by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Gifts

Pon Tu

• From Bagyee Myat Myo Myint (U Myo Myint)

• See Post — Pon Tu

SPZP-2000

• Sayagyi U Ba Toke (GBNF) gave me a set of Coasters

• U Tun Aung (Jefferey, GBNF) gave me a commemorative pen

• U Aye Win Hlaing (Abel) & Daw Phyu Phyu Latt (Christine) gave me a toy bear.

2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles

• U Aye Lwin (GBNF) gave me a miniature painting

• U Khin Maung Tun gave me indigenous medicine and a CD player loaded with dhamma talks.

Yangon

• M72 gave me “Thamudaya Kyaung” CD.

• Saya Moe & U Nyunt Htay gave me books, magazines & sar saungs.

• Daw Gyn Yu gave me Balashin ဗလရှင် and Thai balm.

• Saya U Ba Toke gave me an autographed copy of his book.

Golden Jubilee

• From KMZ

• From Zaw Tun & Ma Kyu

Guests of

Dr. Soe Thein

• He invited me to attend the Civil Engineering Gathering (held before SPZP-2007) and introduced me to the audience. He invited me to attend the C-75 dinner held at M3 in Yangon in 2012.

Class of 70, 71 & 72

• Attended meetings of Combined 1st BE intake of 64 and 65, and the group’s Reunion and Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe.

• Attended gatherings (PZP, Dinner, Lunch) by the Class of 72 in general and M72 in particular.

Steeve Kay

• Meeting alumni in Los Angeles
• QTC Anniversary
• 40th Anniversary of Arrival in USA

• Special Reunion & Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe

Hosts

Singapore

• Ko Tin Aung Win (C81, UCC) hosted me during my trip to Singapore to attend SPZP-2007.
  He treated me (individually & with group) during my other visits.

• Ko Win Latt (UCC)

• Ko Zaw Tun (UCC) & Ma Kyu

• Ko Ngwe Soe (UCC) & Ma Nu

• Ma Pale (UCC) & Ko Ye

California

• Saya U Tin Htut

• U Tin Htoon

• U Aung Khin

• Ma Phyu Phyu Kyaw

Texas

• Dr. Ba Han & Lillian

• U San Lin (Robert) & Marina

• Thamee KZO & Myo

• U San Myint Thane (Sammy)

Canada

• Saya U Aung Khin

• Saya Dr. Aung Gyi & Daw Emma

East Coast

• Ivan Lee

• Fred Thetgyi

• Dr. L Sein Myint
• U Wynn Myint Aung (GBNF)
• U Htin Lin
• Uncle U Thein Han & Aunty
• U TAG & Daw KMM
• Tom & Kim

Some Invitations

• Ko Htay Aung (Victor) invited me to attend the RIT Alumni Dinner Gathering in Sydney in 2006.

• Saya U Ba Than (GBNF) took me to Mech Engineering sayas’ lunch gathering at Kone Myint Tha.
• Ko Thant Zin (GBNF) invited me to attend the inaugural All Mech Gathering at Dolphin restaurant.
• Ko Ohn Khine & others invited me to join another All Mech Gathering at a restaurant in Pyithu Yin Pyin.
• Ko Wai Lwin & friends invited me to join two Dinner gatherings : Feel restaurant to celebrate Daw Emma Gyi’s birthday, and at Ko Nyan Tun U’s compound to welcome Sayas Dr. Aung Gyi & Dr. San Hla Aung.
• Thanks to hosts of 69er monthly breakfast gatherings, lunch gatherings, annual dinner & entertainment. Ko Aung Min & team; Sponsors, Donors, Guitarists, Vocalists & Dancers

Appreciation Awards

• At SPZP-2000
• On August 20, 2016, Maurice Chee organized a birthday Soon Kyway at Dhammanda Vihara, Half Moon Bay.
  Several sayas and alumni brought sumptuous dishes and desserts. I received “Alumni Appreciation Award” (for the second time).
• At the Norcal RITAA Annual Dinner in 2016, I received “Alumni Award” (for the third time).

Transportation

USA

• KMZ
• Ivan
• L Sein Myint
• Wynn Myint Aung
• San Myint Thein
• San Lin (Robert)
• Benny
• Maurice
• Aung Myint Oo
• Yu Ket (Ed Saw)
• Myint Swe
• Tin Maung Win
• Ko Ko Zin
• Kyi Aung (Roland)
• Phyu Phyu Kyaw (UCC)
• and more provided me rides in the USA.

