According to a historian from Smithsonian Institution, “There is no single history. There are parallel (often competing) histories.
I volunteered as a Docent for Computer History Museum (CHM) in Moutain View, California.
I was a member of the HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education) project. Ko Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD supplement for the HMEE-2012 book.
Journey
I am continuing on my journey as a Life Long Learner, freelance writer, translator and editor.
I served at the Last Journey for Sayadaw U Silananda and Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo.
Colleges
Those senior to us attended Yankin and Hteedan Colleges.
Leik Khone held engineering classes before the Faculty moved to Gyogone Campus in 1961.
In 1962 and 1963, Leik Khone held I.Sc. classes.
In 1964, Leik Khone started offering 1st MB classes.
Volunteer Service
I have served as a volunteer for five decades.
Infounded “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” in 1999 and served as its Chief Editor for 26 years.
I have paid back to UCC and RIT as a messenger and organizer.
My Toastmasters Journey
I joined District 4 of Toastmasters International. When District 4 became too big, it was reorganized into two smaller Districts.
I became a member of District 101.
I completed Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) under the Old System.
DTM 1DTM 2
Mr. Robert Hole
He was the English Editor for RUESU (Rangoon University Engineering Students Union) Annual Magazine. He is the father of Sayama Daw Gilmore Hole (UCC) and uncle of U Percy Maung Maung (classmate of Saya U Soe Paing at St. Paul’s High School and Stanford University).
Saya asked Mr. Robert to write for the “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar”. Mr. Robert asked three weeks.
Sad to say, Mr. Robert did not complete his assignment.
During my visit to Yangon, Gilmore invited UCC alumni to a mini-gathering at her house. We learned from Gilmore that her father had “memory retention problem”.
That is one reason I am sharing my memories before my memory declines.
History
It is appreciated in some countries.
In the USA, there are many museums (with Docents) and historical societies (with Historians).
I volunteered as a Docent at the Computer History Museum (CHM) for a couple of years. I learned that CHM has an “Oral History” Project to record interviews of pioneers, researchers, and notable people. CHM also had live presentations: individuals and/or panels with a moderator.
We understand that there are pressing issues (e.g. rebuilding the alma mater and our beloved motherland to their former glory), but we also need to have historical facts compiled (in writing or in interviews) and preserved.
Passion
A 1000+ mile journey starts with a simple first step. The journey to a printed book or an e-book started with my first Trivia post.
I did not start writing Chronicles or compiling a Knowledge base. I did not have an outline. I was just trying to please my beloved spouse, selected sayas and friends that I would put down my stories (that I heard or learned from Thin Sayas, Myin Sayas and Kyar Sayars) into writing. If the stories can enrich someone’s life, that will be a bonus.
If one has time and energy there are tons of information in the world, but one must be aware that they may be misinformation and materials that not subject to review and proof reading. Thanks to my reviewers, I have managed to keep the typos, inconsistencies and errors quite low. I also learn something new with each comment.
Some friends who are experts or advanced practitioners in astrology said, “You can never really retire. You have a conjunction of Mercury, Venus and Saturn in one Yathi (Rasi) and they are conjunction with Sun in the Tenth House. You will have the benefits as well as disadvantages of those planets. For example, you can never have an easy life and you will be a server of many people. Be careful of your health. If you stay healthy, you will feel pride and happiness to see your work get appreciated.”
The journey will continue as long as I have a reasonably good memory and health.
RU
Rangoon University was opened in December 1920 with Rangoon College and Judson College as affiliated colleges.
In the mid and late 50’s, the Yankin College and the Hteedan College served the First Year Intermediate classes. The Pure Science, Engineering and Medical students attended Yankin College. The Arts and Social Science students attended Hteedan College.
After completing the I.Sc. classes, the engineering students attended BOC College for their main subjects and took some courses (e.g. Mathematics) at the Main Campus.
Later, the engineering students attended Leik Khone (Dome) and its extensions for their main subjects and spent some time (e.g. workshop) at BOC College.
Leik Khone
Saya U Tin Htut (M60) and U Tin Htoon (A60) were the last batch of Engineering students to attend classes at Leik Khone.
In mid-1963, we attended I.Sc.(A) classes at Leik Khone. Those aspiring to become medical doctors take the “A” option. Those aspiring to become engineers and scientists take the “B” option.
