There are about 3000 articles in my web site hlamin.com
It is difficult if not impossible to revise all the articles.
Note that the events described here mostly cover my journey as a University Student.
Other events (e.g. 1946 to 1970s) are covered in other Posts. I have honored Outstanding Matriculates (e.g. f1951 to 1965) in other Posts.
1963
Guinea Pigs
We took the Matriculation Only examination in 1963.
SPHS63Hla Min (7th Place)
Paulians took 5 places among the Top Five, 7 places among the Top Ten, and 10 places among the Top Twenty.
Khin Maung U (1st)
Min Oo (2nd)
Myo San (3rd, GBNF)
Nyunt Wai (4th)
Thein Wai (5th)
Hla Min (7th)
Johnny Maung Maung (Aung Kyaw Zaw, 9th)
Maung Maung Kyi (11th, GBNF)
Aung Thu Yein (13th, GBNF)
Frank Gale (Khin Maung Zaw, 17th)
We attended the last ever I.Sc.(A) class at Leik Khone.
Following the “Anniversary of 7th July, 1962” events, the major parts of Rangion and Mandalay Universities were closed for an unspecified period.
Engineering and Medical Classes were spared at that time.
Subsequently, those who were only one year senior to us in High School graduated 2.5 years ahead of us (the Guinea Pigs of the Education Systems).
RUBC
We joined Rangoon University Boat Club.
Our Paulians Crew was Runners-up for Senior Novices. Maung Maung Kyi (Bow, GBNF) Hla Min (2) Kyaw Wynn (3) Willie Soe Maung (Myint Soe, Stroke, GBNF) Myint Thein (Cox, GBNF)
We were awarded Full Green.
Maung Maung KyiKyaw Wynn (2nd from Left)
40th AnniversaryGathering
President Sithu U Tin, Vice President U Po Zon and U Tin Htoon (A60) compiled the Souvenir Magazine for the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of RUBC.
Due to Security Concerns, the 40th Anniversary Annual Regatta was cancelled.
Sithu U Tin and the Patrons decided to hold the “40th Anniversary of the founding of RUBC” at a hotel in Kandawgyi.
RUBC 40th Anniversary
Burma Institute of Technology
My elder brother and several of my sayas graduated from the Burma Institute of Technology (BIT) in 1963.
They were from the second batch of BIT.
The degree conferred was B.Sc. (Engg).
1964
Education System
The New Education System was implemented in November, 1964.
Most Faculties of the University of Rangoon became autonomous Institutes with their own Rectors.
The Youth Affairs Department implemented Luyechun (Outstanding Students) Program in the Summer of 1964. Eligible students from 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Standards were chosen to attend the Ngapali Shwe Wah Gyaing Camp in the Summer of 1964.
Rangoon Institute of Technology
RIT Student
In November 1964, three batches of students entered RIT (Rangoon Institute of Technology).
400+ were admitted to the first ever 1st BE using the controversial Intelligence Level Aggregate (ILA). Ko Zaw Min was admitted as Roll Number One. Tommy Shwe (GBNF), Cho Aye (GBNF), Peter Pe (GBNF) and Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, GBNF) were among the top students.
300+ who had passed the last ever I.Sc.(A) examination were chosen by merit to attend the first ever 2nd BE. I was admitted as Roll Number One. Taing Oke, Kenny Wong, Tun Aung Gyaw, Tin Tun (GBNF) and Thein Swe (GBNF) were among the top students.
About 200 students who had passed the last ever I.Sc.(B) examination were admitted to the 3rd BE (formerly 1st year Engineering). Tun Aung (Jeffrey, GBNF) was a top student.
RUBC
Elected as Honorary Treasurer of RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club). I had to report to Professor William Paw (President of RUBC).
I was the last Executive Committee member to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
Served as Vice Captain the following year.
The higher authorities prevented me from becoming RUBC Captain by discarding the Bye Laws and using their ad-hoc rules (e.g. selecting instead of electing Captain)
Note : My affection for Rowing & RUBC did not wither. I served as Contributing Editor for the RUBC 90th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine.
RUBC Souvenir Magazine
Matriculation
Cherry Hlaing (Than Than Tin, St. John’s Convent) and Lyn Aung Thet (MEHS) had the Joint Highest Marks.
Based on ILA, Cherry would be admitted as Roll Number One to IM(1). She would be selected Luyechun for the Inlay Camp in the summer of 1965. Her grand father U Hoke Sein and her father U Saw Hlaing were also First in Burma. Her two children would also be First in Family. The record of five family members (spanning four generations) standing First in Burma is an enviable record that will not be broken.