Singapore

• Khin Maung Myint & nephew
• Tint Lwin (Daniel)
• Tin Aung Wynn
• Ngwe Soe (Silver)
• Zaw Tun
• Pale
• and more provided me rides in Singapore

Yangon

• Ko Myo
• Aung Min
• Khin Mg Bo (Allan, GBNF)
• Kyaw Min Thein (Kenneth)
• Kyaw Zin
• Myint Thein (Kabar, GBNF)
• Myo Nyunt
• Than Win
• Tin Aung Win (Oscar)
• Tin Win
• Win Maung (Lake)
• Zau Lai (Duwa)
• Ohn Khine
• Saw Lin (GBNF)
• Myint Pe
• Tin Oo
• Mg Mar Ga
• Ye Myint
• Pansy Thin
• U Win
• Dr. Sann Oo
• Hla Win
• Than Tun
• Kyaw Phone Myint (Victor, MARB)
• Edwin Ngwe (SPHS)
• Aung Myin Bo (MARB)
• KK (Smart)
• Mar Mar Soe (UCC)
• Saw Yan Naing (ICST)
• Kyaw Min, Dr. (SPHS)
• and more provided me rides in Yangon.

Gatherings

• Singapore gatherings : M73 Group & Saya Winston, Daniel & 69er Group, RIT-UCC Alumni

• Alumni gatherings in SF Bay Area : RIT Alumni International; Norcal RITAA;
  Celebrations (birthday, anniversary); Welcome sayas & alumni (out of state); Ko Aung Myaing & Ma Gyn Yu

• Saya U Soe Paing & Ma Alice
  Many gatherings at their house
• Saya U Tin Htut : Hosted me at his new house; Took me to BASES dinner and Soon Kyway the following day
• Dr. Sann Oo & Ma Than Yi :
  Dinner in 2016; Lunch & Tour of their hospital in 2019

• Ko Aung Kyaw Myint (Eddie Shein : Wedding reception of his daughter (Medical doctor in Australia)
• Don Min U Yu Swan & Sayama Emma Myint : Several sessions of food & entertainment

• Ko Nyunt Htay : Shwe Bei
• Dr. Win Aung : Dinner after East Coast Reunion

Kudos to

• Contributors of articles, news
  and photos

• Those who provided Feedback,
  Corrections & Captions

• Organizers & Volunteers of RT-related activities
• All who have kept the RIT Spirit alive and well
• I belong to several circles and communities. I may have missed some non-alumni & related gatherings.

Feedback

Aung Min wrote :

Junior များ

လက်ဆင့်ကမ်းကြလော့

My reply :

Need organizers like U Aung Min

Aung Myaing wrote :

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away making you healthy and happy.

Zaw Winn wrote :

My Appreciations Dear Senior,

Your affection for our Alma Mater is unparalleled and will be in our memories for ever.

Mg Mar Ga wrote :

အကို့ကြောင့်သာဒိလိုမှတ်တမ်းမှတ်ရာတွေအသေအချာကျန်ခဲ့တာပါအကို့ခြေရာနင်းနိုင်ဖို့နောက်တယောက်ထပ်ရှိဖို့မလွယ်ပါတကယ်ပြောတာပါမှတ်ညဏ်ရယ်​စေတနာရယ်အချိန်ပေးနိုင်မှုရယ်ဆောင်ရွက်တတ်မှုဆိုတာသာမန်လူလုပ်နိုင်ခဲလွန်းလှတယ်RIT Archive လုပ်ဖို့အကိုတအားတိုက်တွန်းခဲ့တာမှတ်မိတယ်ကြိုးစားစခဲ့ပေမဲ့တကယ်ကအကိုလုပ်ပြီးသားထက်ရေှ့မတိုးနိုင်ခဲ့ တကယ်ကိုရင်ထဲကချီးကျူးပါရ စေကျန်းမာသက်ရှည်လိုရာပြည့်ပါစေအကို

U Myo Myint wrote :

Mg Mar Ga

ဆရာ U Hla Min စုဆောင်းပြုစုမှတ်တမ်းတင်နေတဲ့‌အားထုတ်လုပ်ဆောင်ချက်များကို

ဦးဝင်းထိန်ဦးရဲ့မှတ်ချက်နဲ့ထပ်တူကျနော့်ရင်ထဲမှာလေးစားတန်ဖိုးထားချီးကျူးရပါကြောင်းနှင့်

ဆရာကိုယ်စိတ်နှစ်ပါးကျန်းမာ ချမ်းသာပါစေကြောင်း ထပ်ဆင့်ဆုတောင်းပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။

Wai Lu wrote :

These are extraordinary records. Maybe superman @ genius @ techniques.