Our teachers for our I.Sc.(A) classes included
Daw Tinsa Maw-Naing (English) — mother of Kinsa Maw-Naing
Daw Khin Kyi Kyi (English)
Daw Po (Burmese) — sayama at the 1965 Inlay Luyechun Camp; retired as Professor of Burmese
U Khin Zaw (Maths) — later headed Maths Department at Worker’s College
Mr. Chowdry (Maths)
Daw Khin Ma Ma (Maths) — Sayama and her spouse U Soe Nyunt taught Maths at DSA
U Min Than Thaung (Physics) — RUBC Gold; retired as Rector of Long Distance Learning
Daw Khin Khin Su (Physics)
Daw Khin Khin Aye (Chemistry)
Gyogone Campus
Russia’s gift for the Gyogone Campus was compensated in rice, since Burma was then known as the “Rice Bowl of Asia“.
Russia provided visiting Lecturers. Some sayas speak reasonably good English. Others (e.g. teaching courses in the Agri sub-department of Mechanical Engineering) needed interpreters to conduct their courses.
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) visited Sayagyi U Ba Than after returning from his post-graduate studies in the USA. He was waiting to join Yezin College. Sayagyi asked him if he would like to join the Agri sub-department. The Agri students were happy with the teaching and practice of Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt. Saya also served as President of RIT Thaing Club.
Most Russian sayas were good chess players. They helped Ko Aung Than and Ko Maung Maung to form the RIT Chess Club. They conducted Lightning Chess tournaments.
Mr. Lazarov rowed as Timing Stroke for the RIT Eights team, which won the Inter-Institute Eights Trophy. The team consisted of L. Than Myint, U Ohn Hlaing (Elmo, GBNF), U Kyaw Lwin (George, GBNF), U Thaung Lwin, U Myo Myint, U Than Htut, U Htain Linn and U Tin Aung (Victor, GBNF).
Name Change
Folklore says the name BIT (Burma Institute of Technology) was changed to RIT (Rangoon Institute of Technology), so that engineering schools could be set up at Mandalay. Note that IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) uses IIT for all its campuses, but qualifies it with the Campus name.
Saya Dr. Koung Nyunt (A 67, GBNF) mentioned that he was a participant and/or witness in the “physical” changing of the names (BIT to RIT) on the building.
Contributions
Many years ago, I asked a journalist how he could write a weekly column. He replied, “As long as one have friends and there are things to see, it’s not difficult to write even daily.”
For more than five decades, I have offered volunteer service to various organizations.
Paying back to RIT
I started “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” in 1989. I asked at least three times if someone wanted to take over as the volunteer messenger, writer and editor. Even my fiercest critics would not step up. I completed 26 years of my service to my alma mater, mentors and colleagues. The smiles on the faces of my former teachers, and occasional pat on the back by my colleagues give me “second wind” and the energy to “go the extra mile.”
Messenger
For over two decades, I served as a messenger for the RIT sayas, alumni and community.
In the early days, many sayas and alumni provided me with articles, news, and photos.
The idea of getting reconnected electronically and physically was novel. There were several hundred who accessed the first RIT web site designed and maintained by KMZ.
Some traveled a long way (from Burma, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) to attend the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in October 2000.
Some sayas and alumni became GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten). Some saw a decline in their health.
With the event of social media, the number of RIT related pages grew. There are many silent readers and few active contributors.
Being a messenger is not easy. When an alumni asked me to relay the demise of Ko Victor Win, I double checked before posting the news. Then, someone who is near and dear to Mrs. Victor claimed that Ko Victor was hospitalized, but had not passed away. After some confusion, the sad news was confirmed.
Some sayas and alumni want privacy. They do not want the news of their visits or failing health to be relayed. We have to respect them.
There are many posts by sayas, alumni and friends. I have re-posted only a sample of their works.
As my mentors said, “The message is much more important than the messenger.”
Paying back to UCC
During a visit to Yangon, I spent three days writing “Memories of UCC.” My former student Phyu Phyu Kyaw (USA) called, “You should take time off and enjoy your stay in Burma. You can continue writing when you get back to the USA. I suggest that you should spend two nights and three days in Bagan. She pledged air ticket and hotel stay as Garawa.”
It was my second trip to the ancient city. Things have changed a lot since my quick trip to Bagan and Nyaung Oo many years ago.