Lyn Aung Thet (MEHS64) had four distinctions and the same raw score, but his performance in Burmese gave him a lower ILA than Cherry. He is a Scholar Athlete with proficiency in Swimming, Water Polo, Tennis and Chess. He was selected Luyechun in a subsequent year.
Aung Win Chiong (SPHS64) has the next best raw score. He had a perfect ILA score and was admitted to IM(2) as Roll Number One.
Maurice Hla Kyi (Min Lwin, SPHS64) had the 5th highest marks. He was admitted to IM(2) as Roll Number Two.
Maurice & Aung Win
1965 – 1969
Matriculationin 1965
Bernard Khaw (SPHS65) had four distinctions (with 80+ marks in English) and stood First in Burma. Due to the revised policy (e.g. 3 NRC requirement), he could not apply for professional courses. He majored in Chemistry before moving to USA. He retired as a Chemical Engineer and Pastor.
Bernard (Center)
Aung Myint (SPHS65) had the second best raw marks. He and his twin brother Maung Aye moved to USA and pursued Ph.D
Winston Sein Maung (SPHS65, GBNF) had the third best raw marks.
Cherry Than Tin had the fourth best raw marks. She was admitted as Roll No (1) to MC (2).
Yi Thwe (SPHS65, GBNF) was admitted as Roll No (1) to MC (1).
Paing Soe (Freddie, SPHS65) had same marks as Yi Thwe. He was admitted as Roll No (2) to MC (1).
Forty four Paulians were admitted to MC in 1965. They are from the Last Batch of True Paulians.
After Nationalization, St. Paul’s High School was renamed as No. (6) Botathaung State High School.
Nationalization
The consequences of the Coup d’etat include
Disappearance of Democracy
Nationalization of industry and schools
Indiscriminate demonetization
Increased censorship
With every turmoil (effecting “National Security”), the universities, institutes and schools were suspended.
After the schools were nationalized, St. Paul’s High School became No. (6) Botathaung State High School. Some Brothers left Burma. A few indigenous Brothers remained in Ady Road. Brother Joseph was ordained as Father Joseph.
Luyechun
The program was extended to include Universitites and Institutes in the Summer of 1965.
I attended the Inlay Khaung Daing Lu Ye Camp in the summer of 1965 along with U Sein Shwe, Daw Khin Than Myint Tin and U Zaw Min Nawaday.
LYC 1LYC 2
MC(1) sent Cherry Hlaing, Khin Maung U, Anita Aye Pe and Kyaw Sein Koe (Victor, GBNF).
RIT
There were eight engineering departments
Architecture
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Mechanical
Metallurgy
Mining
Textile
Most departments have associations. The RIT Mechanical Engineering Association was active. U Win Thein (M67, GBNF) was a Prime Mover. He co-founded Set Hmu Thadinzin and Mechanical Magazine. He co-organized activities.
The RIT Sports Council was headed by Saya U Maung Maung Than (GBNF). U Maung Maung (Burma Selected in soccer) was Sports Officer. The associations for the various sports was headed by a saya.
Several RIT students were Burma Selected. They include Sai Kham Pan (Badminton) and Htay Aung (Swimming and Water Polo).
Htay Aung
Saya Mao Toon Siong (former Burma Champion) was National Coach for Table Tennis. He also coached the RIT team which won the Inter-Institute Championship.
Saya Mao
Electrical Sayas
EE Sayas
In those days, the Electrical Engineering was headed by Saya U Sein Hlaing (Professor and Head).
The senior sayas included U Kyaw Tun (saya of our sayas), U Tin Swe and U Sein Win. All are now GBNF.
There were about 20 sayas. Five were on deputation for further studies abroad.
I wrote “A Sad and Short Clip : EE Sayas” for SPZP-2010. Sayas U Thein Lwin and U Nyi Nyi have since passed away.
EC and EP
There were two options : EC (Electrical Communications) and EP (Electrical Power). Per advice in the industry, only a quarter of the students were accepted for EC.
There were 80+ EE students in the beginning. Tin Tin (Anne) was the lone female EE student.
At the end, there were 40+ EE students left.
EE69ers
The EP students outnumbered the EC students 3 by 1. Several bright students played safe by choosing EP (which provided a job guarantee).
We studied EC (Electrical Communications). Twelve of us graduated in 1969.
Four EC69ers — Kyaw Soe, Aung Thu Yein, Chit Tin and Oo Kyaw Hla — are now GBNF.
A few years later, EC became Electronics Engineering.
A few decades later, Electronics Engineering and Electrical Power became full-fledged departments.
Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
AFAIK, EC was the hardest and strictest discipline at the RIT in those days as we’ve been told. Some even asked us why we had to go there. Of course, I am not going to mention the easiest discipline there, but we joked like, “they had 109 students and 110 passed the exam”. I do not mean any disrespect to Sayas and friends from other majors!! At times, it made us wonder why were we there for god’s sake. CRAZY TIMES!!! Indeed.
Volunteer
I served as
Treasurer & Vice Captain of RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club)
Class Representative, Joint Secretary & Secretary of RITEE (Rangoon Institute of Technology Electrical Engineering Association)
Member of Committee for “Hlyat Sit Sar Saung”
Editor of the Bulletin published by RIT English Association
Member of UTC, Rowing, Scrabble, and Chess Assocations /Clubs
Free lance writer (articles, poems, translations) My poem “Men on the Moon” was sent to NASA by USIS, and it was published in the Guardian newspaper in July 1969
He was the first Dean of Engineering at the University of Rangoon. He also served as Professor of Civil Engineering. He is credited for the “Twinning” with the prestigious universities in the USA.
He earlier served as Principal of the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and Professor of Civil Engineering.
The commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for the first RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe paid respect to Sayagyi.
Sayagyi U Aung Khin (former Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and the driving force behind SPZP-2000) wrote an introduction to the special article written by Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (the only child of Sayagyi U Ba Hli).
Saya Dr. F Ba Hli (GBNF)
Dr. F. Ba Hli received his Sc.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He helped Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and Sayagyi U Min Wun, who were two of the first undergraduate engineering students from the University of Rangoon to be given State Scholarship as part of the “Twinning” program.
Dr. F. Ba Hli’s spouse Daw Myint Thwe is the sister of Sayagyi U Tin U (C), Sayagyi U Ba Than (M), Dr. Myo Tint (father of Ma Kay (EE93)), U Tin Htoon (A60), Saya U Myo Min (UCC) and U Thaung Lwin (EC66). Note that four are Past Captain and Gold of Rangoon University Boat Club.
Dr. F. Ba Hli has a daughter (Tin Tin Hlaing) and two sons (Tha Hlaing and Min Thet Htoo).
Dr. F Ba Hli
Grand children of U Ba Hli
Ma Tin Tin Hlaing (UCC) is the spouse of Ko Htay Aung (Victor, EC80, UCC, nephew of Saya U Sein Hlaing (EE)).
Ko Tha Hlaing (EC83, UCC) stood joint first with Ko Thaung Tin (KMD, former Deputy Minister) in their final year. He, his father and his paternal grandfather form Three Generation of Burmese engineers who are sayas or alumni.
Min Thet Tun did not smoke or drink, but succumbed to lung cancer. He lamented why some people who drink and smoke lived long.
One day, the people on the UCC ferry shouted, “Saya Paing”. To their amazement, ICS U Paing (Saya’s father) came out.
Saya U Soe Paing is the second son of U Paing and Daw Oo Yin (Daughter of Sir Po Tha and Lady Tha).
Golf Champions
Saya and his siblings Dr. Myo Paing, U Win Paing (Sayadaw U Wara, ChE70) and U Kyaw Paing (Putra Cup Player) are excellent golfers and Champions at RGC (Rangoon Golf Club) and BGC (Burma Golf Club).
St. Paul’s High School
Saya matriculated from SPHS (St. Paul’s High School) in 1956 along with U Ko Ko Lay, U Win Htein, Percy Maung Maung, U Than Se (Richard Khoo), and U Ba Min.
Saya stood 13th in Matriculation and was awarded Collegiate Scholarship.
Rangoon University
Saya won two Gold Medals for excellence in the Intermediate of Science.
He scored the highest marks in the I.Sc. examinations.
He scored the highest marks in Mathematics in I.Sc. along with two other students.
Since the original endowment for the Gold Medals did not cover the rising cost of Gold, Saya’s family had to give K150 for each Gold Medal.
Saya rowed and coxed at RUBC. Saya won prizes including the Inter-Hall Fours.
Stanford University
Saya was selected as a States Scholar to attend Stanford University along with Saya U Ko Ko Lay and Bohmu Percy.
Saya received his BS and MS in EE (Electrical Engineering).
Saya did programming for his studies and also worked part-time as computer operator.
RIT Electrical
Upon his return to Burma, Saya joined the EE Department as Assistant Lecturer. His sponsor supposedly was UBARI (Union of Burma Applied Research Institute).