San Lin wrote :

ပြီးခဲ့သမျှကို အရမ်းမှတ်မိသလို လုပ်လဲလုပ်နိုင်တဲ့ ဆရာဦးလှမင်း ကျန်းမာသက်ရှည်ပါစေ။

U Hla Myint Rit wrote :

Thanks to all. VV Nice. Be mindful

Photos

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Post : September 19, 2000

Dear Sayas and Colleagues,

There are now 280+ confirmed attendees (of which 250+ have paid and the rest saying that the “check is on the way”). The list is growing. Although we posted the invitations on the web, e-mailed to alumni that we know, and even sent invitation packages to several alumni by snail mail, almost every day, I get a message saying “I’ve just learnt that there is an ex-rit web site” or “I just got a fax from a friend about the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and I’d like to know if there are any tickets left”.

There are some people who do not have Internet access. There are several who switch their ISPs and their e-mail addresses. There are a few people who do have computers but rarely open their e-mail box; if you send e-mail to them you’ll get “Mail Box Quota Exceeded”. For whatever reason, there are still people who are unaware that alumni from five decades will meet at the Embassy Suites hotel in Gateway Boulevard, South San Francisco on the evening of October 28, 2000. The family members will join the alumni in a picnic on October 29, 2000.

Our webmaster, KMZ, will come to the Bay Area on October 27, 2000. There will probably be lots of pre- and post- Reunion gatherings.

Will I be able to remember the 400 – 500 names (some alumni have 2 or even 3 names) of the attendees? Or as Myint Myint Sein (a) Diana (M70) says, “Will we be able to recognize our friends?” Our teachers used to say that they first recognize the best and the restless/energetic in the class. Then, gradually they focus on the quiet and the timid students.

It’s easier to remember people as a group. So, here we go:

CLASS OF 68

Ko Aung Khin (EP 68), formerly of EPC [spent most of his time at the Lawpita Hydro-electric Power Station], recently became a PE and a proud grandfather. He was known as the “LA Tha-gyee” (village head) since he knew a lot of people in the Los Angeles area. He was an EC member of the RIT Electrical Engineering Association, and a past Vice-President of BAPS.

His seating preference: We (Ko Aung Khin and Ma Win May) would like to sit together with our 1968 batch, Ko Tun Aung (a) Jeffrey (EC68) and his wife from LA, Ko Min Maung (EP68) and his wife from Seattle, and Saya U San Tint if it is possible.

Ko Tun Aung was EC1 [the roll numbers then were given in honor of merit]. His wife Ma Thuza was a well known movie actor.

When Saya U Chin Way (EE) first came to the US, Ko Tun Aung asked him to apply for a job at his department. As the story goes, the interviewer(s) asked if Saya knew anyone there. Saya said that he only knew Ko Tun Aung, who used to be student back home. The interview ended there and then.

Congratulations, Ko Tun Aung for paying back the metta and cetana of his saya(s). Sad to say, Saya U Chin Way had passed away.

Ko Myat Htoo (C68), co-chair, Steering Committee, wrote:

Thank you so much for sending me Krishna Rao’s phone no. I spoke with him in length yesterday and gave him my other classmates’ phone nos. He left Burma right after graduation in ’68. My last night’s phone call to him was our first contact in 32 years. I found out that he got divorced from his wife of 18 years recently and just had a heart bypass surgery a month ago and he is still recuperating.

Ko Myat Htoo (Civ 68) joined the Civil department upon graduation. He is now a Branch Chief with CalTrans (California Transportation). He is serving his second term as President of TBSA. He will be hosting Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Saya Dr. San Hla Aung (C58).

CLASS OF 70

Ko Zaw Min Nawaday (EP 70) writes: Will it be possible to seat Ko Ye Myint (EP72) and spouse, Ko Myo Khin (C70) and spouse, with me and my wife?

Ko Zaw Min was Roll No. 1 for the ’64 intake of the first ever 1st BE and was a “Luyechun” (Outstanding Student). The “Luyechun” project started the year before for middle school and high school. It was extended to the University students in the Inlay Khaung Daing summer camp in 1965.

Ko Zaw Min was a top student in EP. Ko Thaung Sein (a) Steeve Kay and Charlie Tseng were the top of the EC class.

After relocating to the US, Ko Zaw Min switched to Electronics specializing in Component Design. He has relocated from New York to the Bay Area.

Ko Ye Myint is Saya U Ba Toke’s son. One of Ko Ye Myint’s sons is an EE working in Singapore. Another is expected to graduate from AU [formerly ABAC] also with a degree in EE.

Saya U Ba Toke retired from AU last year. He will be attending the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. His sponsors include Ko Zaw Min, Ko Maung Maung Than (M79), Ko Mya Thwin (Philip, EE75), Saya Allen Htay (C58) and Saya U Tin Htut (M60).

Ko Myo Khin (C70) and Ma Mya Mya Nwe (C73) will attend. They will be staying at the Embassy Suites. Ko Myo Khin, along with the late Ko Win Thein (M67), were among the top organizers at RIT. Ko Myo Khin joined the Civil department upon graduation. He later taught at the Japanese universities.