I saw tourists taking photographs of the ancient shrines. I saw some driving motor cycles to get around the area and beyond (e.g. to Mount Popa). Some who are short of time take the Package Tour with a tourist guide.
I wrapped up “Memories of UCC” by archiving them in PDF and Word form. I also summarized the long article to a length that can be incorporated into the Special Issue published by UCSY (University of Computer Studies in Yangon).
Sharing Trivia and Knowledge
Upon my return to the USA, I started writing Trivia posts based on what I learned from my Thin Saya, Myin Saya and Kyar Saya.
I was happy when I hit the 100 mark. It was like completing a lap in a long race.
Reviewers and Contributors
Saya Dr. Aung Gyi suggested topics to be covered in the book. Saya wanted us to present the RIT Spirit.
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint added memories of his father, uncles and aunts. I knew more about the seven siblings :
U Tin Tut
U Kyaw Myint
U Myint Thein
Dr. Htin Aung
Daw Khin Mya Mu
Daw Khin Saw Mu
Daw Tin Saw Mu
I also learned about Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint’s former students who are Professors and Distinguished Authors.
Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor, SPHS63, Fourth in Burma in Matriculation) added many entries to the “Names” series. He added the names of medical professionals, artists, writers, and statesmen.
Dr. Khin Maung U (SPHS63, First in Burma in Matriculation) shared his writings on Medical Research and Dhamma.
U Khin Maung Zaw (SPHS70, EC76) provided feedback for the RIT, UCC and SPHS posts.
U Ohn Khine (St. Peter’s, M70) sent me selected photos from the CD Supplement of HMEE-2012. He maintains the GBNF list of the Class of 70.
U Aung Min (M69) is Chair of the 69er HCF (Health Care Fund) and a core organizer of the 69er Gatherings. He maintains the GBNF list of the Class of 69.
Dr. Richard Yu Khin (MEHS61, Gold Medalist in 2nd SEAP Games for Yachting, GBNF) wrote about swimmers and the Japanese coach. He also shared photos :
MEHS 61
University Athletes who represented Burma in 2nd SEAP Games.
He has two Facebook pages.
One is about Sailing. He won Gold for Yachting in the 2nd SEAP Games held in Rangoon, Burma.
Another is about his former classmates, neighbors, Economics, …
Toastmasters International
I joined Toastmasters International over a decade to hone my Public Speaking and Leadership skills. Prepared speeches, Impromptu speeches, Listening and evaluation are important in communications.
I completed DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster). I also volunteered as Club Ambassador.
I was a member of five Toastmasters Clubs (not concurrently). Although all clubs follow the general guidelines, they tweak the meeting agenda.
My last club was founded by Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs. Its specialty was to hold a mini “Pitch Practice” on the first meeting of every month and a full Pitch Practice on the middle month of every quarter. One has to state the problem, solution, the differentiators and finally ask for cooperation or funding (as appropriate). All in two minutes or less.
There are currently no Toastmasters clubs in Myanmar. In our younger days, there was a Rotary Club which had a public speaking component.
There have been TEDx talks in Myanmar for three years or so. One organizer is the daughter of U Sann Aung (M74, GBNF).
In 2008, three women set the record by placing First, Second and Third in the “World Championship of Public Speaking”. It has been a decade since there was a woman Champion. The winner and third place winner were from the USA. The runner-up was from China.
In the past few years, the winners were from Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Singapore) and the Middle East.
Awards from District 101
Toastmasters International is based in US.
District 4 (which I joined several years ago) grew too big to warrant splitting into two districts. The clubs mostly north of Highway 101 remained in District 4. The clubs mostly south of Highway 101 fall under District 101.
The following are from the “Fall Conference of District 101 Toastmasters”.
I won four awards.
DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster)
Leadership Excellence
Advanced Leader Silver
Triple Crown
Toastmasters Meetings
As an Ambassador for Toastmasters, I attended meetings at several clubs.
Most clubs follow the three part format :
Prepared Speeches
Table Topics (Impromptu Speeches)
Evaluation
Some clubs occasionally have special meetings
Marathon Speeches
Table Topics Only Meeting
Round Robin Evaluation
Themed Meeting
At one club, members wore Halloween costumes. The speeches also cover Halloween (or similar topics).
Halloween themed meeting
The Ambassador is asked to take one or more roles at the meeting.
Speaker
General Evaluator
Speech Evaluator
A report about the visit is provided to the District.
