hostel). Dr. Aung Gyi told the Admin to stow away the letter.
• Ko Zaw Min Nawaday knows Sayagyi & his spouse (Daw Elizabeth Yone Mo, High Ranking Nurse at RGH and a close friend of Daw Khin May Than) very well. Sayagyi and Dr. Aung Gyi were in May Myo during one summer. Sayagyi asked Dr. Aung Gyi and Ko Zaw Min to accompany him.
  They ate Khauk Swe. Sayagyi reminded them not to tell about his “Khauk Swe” appetite to Sayagadaw.

Dr. Aung Gyi

• Succeeded U Yone Mo as Rector
• Rector (1971 – 1977)
• See Posts
• Memories of Dr. Aung Gyi
• Speech at SPZP-2000
• Coconut Episode

U Khin Aung Kyi

• Stood 7th in Burma in the Matriculation of 1949
• He did his B S and M S at MIT
• Professor of Chemical Engineering at RIT
• Succeeded Dr. Aung Gyi as Rector
• Taught at Rengsit University in Bangkok, Thailand
• Provided interview for HMEE-2012 Project

U Maung Maung Than

• BS in Textile Engineering from Clemson University and MS from Lowell University
• Professor & Head of Textile Engineering Department, RIT
• Rector, YIT
• DG, DHE
• Chair, RIT Sports Council
• Hobbies : Chinlon, Music
• Helped establish Engineering at Defense Services Academy

Dr. Henry Cho Tun (Myint Tun) wrote:

I’m going to add a few things about Saya U Mg Mg Than. I’m very close to him and the family and the son is my student. We are all golfers and both of them are very good. Saya MM Than is as good as Saya Soe Paing and plays with clubs that are custom made for him. Hope the following would be useful additions. Thank you

• He did his B S at Clemson and M S at Lowell.
• He joined BIT in 1957 as lecturer -Head of Textile Engineering Department at BOC college
• 1964 was appointed Professor at RIT
• Served as Rector, 1990-1992
• Director General of The Department of Higher Education 1992-1994 and retired
• Served as Director of Studies at DSTA (Defense Services Technical Academy)

Posts

• Administrators
• Convocation
• From BIT to YTU
• Rangoon University
• Three Events in December 1920