The following is a message forwarded by Ko Zaw Win (C70) who will not be able to attend the Reunion:

Dear Ko Myo Khin

How are you and your family? I think both of you must be counting your days for the trip to US for the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. It’s a rare and a great occasion for all the graduates of RIT who were out of the mother country for different reasons to meet at this ‘Pwe” and for a reunion.

Unfortunately circumstances do not allow me to participate in the grand occasion. Please send my greetings to all our friends when you meet them.

At present in Sydney, Australia the whole town is bubbling with Olympic activities while I am trying to finish the three project reports which were due last month. Sometimes I really long for those old times where we can simply lay on our backs and enjoy the slow flow of events with ample of free time. I really now understand that “Life is a struggle” everywhere. Life is also short and enjoy it while you can, with metta towards others.

CLASS OF 74

Ma San San Swe (San San Nwe, EC 74) wrote:

Would there be any seating arrangements? Is it possible to ask for seating with a few of our friends in one table? They are :-

1. Yee Yee Win; San Francisco 2. Ko Tin Aung Win & Dorothy; Sydney, Australia 3. Suzie, husband [Saya U Myat Thwin] & son [Raymond]; Houston, Texas 4. Ko Myint Swe & San San; Cupertino

Thanks, Sansan

For the 1st BE intake of ’68 (mostly graduated in ’74), Ko Htay Lwin Nyo was No. 1 followed by Ma San San, Ko Ne Win Maw, Ko Myint Swe, Sai Aung Thurein in the top of the class.

An ode to Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo (part-time Professor, SJSU) can be found in the “HLN Memorial Pages”.

Ko Myint Swe (EP74) and Ma San San moved last Thanksgiving to the Bay Area. They have both volunteered for the Organizing Committee of the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. They hosted a lunch meeting some time back. Ko Myint Swe works for AMD and has to travel frequently to Austin, Texas, and elsewhere. He enjoys playing golf and tennis.

Ko Tin Aung Win is a brother-in-law of Saya U Myo Win (M65). He will be bringing a letter and photos from Saya U Myo Win. Dorothy is an RIT associate. She is the younger daughter of the late Sayagyi U Kyaw Tun (EE).

Daw Yee Yee Win was shocked when he learned about HLN’s untimely death. She was one of the donors to the HLN Memorial Fund along with the Swe(s) and Ma Suzie.

Ma Suzie Lin (formerly Suzie Yea) wrote that she could hear the laughing and talking in the RIT corridors as she browsed the ex-rit web site pages. Her letter to the Editor and Web Master is straight from the heart. Saya U Myat Thwin (Kuesan Lin, ChE66) won several scholastic awards from the US even when he was studying at RIT. Not wishing to miss the big Reunion — thanks in part to the phone call by Saya U Maung Maung7 (George, ChE66) — the Lin(s) decided to buy three tickets to bring along Raymond.

With metta,
Hla Min

_____________________________________________
Countdown to the Reunion (2)
_____________________________________________

Note :
I posted 64 “Countdown to the Reunion” and 36 “Post-Reunion” for SPZP-2000.
Countdown (2) was posted on September 19, 2000

Dear Sayas and Colleagues,

Since the alumni attending the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw span five decades, we need help from representative(s) of each decade to highlight that era and to introduce the alumni. I’ll try my best to give an overall demographics of the alumni attending the first ever Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe.

Saya H Num Kok

Saya H. Num Kok (Civil) and Saya U Ba Toke (Maths) are the most senior sayas [by age] among those attending the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. They also taught most of the sayas and senior alumni. Two brothers of Saya U Num Kok are also alumni. H. Num Fatt has not registered for the Reunion, but H. Num Pon (a) Saya U Myint Lwin (C61) will be at the Reunion. For many years, Saya U Num Kok acted as line judge at the RUBC8 regattas. Saya U Myint Lwin rowed for the Faculty of Engineering.

Saya U Ba Toke

Saya U Ba Toke taught mathematics to the engineering students. Saya later served as Professor of Mathematics at the Rangoon University, Rector at MASU, and as Professor of Mathematics at RIT. He retired last year from Assumption University (formerly ABAC), Bangkok, Thailand. While at RIT, Saya U Ba Toke chaired numerous organizations including “Thu-khu-ma a-nu-pyin-nya” (Fine arts) and sports.

The sponsors of Saya U Ba Toke include Saya U Tin Htut (M60), Saya Allen Htay (C58), Ko Zaw Min Nawaday (EP70), Ko Maung Maung Than (M79), and Ko Mya Thwin (Philip, EE75).