As an incentive, one who makes 10 or more visits is given a pass to attend the “breakfast meeting” on the day following the main Conference.
Toastmasters International
The mission statement reads, “We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.”
It
was founded by a former administrator of YMCA. With headquarters in
California, it has members worldwide. The first international conference
outside of the Americas will be held this August in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. The conference crowns the “World Champion of Public Speaking”.
There
are closed clubs (sponsored by companies and corporations) and open
clubs (with little or no restrictions to join or visit).
One can visit several clubs before deciding to become a member.
In the old system, the communication track consisted of 4 levels (a) CC – Competent Communication (b) ACB – Advanced Communicators Bronze (c) ACS – Advanced Communicators Silver (d) ACG – Advanced Communicators Gold.
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
Diamond Jubilee (75th Anniversary, 60th for Coronation)
Centennial (100th Anniversary)
Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary)
Bicentennial (200th Anniversary)
Tricentennial (300th Anniversary)
Golden Jubilee Present from KMZ
Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT)
The Faculty of Engineering was briefly known as Burma Institute of Technology (BIT) after moving to the Gyogone Campus.
In 1964, under the then new Education System, BIT was renamed as RIT.
RIT became an autonomous institute with its own Rector.
SPZP and Alumni Activities
Saya Pu Zaw Pwe is a noble tradition.
I am honored to be a core organizer of the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in San Francisco, California, USA in October 2000.
I have supported the subsequent SPZPs and several RIT-related projects and activities.
Last Journeys
I am honored to have been a Master of Ceremonies for the Last Journeys of Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo and Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa.
I was also requested to give eulogies.
Jubilees
Rangoon University
It was established in December 1920 with two constituent colleges : Rangoon College and Judson College.
Saya U Pe Maung Tin served as the first native Principal of Rangoon College.
Saya Dr. Htin Aung served as the first native Rector of Rangoon University.
RU Golden Jubilee
The RU Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970.
Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Saya U Thet Lwin are among the core organizers of the RU GJ Celebrations.
I had a minor role as a volunteer for the “Zay Committee”.
RIT Ah Nu Pyinnyashins took part in the Entertainment Program. The “Htee Yein” and “Swel Daw Yeik Ah Nyeint” were attractions. The term “Swel Daw Yiek” became synonymous with RIT and the engineering schools which preceded RIT.
The Commemorative Magazine reprinted Bogyoke Aung San’s translation of “Invictus”. The Magazine also had an account of U Hla Maung, who graduated with B.Sc. (Engg) degree in 1928.
RU Centennial
It was celebrated in 2020.
Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) and fellow authors (e.g. Shwe Ku May Hnin) have published “Collections of Poems and Articles” to commemorate RU Centennial.
Myanmar Engineering Education
Engineering Education in Burma started in 1924.
The History of Myanmar Engineering Education Project compiled and published HMEE-2012 in time for SPZP-2012. Saya U Aung Hla Tun was the Team Leader. U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD Supplement for the book.
HMEE-2018 is a follow up Project to revise the HMEE-2012 book and publish new material (e.g. History of the Engineering Departments). However, after Saya’s demise, the project is in limbo.
The 90th Anniversary was celebrated in 2014.
The Centennial was celebrated in 2024.
Rangoon Institute of Technology
The New Education System which made RIT an autonomous Institute with was established in November 1964.
Saya U Yone Moe served as the first Rector of RIT. He was succeeded by Saya Dr. Aung Gyi in 1971.
In 1964, there were eight Engineering Departments : (1) Architecture (2) Chemical (3) Civil (4) Electrical (5) Mechanical (6) Metallurgy (7) Mining (8) Textile.
Supporting Departments were established at RIT. They include (1) Burmese (2) Chemistry (3) English (4) Geology (5) Physics.
For some time, there were Visiting Lecturers from USSR and selected Departments of other Universities and Institutes.
RIT was renamed as YIT (Yangon Institute of Technology). YIT in turn became YTU (Yangon Technological University).
The Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 2014.
The 60th Annivrrsary was celebrated in 2024.
RIT Spirit
The sayas and alumni are known for the “RIT Spirit” which survived the brutal crushing in the Adhamma Era.
RIT was considered a Dying Breed. The school was branded as “Thabone Kyaung”. The Swel Daw Bins were banished from the Gyongone Campus. Several equipment were taken away to set up a Military Engineering school at DSA.
