Metallurgy Education in Myanmar

By U Thit
(Melbourne, Australia)

Updated : June 2025

The Metallurgy Department was established in 1954 with the assistance of contract staff from India. Mr. H.S. Shastri was the first head of department and Mr. A.C. Agrawal was an assistant lecturer.

I was awarded a government scholarship to study Metallurgy at Lehigh University in 1954, when I was a second year student of Civil Engineering in Rangoon. (Incidentally, it was at Lehigh that I first met Sayas U Aung Khin and U Pu.), I returned home in 1957 after completing my bachelor’s degree and joined the department as assistant lecturer. Saya U Saw Pru joined the department as an assistant lecturer in 1958.

I was awarded a Colombo Plan Fellowship in 1959 for further studies at the University or Queensland, Australia, and came back in 1961 after finishing my master’s degree. I was promoted to lectureship in 1962,

Saya U Than Tin joined the department in 1960 and left for U.S. after a few years. There were visiting lecturers from U.S.S.R., namely, Mr. Charlichev from 1961 to 1963 and Mr. Chalpanov from 1963 to 1965.

Sayas U Aung Hla Tun, U Pe Win and Dr. Khin Maung Win joined the department in 1965, 1966 and 1967 respectively. There were also part-time teaching staff from time to time from UBARI, such as U Khin Maung and U Nyunt.

I left the department in 1968 to go to Australia.

The continuing history of the Metallurgy Department after 1968 can best be written by Saya U Aung Hla Tun,

Notes (by Hla Min)

• Saya taught “Materials and Processes” in our 2nd BE class in 1964. He attended some SPZPs & Metallury gatherings in Myanmar. He moved to Melbourne, Australia.
• Saya’s successors include Dr. Saw Pru (GBNF), U Than Tin & Saya Dr. Khin Maung Win (GBNF).

Updates (by Hla Min)

• Saya U Aung Hla Tun (GBNF) was the lead author for HMEE projects.

• Sayas U Win Kyaw (Met71, RUBC), U Thein Aung (Met72, Mr. RIT68) & U Nyunt Htay (Met73, Poet/Editor) had a micro-reunion in 2015 Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles and at the iNapa Winery in Northern California.

• Metallurgy is taught as “Materials Science” in the US.

Posts

• Education Systems
• Gatherings
• HMEE
• Metallurgical Engineering
• RIT Sayas