E-mail I received earlier from Saya U Myint Lwin

Dear Hla Min:

Thank you for your e-mail and the invitation to the RIT Reunion. It should be a memorable event. I will put the date in my calendar. I taught at RIT as Assistant Lecturer in CE from June 1961 to October 1962.

I visited RIT and the Rangoon University Boat Club in March 1999. RIT was closed at that time, but I was able to visit with Rector of RIT and Head of Civil Engineering Department. I look forward to the event. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Have a great day!

Myint Lwin
Structural Design Engineer FHWA

Engineer Athletes

The engineering students are known for their athletic prowess. Here is a sampling from the attendees of the Reunion:

• Saya U Tin Htut (M60, Past RUBC Captain and Gold)
• U Tin Htoon (A60, Past RUBC Captain and Gold) won numerous trophies at the RUBC regattas, the National Championships, FEARA (Far East Amateur Rowing Association) and ARAE (Amateur Rowing Association of the East) regattas — Venables Bowls for Coxless Pairs in Calcutta 1958, and Willingdon Trophy for Coxed Fours in Colombo 1960. He won a silver medal for sailing in the SEAP games.
• Ko Htein Win (Richard Taw, “Chauk Pay”, M70) tended the shallow end goal for the RIT water polo team. He also represented RIT in rowing.
• Ko Htaik San (Henry Kao, M81) and Ko Thura Thant Zin (M76) are RUBC Golds. They won gold medals at FEARA regattas.
• Among those who represented RIT include Saya U Myint Lwin (C61), U Than Soe (RUBC Gold, M63), Ko Khin Maung Lay (T 68), Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76), …
• Saya Dr. San Hla Aung served as timekeeper and/or starter at the RUBC regattas.
• Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) and Ko Thura Thant Zin (M76) played as last defender and goalie of the RIT Hockey team. KMZ served as TTZ’s coach in hockey. TTZ served as KMZ’s coach in rowing.
• Ko Kyaw Sint (Edward Tai, T70) is a multi-discipline sportsman. He was the Junior National Champion in tennis, a Full Green in rowing, and University First Eleven in soccer.
• Ko Jimmy Kyin (GBNF, T69), Ko Thein Aung (Met 72) and Ko Than Htike (M71) represented RIT in the weightlifting and bodybuilding contests. A picture of the youthful “Mr. University” can be seen in the “Photo Gallery”.
• Ko Khin Maung Lay (T68) represented RIT in track and field, soccer and rowing. He was a member of the University [Second] Eleven.

With metta,
Hla Min

_____________________________________________________________________________

Count down to SPZP-2012 (15)
__________________________________________________

Saya U Moe Aung wrote :

Dear U Hla Min

This is with reference (Update Sept 5, 2012) to your emotional feelings about not being a Saya at RIT and people being not aware of you as a Post Master and an Editor.

It is very natural that with the generation gap growing wider and wider with each passing decade, the middle-aged or the younger people will definitely not- or not wish to- know who their preceding generations are and how they fared or are faring.

Only with the exception of a few who possess strong desires to master some language (e.g. English, Burmese) and to acquire in-depth knowledge and writing skills to become a writer or poet, I believe that not many wish to take up interest in these fields.

Please correct me if my viewpoint is wrong. Since we are living in a modern hi-tech world, especially in capitalist countries, most people tend to chase after monetary gains first and place others last.

But, people who know you will not hesitate to shower their praise on you, because they acknowledge that you have sacrificed a vast portion of your time and energy throughout the years to get RITians connected and feel at home. If I were sitting near or at the same dinner table as you, I am sure I would have done the same thing like Saya Dr Myo Khin and Saya Dr Soe Thein did.

Since I did not see you at the SPZP 2007 dinner night, I thought that it was my duty to call on you the next day and that was why I saw you off at the Airport with Ko Tin Aung Win at the wheel. I remembered that day because it was raining heavily and I was soaked.

For me, U Hla Min, you deserve to be deemed a writer and a poet, because you don’t need to write hundreds to become one. There were some instances of some famous poets who wrote only a few poems in their lifetime.

My memory doesn’t permit me to recall distinctly but only vaguely the ones you wrote. During that period I myself wrote some poems in English and they got published in “The Guardian” Magazine.

We all know you were a Saya at UCC, DCS and ICST. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that my brother-in-law Ko Hla Min (same name) was your former pupil. The last time when you visited Singapore, I heard Ko Hla Min went to meet you.

Well, U Hla Min, this is Life! and whatever will be, will be (Que
Sera Sera).

But as you mentioned, let us share our memories of our beloved Swel Daw Yeik with never ending love and passion.

Let us embrace SPZP 2012 Yangon together!

Regards
[Saya U] Moe Aung

Editor’s notes:

Thanks Saya for your kind words.