The alumni wanted to pay back the metta and cetana of their mentors.
The First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe was held in California, USA in October 2000. I wrote the “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” poem. It has been reprinted in several RIT-related publications.
The subsequent World Wide SPZPs were held in Singapore (in December 2002, April 2007 and December) and in Yangon (in December 2004, December 2012 and December 2016).
Swel Daw Yeik Foundation was established in 2013.
The Shwe YaDu Celebrations were held in 2014.
RITAA is helping YTU in several ways. It is helping to raise the fund for YTU Library Modernization Project (which is a requirement to get YTU accredited at the Regional level and beyond).
Stories to illustrate the RIT Spirit
I am an amateur historian and a folklorist.
I have a dream to compile stories to illustrate the friendly and indomitable RIT Spirit.
I will use the articles that were contributed to the RIT Alumni Newsletter and Updates.
Sayas and alumni could provide new and old stories (e.g. published in the various Magazines, Sar Saungs, Thadin Zin, Wall Posters, Cartoon Box, Exhibitions).
While we have reasonably good health and memory, we plan to pay back to our alma mater.
My Facebook Pages andWeb sites
I have three kinds of Facebook Pages :
One for my acquaintances
One for family members, relatives and close friends
One for knowledge sharing (e.g. Life Long Learning) and/or archiving my posts
Not all postings are of equal importance. They can be grouped as follows:
News & Updates
SPZP-2012 : Count down and Event
Shwe YaDu Golden Jubilee Celebrations
SPZP-2016
Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
Alumni Associations in Myanmar & California
History of Myanmar Engineering Education
Memoirs (e.g by U Zaw Min Nawaday (EP70) & U Ohn Khine (M70))
Golden Jubilee (GJ) Magazine published by the Class of 70 & 71
69ers
Class Photos
Brief History of the RIT Departments by Sayagyis
Excerpts from the archives of SPZP-2000
Successors of RIT (e.g. YIT, YTU)
Where are they now?
GBNF : Sayas and alums
Hope the postings will be of interest to historians — professional or amateurs.
http://hlamin.com is a paid web site. I have revised many of my posts. Some posts have been merged and enhanced.
SPZP and Alumni Activities
Paying respect to Sayas for their metta and cetana is a tradition that is unique to Burma/Myanmar.
The tradition is alive and well.
There have been SEVEN world wide SPZPs :
SPZP-2000 (US)
SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, SPZP-2010 (Singapore)
SPZP-2004, SPZP-2012, SPZP-2016 (Yangon)
SPZP-2020 (scheduled for December 26, 2020 in Yangon) was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Many alumni are active in the following:
SDYF (Swel Daw Yeik Foundation)
RITAA (RIT-YIT-YTU Alumni Association)
MES (Myanmar Engineering Society)
MEC (Myanmar Engineering Council)
HMEE Projects
“History of Myanmar Engineering Education” was published in time for SPZP-2012.
The project’s initiators included Saya U Soe Paing, Sayagyi U Ba Than and several sayas and alumni. See Acknowledgement in the Book.
Saya U Aung Hla Tun (GBNF) and team (including me) compiled the book.
The draft for the first two sections were prepared by Saya U Soe Paing & team.
U Ohn Khine (M70) translated Section 1 and summarized Section 2. His work have been revised by Saya U Soe Paing.
Saya U Aung Hla Tun suggested that the Book should be revised/updated (e.g. every five years or so).
YTU Library Modernization Project
The project was established as a requirement for the Accreditation of YTU.
Donations — large and small — came in. An alumnus had made monthly donation of One Lakh kyats for over two years.
U Khin Maung Tun (T78), Daw Myint Myint (C69), Saya Dr. Myo Khin (C70) and Daw Mya Nwe (Winsome, C73) and Saya U Tin Htut (M60) donated K100 Lakhs (or more) for the Project.
Thanks to Ma Nan Khin Nwe (83 Intake) and the fund raising team. The team had periodically published the list of donors.
Health Care
There were several HCF (Health Care Funds).
The balance of “Steeve and Helen Kay Health Care Fund for RIT sayas and sayamas” has been handed over to Swel Daw Yeik Foundation.
The balance of “U Khin Maung Tun’s family for providing Vision Care to eligible sayas and sayamas” have been handed over to Swel Daw Yeik Foundation.
SDYF provides limited financial assistance to eligible RIT sayas & sayamas for health care (e.g. hospitalization, frequent visits to clinics).