At a research congress held in the Main Campus, Saya presented a paper covering Digital Logic and Circuits,. Dr. Chit Swe was impressed. Through Saya U Nyi Nyi (EE saya, who moved to the UK), Saya Paing gained contact with Saya Chit. The rest is history.
Saya Paing would help Saya Chit with the UCC Project.
It would take a few years before the UCC Project got approved by UN and funded by UNDP.
UCC – RIT Connection
Saya Paing promised Saya Chit to recruit his top students to join the UCC Project, but the long delay of the Project to get funded made the task difficult.
Ko Tun Aung Gyaw (EC69), Ko Hla Min (EC69) and Ko Soe Win (EC70) joined UCC as Maintenance Engineers.
Ko Hla Min (Pauk Si, EP70) joined UCC as Chief Operator.
Ko Aung Myint transferred from the RIT EE Laboratory to join UCC as Maintenance Technician.
UCC
Saya transferred to UCC as Manager of Systems Division. He managed Maintenance Engineers, Maintenance Technicians, System Programmers and Software Librarian (to name a few).
Saya did another Masters (this time in Computer Science) at Southampton University in UK.
Saya would later manage the Operations Division as well.
Saya allowed Ko Aung Zaw and me to co-author Lecture Guides and Training Manuals for use at UCC.
UN
Saya served as Project Manager / Advisor for UN projects in several countries.
For details
For a detailed story of Saya’s life and work at RIT, UCC and overseas as a UN Advisor, read his articles in English and Burmese. They are available in SCRIB_D.
Saya wrote “Computer Ah Sa UCC Ga”
Sayagadaw and Classmate
Saya U Soe Paing in CaliforniaSaya U Soe Paing in New Jersey (2018)Saya U Soe Paing in 2009
Sayagadaw Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69) was my classmate at RIT.
She and Saya Paing have hosted several UCC mini-gatherings at their house.
At one of the gatherings in 2007, Ko Po (U Htin Kyaw, Peter Wun) not only attended the gathering, but gave me a ride back home. He also briefly mentioned about his four-month detention.
After retirement
After retiring from the UN, Saya would visit UK, USA and Singapore to spend time with his children and grandchildren.
During his trips to New Jersey, there would be several UCC-RIT gatherings.
Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo, M69) has hosted the annual RIT-UCC gatherings for a decade or so. He would invite Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Ma Ma Emma to stay at his house. The timing is chosen to coincide with Saya Paing’s visit to New Jersey.
Saya is healthy, but he had two operations :
by-pass heart surgery
surgery for the back
Saya meditates and plays golf. Saya stopped both activities when he had a minor ailment (hurting his back and leg). Per advice of Alice’s medical friends (MEHS Alumni), Saya had a surgery in Singapore.
When one is sending e-mail to specified recipients, one is pushing one’s message to others. The intended recipients may (a) welcome your message (b) defer to check your message (c) may ignore your message (d) flag your message as “junk” …
Some e-mail systems send acknowledgement for important messages. Some may ask you to verify for the first time. E-mail systems may maintain “Black lists” and “White lists”.
Some have multiple e-mails either with different email providers (e.g. Gmail and Yahoo mail) or even with a single email (e.g. one for private, another for business).
Some email systems provide encryption.
In one of my jobs, we could not specify sensitive information in e-mails.
Do not assume that your deleted e-mail is gone forever. There is logical deletion and physical deletion. Even with physical deletion, copies of the e-mail may still linger in one or more mail servers and backup devices.
Email providers will scan your e-mail (e.g. using AdSense or a Recommended System) to offer you targeted advertisements.
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
(1) One of the surprises we discovered while on an IBM mainframe system is that a small file which keep track of the email system had the heaviest activity. Part of this small checked the flags, like who in your distribution list had seen/viewed your message. We then acquired a SSD, Solid State Device, mainly for passing files and this email network file on SSD, and saw the high improvement in the overall performance.
Heard from the grapevine that, later email systems attempted as such but it did not scale well as the user population exploded.
(2) One of my directors at the time proudly let his subordinates know that he had no more than 20 messages in his inbox at any given time. Of course, he spent some time deleting them as they came in,
(3) In my last company, email system had come very close to abuse, thousand or more messages a day, and people spent hours a day just for going through daily mails, this is even with the files. There are many times that you could even go through messages from immediate manager.
Many of these messages originated from plethora of monitoring systems, hardware/infrastructural /applications, drove people nuts.
(4) When we first started in my last company, in late 90s, everyone (not in the executive levels) had the inbox size of 20MB. It became minuscule as soon as we had, notifications came every day to remove/archive the old messages. In the mid-2010s the inbox size was at 250MB, that’s in Office365.
HlaMin 