Saya’s mentors include the famed Sayagyi Daung Nwe Swe. In his student days and later as a faculty member, Saya not only served as the [Chief] Editor, but also supervised the printing of the Sar Saungs and Magazines. Saya has published poems in both Burmese and English. Saya’s recent contributions include Chair of SPZP-2002 and SPZP-2010, and the Chief Editor and/or Publisher of the commemorative issues of the “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” and “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine”.

Sayagyi U Kyaw Tun, Saya U Myo Kyi, and Saya U Moe Aung are some EE sayas, who taught “Principles of Electrical Engineering” to non-EE students.

____________________________________________________________________

Countdown to SPZP-2012 (81)
____________________________________________

Attended the SPZP-2012 Main Committee Meeting presided by U Win Khaing.

To minimize traffic congestion and parking problems, attendees to SPZP-2012 are requested to car-pool, take buses or taxis.

3000 – 4000 attendees are expected for the morning event.

There will be four groups of sayas and sayamas for the “paying respect” ceremony.

2500 or more attendees are expected to attend the evening event. Tickets are available at K15000 per person. Dinner buffet and entertainment (by the famed Swel Daw Yeik Troupe) are provided.

Review of the Final Draft for the “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar” has begun. The printing is scheduled on or around December 16, 2012.

Two Cartoon Boxes will be on display at SPZP-2012. Commemorative “RIT Cartoon Collection” will be on sale at K2000. Several RIT Cartoon Sayas have volunteered to demo their expertise.

The Swel Daw Yeik Magazine committee will have a meeting on or around December 16, 2012. The team is headed by U Saw Linn (C 71) and includes distinguished writers such as Ma Sandar, N. Jar Thaing, and Maung Sein Win (Padeegone).

Copies of 23 vintage “RIT Annual Magazines” will also be on sale. Each magazine costs K3000. The whole set is available at K65000.

____________________________________________________________________

Countdown to SPZP-2012 (82)
____________________________________________

• Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66, President, NorCal RITAA)
• Saya U Myat Htoo (C68, Vice President)
• Saya Dr. Tin Aung (K. C. Chiu, ChE 63)
• U Hla Min (EC69)
• U Benny Tan (M70)
• Saya U Thein Aung (James, Met72)
• U Robert Hla Thein (M72)
• Daw San San Nyunt (Sandra, M76)
• U Nyunt Than (M86)

Saya U Maung Maung has requested U Win Khaing (M 75, Chair, SPZP-2012; President, MES) to have a meeting at 3:30 p on December 29, 2012.

U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70)

• He is a Multiple SPZP Sponsor at the highest level).
• He will give a 5-minute presentation/announcement at SPZP-2012.
• He provided the “seed money” (US$3000+) for SPZP-2000.
• He has pledged US$5000 for SPZP-2012.
• His other charitable donations include “Relief for Cyclone Nargis victims” (via CABA), “Helen and Steeve Kay Health Care Fund for RIT Sayas and Sayamas”, Golden (and above) sponsorship for all the RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwes,

U Yu Beng (Benny Tan, M70)

• He is a Multiple SPZP Sponsor)
• He will also attend SPZP-2012
• He co-chaired the Working Committee with U Hla Myint Thein (Maurice Chee, M 75) for SPZP-2000.
• He designed the SPZP Banner, and the commemorative T-shirt, mug for SPZP-2000.
• He is currently enjoying his third career as a proud grandfather taking care of the grand kids.

Sayas and Sayamas

• Most sayas and sayamas from overseas and out of town will converge to Yangon around December 26 – 28.
• Some have accepted the two-night stay (for December 29 and 30) provided by the SPZP-2012 organizers/committees/sponsors.
• Sayagyi U Aung Khin (M) and Saya U Tin Htut (M 60) will stay at Winner Inn. Sayagyi U Ba Than (M) will welcome them personally at the air port before taking them to Winner Inn

Main events

Main events for SPZP-2012 will be held on December 30, 2012.

Morning: Saya Pu Zaw Pwe (paying respect to four tiers/groups of sayas and sayamas) in the RIT/YIT/YTU Gyogone Campus

Lunch (probably Birayani/Danbauk and refreshments) will be provided to all attendees

Some souvenirs will be provided to the “registered” attendees

Exhibition booths: photos, cartoon boxes, vintage RIT magazines, list of sponsors/volunteers, ….

Items on sale:

• “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar” by Saya U Aung Hla Tun and Ah Phwe,
• Commemorative issue of “SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE” by U Saw Linn (C 71) and Ah Phwe,
• RIT Cartoons by U Myint Pe (M 72) and Ah Phwe
• Souvenirs (ball pens, key chains, calendars, …)

Evening:

Reunion Dinner at Convention Center on Min Dhamma Road

Ticket: K15000 per person

Buffet dinner

Group of 10 sayas/alums may request to be seated at the same table

Entertainment (include the famed SWEL DAW YEIK AH NYEINT, …)

Special request: Please “car-pool” or take public transportation to minimize traffic congestion and parking problems.