SDYF also provides Annual Medical and Vision Checkup for eligible sayas & sayamas.
RIT related Facebook pages and web sites
RIT Updates
Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
RIT-YIT-YTU Alumni Association
Google Group for Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65
Google Group for RIT Updates
hlamin.com
lmyanmar2021.wordpress.com
SPZ 1SPZ 2
Last Journeys
I had the opportunity to serve as Master of Ceremonies at two last journeys.
The first was for Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo (EP 74), part time Professor at San Jose State University. Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) set up the commemorative web pages on http://www.ex-rit.org. I have excerpted some in my Trivia posts.
The second was for Sayadaw U Silanandbhivamsa, Rector of the International Theravada Buddhist University.
I volunteered as Book Committee member and Contributing Editor for “Paying Homage to Saya U Silanananda.
There is a 2-set DVD of Saydaw’s last journey and can be found as a supplement for the Commemorative book.
Simple Joys of Livingand Paying Back
We are deeply honored to the sponsors, donors,volunteers, and well-wishers for the soon kyway on August 20, 2016 at Half Moon Bay monastery.
Special thanks to sayas and alumni near and far who took special time to express their appreciation to the messenger turned amateur historian.
We are simply following the practice of our beloved philanthropic ancestors who donated for the construction and maintenance of hospitals, schools, pagodas, zayats, free dispensaries.
I have donated thousands of hours trying to get the sayas and alumni get connected electronically and physically, and also share my experience as a Life Long Learner.
Ko Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70, Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs) said, “Do not retire. Re-tire.” He mentioned that if we can serve the sayas and alums for two decades, we should be satisfied since RIT is a dying breed.
I have completed 26 years as a founder and editor of RIT Alumni International Newsletter.
I am following the noble tradition of honoring pioneers and outstanding people. I am trying my best to present their achievements and contributions. I an privileged to have known many seniors, contemporaries and juniors.
Who’s Who, Twentieth Century Impressions of Burma, Five Minute Biographies တွေ ကို နည်းယူပြီး ကျွန်တော် က Old Burma တုန်းက ထူးချွန်သူ တွေ ကို မှတ်တမ်းတင် ဂုဏ်ပြု နေတဲ့ ရှေ့မှီ နောက်မှီ (ဘေးမှီ) သူတယောက်ပါ။
I volunteered as a Docent at the Computer History Museum (CHM) for two years. CHM’s programs include Hardware & Software Artifacts, Exhibits, Oral History, Lectures, Panels and Award Ceremonies.
The Old Burma Group has posts about History, Notable (Famous as well as Notorious) people. I appreciate the invaluable posts as a reader and contributor.
Old Burma Group ဟာလည်း သမိုင်း နဲ့ ထူးချွန် / ဆိုးသွမ်း (Famous as well as Notorious) ကို မှတ်တမ်း တင် နေ တဲ့ အဖွဲ့ မို့ Contributor တယောက် အနေ နဲ့ ဝမ်းသာ ကြည်နူး မိပါတယ်။
I request the Group Administrator and Moderators to approve my posts.
ကျွန်တော် ရဲ့ posts တွေကို တင်ပြခွင့်ပြုပါ Admin နဲ့ Moderator များ ခင်ဗျာ။
ကျွန်တော် က I am
Founder & Chief Editor of RIT Alumni Newsletter
Owner & Admin of RIT Updates FB Group
Member of HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education) : အဖွဲ့ဝင်၊
ကံ့ကော်မြေ (တက္ကသိုလ်ရာပြည့်) Former Moderator of RU Centennial Group : Moderator ငြိမ်း၊
U Myo Myint (Retired Deputy General Manager of Burma Railways) is an accomplished Painter, Cover Designer and Cartoonist. He drew Pon Tu’s of selected RIT Sayas, Sayamas, and colleagues. I am honored to receive his present.
ပန်းချီ မြတ်မျိုးမြင့် ရဲ့ လက်ဆောင် မွန် Pon Tu gift from Bagyee Myat Myo Myint / U Myo Myint (M)
Pon Tu
1964 – 65 Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT)
I was admitted to 2nd BE (Bachelor of Engineering) in November 1964.
The photo was taken at the Gyogone campus.