______________________________________________________________________________

Volumes 1 – 3 of the RIT Annual Magazine were published during Sayagyi U Yone Moe’s tenure; Volumes 4 – 7 were published during Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi’s tenure; and Volumes 8 – 16 were published during Sayagyi U Khin Aung Kyi’s tenure.

Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi served as Chief Editor for the first three volumes. Saya U Aung Hla Tun served as Chief Editor for the next four volumes. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) served as Chief Editor for nine volumes.

Seven years would pass without the publication of RIT Magazine.

The name “SWEL DAW YEIK” first came into prominent use in 1970 as a synonym for RIT and the Engineering Colleges and Institutes. Rangoon University was established in 1920 and the Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970. I had a minor role as a volunteer on the “Zay Nay Yar Cha Htar Ye Committee”. Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi (then Professor of Civil Engineering) and Saya U Thet Lwin (then teaching Burmese at the Institute of Economics) had major roles on the Main/Preparation Committee. Later, they would rejoin forces as Rector and Registrar of RIT.

I was Editor of the Commemorative RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000. Saya U Moe Aung was Editor/Publisher of the Commemorative SWEL DAW YEIK SAR SAUNG for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, and SPZP-2010. Saya printed my poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” as the back cover for the 2002 Sar Saung and another poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for the 2007 Sar Saung. Saya also renamed my article about “A Short and Sad Clip : EE Sayas” and printed in the 2010 Sar Saung.

Saya suggested the name SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE for SPZP-2012. The 400-page magazine should quench the literary thirst of the sayas, sayamas, and alums. Autographed copies of the magazines will be available on or before SPZP-2012.

Mark your calendars for December 30, 2012 for the grandest SPZP ever.

___________________________________________________________________________

Countdown to SPZP-2012 (88)
_________________________________________________

Volumes 1 – 3 of the RIT Annual Magazine were published during Sayagyi U Yone Moe’s tenure; Volumes 4 – 7 were published during Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi’s tenure; and Volumes 8 – 16 were published during Sayagyi U Khin Aung Kyi’s tenure.

Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi served as Chief Editor for the first three volumes. Saya U Aung Hla Tun served as Chief Editor for the next four volumes. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) served as Chief Editor for nine volumes.

Seven years would pass without the publication of RIT Magazine.

The name “SWEL DAW YEIK” first came into prominent use in 1970 as a synonym for RIT and the Engineering Colleges and Institutes. Rangoon University was established in 1920 and the Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970. I had a minor role as a volunteer on the “Zay Nay Yar Cha Htar Ye Committee”. Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi (then Professor of Civil Engineering) and Saya U Thet Lwin (then teaching Burmese at the Institute of Economics) had major roles on the Main/Preparation Committee. Later, they would rejoin forces as Rector and Registrar of RIT.

I was Editor of the Commemorative RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000. Saya U Moe Aung was Editor/Publisher of the Commemorative SWEL DAW YEIK SAR SAUNG for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, and SPZP-2010. Saya printed my poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” as the back cover for the 2002 Sar Saung and another poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for the 2007 Sar Saung. Saya also renamed my article about “A Short and Sad Clip : EE Sayas” and printed in the 2010 Sar Saung.

Saya suggested the name SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE for SPZP-2012. The 400-page magazine should quench the literary thirst of the sayas, sayamas, and alums. Autographed copies of the magazines will be available on or before SPZP-2012.

Mark your calendars for December 30, 2012 for the grandest SPZP ever.

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Events

Many events are covered in my posts & Newsletter Updates.

The following are some highlights for 1963 – 2026.

• I spent five years studying at RIT.
• I have spent 27 years paying back to my alma mater and my mentors.
• Thanks to my family members for their support.

1963

Matric Exam

• Took Matric Only exam in May
• Stood 7th in the whole of Burma. Honored at a ceremony at St. Paul’s High School.

• Won the Collegiate Scholarship of 75 kyats a month

• OPA invited us to the Annual Dinner on June 30.

• A newspaper clipping describing the Dinner is shown below. From R to L : Khin Maung U, Min Oo, Myo San, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, me & Maung Maung Kyi

• SPHS had five in the Top Five, seven in the Top Ten and ten in the Top Twenty in the Matric exam of 1963. Myo San (Freddie, 3rd), Maung Maung Kyi (11th) and Aung Thu Yein (13th) are now GBNF.
• Our SPHS teachers are GBNF. Saya Beatson, who became a monk, was the last saya to pass away.