2nd BE student
1964 – 65 ရန်ကုန်စက်မှုတက္ကသိုလ် ဒုတိယနှစ် သင်တန်းသား 2nd BE Student at Rangoon Institute of Technology
1965 Summer Inlay Luyechun Camp
I was selected as Luyechun (Outstanding Student).
The photo was taken at the Welcome Ceremony by the Head of Shan States.
LYC
1965 နွေရာသီ အင်းလေး ခေါင်တိုင် လူရည်ချွန် စခန်း တက္ကသိုလ် နဲ့ အထက်တန်း လူရည်ချွန်များ Inlay Khaung Daing Luyechun Camp in the Summer of 1965
1969 December Poem for 5th SEAP Games
Burma hosted the 2nd SEAP Games in 1961, and the 5th SEAP Games in 1969.
The photo shows a page from the Forward Magazine. Maung Thaw Ka (Bohmu Ba Thaw, GBNF) was Chief Editor of the magazine.
Forward
Forward မဂ္ဂဇင်း — ဒီဇင်ဘာ 1969 ပဥ္စမ အကြိမ် အရှေ့တောင်အာရှ ကျွန်းဆွယ်ပွဲ အတွက် ကဗျာ စပ်ဆို ခဲ့ Poem about the 5th SEAP Games
Mid 1970s Universities’ Computer Center (UCC), Rangoon
The photo was taken with the Teachers and Students of CPC (Computer Programming Course).
Dr. Tin Maung (GBNF) succeeded Dr. Chit Swe (UCC Founder, GBNF) as Director of UCC.
UCC
တက္ကသိုလ်များ ကွန်ပျူတာ ဌာန က ပို့ချတဲ့ သင်တန်း တခု Computer Course at Universities’ Computer Center (UCC), Thamaing College Campus
1999 Aprilto 2025 Chief Editor of RIT Alumni International Newsletter
2005++ Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa
U Silananda
ဆရာတော် ဦးသီလာနန္ဒာဘိဝံသ (ပါချုပ်ဆရာတော်) အထိမ်းအမှတ် မော်ကွန်းစာစောင်အတွက် အဖွဲ့ဝင် & စာတည်း Contributing Editor for the Book published in memory of Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa
2010 December Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in Singapore
SDY Sar Saung
2010 စင်ကာပူ မှာ ကျင်းပတဲ့ စက်မှုတက္ကသိုလ် ဆရာပူဇော်ပွဲ အထိမ်း အမှတ် စွယ်တော်ရိပ်စာစောင် Wrote an article “A Sad and Short Clip: EE Sayas” for the Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2010 in Singapore
HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Project) HMEE Book published in 2012
HMEE
မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ အင်ဂျင်နီယာ ပညာရေး သမိုင်း ပြုစု တဲ့ အဖွဲ့ Member of HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education) U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD Supplement for the HMEE Book published in 2012 Copies of the Book were donated to Libraries
CD
2012 နှစ် မှာ ထုတ်ဝေခဲ့တဲ့ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ အင်ဂျင်နီယာပညာရေး သမိုင်း စာအုပ် ရဲ့ နောက်ဆက်တွဲ စီဒီ CD Supplement for the HMEE Book Photos and articles (in English) to supplement the articles (in Burmese) in the HMEE Book
ရန်ကုန်စက်မှုတက္ကသိုလ် ရွှေရတု အထိမ်းအမှတ်စွယ်တော်ရိပ် မဂ္ဂဇင်း (2014) Wrote an article “Memories of a 69er” for the Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Magazine for Shwe YaDu 2014
2016 September Alumni Appreciation Award
Award
2019 December RUBC 96th Anniversary Regatta
Regatta
RUBC 96th Anniversary & Regatta (2019) U Tin Myint (GBNF), U Sein Htoon, U Khin Maung Latt, U Hla Min
2019 December Golden Jubilee of Graduation of RIT 69ers
GJ
2019 — 1969 နှစ် ဘွဲ့ရ အင်ဂျင်နီယာများ ရဲ့ ရွှေရတု မနက်ပိုင်း — ကြို့ကုန်း မှာ ဆရာပူဇော်ပွဲ 2019 — Golden Jubilee of Graduation for RIT 69ers Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe at Gyogone Campus
Had good memory and strong hands until his final days
Tin U
Passed away in Yangon on August 19, 2025
He was 96 years young.
Obituary
Obituary
Final Journey
Attended by Family members, relatives and friends
Invitation for Yet Le Soon KywayAye Aye Khin (Daughter)Thin Thiri Tun (Granddaughter)
Academic & Experience
BSCE (Oregon State University)
MSCE (Yale University)
Former Part-time Lecturer, Civil
Former Director, Clark & Grieg
Former Advisor, InterKiln
Former Advisor, PWD Architect Group 2
Oldest & Most Senior Past Captain, Rangoon University Boat Club
Past Captain, Rangoon Golf Club
Former Treasurer, Burma Society of Civil Engineers
Family
U Tin U, Aye Aye Khin, Daw Cherry, Ye Myint, Peter
Spouse
Dr. Cherry 1
Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt (Cherry) — passed away in November 2019
She did Nutrition Research at BMRI.
Children
Peter & his mom Dr. Cherry Family & RelativesAye Aye. Dr. Cherry, Dr. Peter, U Tin UFamily & Relatives 2Daw San San Aye, U Tin U, Dr. Ye Myint& Dr. Aye Sandar
Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, MRCP, Former Associate Dean of Oxford University, passed away in April 2020) & Daw Winmar;
Daw Aye Aye Khin (B.Com, CPA) & U Tin Tun (passed away in May 2020)
Dr. Ye Myint (Fellowship training in Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Took care of his father’s health in the final days) & Daw San San Aye
YM 1 YM 2 YM 3
Grandchildren
Min Ko & Prudence
Ye Aung
Dr. Aye Sandar
Thin Thiri Tun
Dr. Khin Sandy Tun
Great Grandchildren
Su Wai Tun
Hnin Wai Tun
Peter, Winmar, Ye Aung, Min Ko
Siblings
U Tin U, Ruby, Father U Chan Sein, BettyBa Than, Myo Tint, Myo Min, Thaung Lwin, Tin Htoon, Tin U U Tin Htoon, U Tin U, U Ba Than, U Thaung Lwin, Dr. Myo TintSix Siblings
U Ba Than (Scholarship Winner in 1947, Gold Medalist for I.Sc in 1949, Alumnus of Imperial College, Retd. Prof. of Mech. Engg) — GBNF
Dr. Daw Win Hlaing (Ruby)
Daw Myint Thwe (Betty, B.Com, Spouse of Dr. F Ba Hli) — GBNF
Dr. Myo Tint (3rd in Burma in 1952, RUBC Captain) — GBNF
U Tin Htoon (A60, RUBC Captain, ARAE Champion, SEAP Silver Medalist in Yachting)
U Myo Min (1st in I.Com & B.Com, Chartered Acct, UCC Co-founder)
U Thaung Lwin (Scholarship Winner in 1960, First in EC66, RUBC Captain)
Daw Cho Cho Hlaing (CRO, German Diploma)
Highlights
Matriculated from St. John’s Dio in 1946
Represented RUBC at the 1948 Independence Day Regatta at Kandawgyi with Pe Nyun, Pe Thein and Khin Maung Wint
1948 Independence Day Regatta
Rowing
Four brothers — Tin U, Myo Tint, Tin Htoon & Thaung Lwin — are RUBC Captain & Gold
Two other brothers — Ba Than and Myo Min — are RUBC Green
Tin U & Thaung LwinRUBC Captains
Photo shows Five RUBC Captains. Sein Htoon (Cox) is a cousin; he is 1960 ARAE Champion
Most Senior Past Captain
Captain of Rangoon University Boat Club (1948 – 49)
RUBC
As the Most Senior and Oldest Past Captain of RUBC, U Tin U was invited to open the RUBC Centennial Celebration in 2023
RUBC Centennial
Bridge
Played with friends (e.g Richard Po Ohn)
Played with Uncle and two cousins
Golf
Past Captain, RGC
Played with senior (e.g U Yaw Hlaing) & junior (e.g U Soe Paing) partners until his early 80s
Memories
Relaxing in the garden
Tin U
Visit
With Than Htut
Interviews
For RGC (Rangoon Golf Club)
For HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education)
For his grandson Min Ko
Kidnap Survivor
See account by his son Dr. Khin Tun (Peter)
Yahan Khan
Yahan Khan
Garawa
SPZP-2012
SPZP-2012
PWD Architect 2 Group
PWD 1PWD 2PWD 3
Birthday Presents
Photo Album for 90th birthday by Tin Htoon & Htaik San
Photo Cards for several birthdays by Tin Htoon & family
HlaMin 