Inter A

• Attended the last ever I.Sc.(A) classes at Leik Khone.

Rowing

• Joined Rangoon University Boat Club with fellow Paulians Maung Maung Kyi (GBNF), Kyaw Wynn and Willie Soe Maung (GBNF). Our crew was Runners up for the Senior Novices. We were awarded Full Green.
• Citing Security Concerns, the RUBC 40th Anniversary Regatta was canceled. Following the 7th July Anniversary protests, the University courses except Medicine & Engineering were suspended. The hostel students were ordered to return to their homes.
• Sithu U Tin (President, GBNF) decided not to cancel the RUBC 40th Anniversary Dinner at Orient Hotel in Kandawgyi. Several members are now GBNF.

1964 – 1969

• The I.Sc(A) exam was held at the High Schools.

RIT

• Attended first ever 2nd BE class at Rangoon Institute of Technology in November 1964.
• I was admitted as the Top student based on the I.Sc(A) exam marks.

Luyechun

• Selected Luyechun in 2nd BE. Attended the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the summer of 1965 along with Ko Sein Shwe, Ma Khin Than Myint Tin and Ko Zaw Min.
• The Luyechun program was started in the summer of 1964 with students from 7th to 10th Standards. In 1965, the program also included students from Universities & Institutes.
• Some Luyechuns — Kyaw Sein Koe (IM1), Khin Aye Than (Chemistry), Tun Naung (Dental), Than Sit (Sagaing) and Aung Kyaw Nyunt (Myingyan) — are now GBNF.

Associations

• Served as Joint Secretary, Secretary & Magazine Committee member of the RIT EE Association

• Served as the last ever officially elected Treasurer and Vice Captain of Rangoon University Boat Club. The higher authorities abolished the Bye laws and prevented me from becoming RUBC Captain.

Writing

• Started free lance writing (article, poem, translation …)
• Published the poem “Men on the Moon” in Guardian newspaper in July 1969. Mr. Hall (Information Officer, USIA) sent a copy of the poem to NASA and the astronauts.

Graduation

• Graduated with B.E (EC).
• Kyaw Soe, Aung Thu Yein, Chit Tin, Oo Kyaw Hla and Sai Aik Yee are now GBNF.
• Hla Min, Tun Aung Gyaw, Ko Toung and Tin Tin are in USA. Win Boh is in Australia. Than Lwin, Ye Win and Maung Ko are in Myanmar.

1970 – 1998

Work

• Universities’ Computer Center (UCC) : Computer Engineer, Sr. Systems Programmer, Business Application Manager ko

• Department of Computer Science (DCS) : Senior Lecturer
• Institute of Computer Science and Technology (ICST) : Associate Professor
• Tech Companies in the Silicon Valley : Member, Senior Member & Principal Member of Technical Staff

Publications & Projects

• Articles & translations in Guardian, Working Peoples’ Daily (WPD), Forward Magazine, Veda ဝေဒ Magazine, and Pan ပန် Magazine.
• Assisted Saya Dr. Chit Swe’s projects including High School Mathematics, Children’s Treasury of Knowledge (CTK), Team of System Specialists (TOSS)
• Wrote Computer Science, Programming & Lecture guides and UCC manuals with Saya U Soe Paing and Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF).

• Per request from U Myint Sein (Principal, BARB, GBNF), I assigned Ko Win Latt and Ko Zaw Tun Veda projects and supervised them. Their programs are used by Veda sayas, students & practitioners.

1999

Newsletter

• Started “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”
• It started with the news and photos of some gatherings back in Burma. (a) 30th Anniversary of the Graduation of the Class of 69 — reported by Ko Daniel Tint Lwin and Ma Saw Yu Tint (Alice)
  (b) Mini-gathering with Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and other sayas and senior alumni — reported by Saya U Soe Paing

2000

SPZP-2000

• First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in San Francisco, USA in October 2000
• Commemorative web pages (thanks to KMZ)
• Commemorative Issue of the RIT Alumni International Newsletter by me and team

• 64 Countdown to the Reunion posts
• 36 Post-Reunion posts

2002

SPZP-2002

• Second RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
• Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung”
• by Saya U Moe Aung and team
• Reprinted my “SAYA PUZAW PWE” poem as Back Cover

2004

SPZP-2004

• Third RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
• Mild earthquake did not rattle the attendees

2006

Three Gatherings in Sydney

• Visited Sydney, Australia to attend three gatherings
• RIT Alumni Dinner organized by Saya U Hla Myint, Saya U Myo Win (GBNF) & team

• UCC Alumni Gathering hosted by Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF) and Daw Kyawt

• BOB Gathering at Olympic Park organized by Dr. Thann Naing (Bonnie Kywe)

2007

SPZP-2007

• Fourth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
• Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” by Saya U Moe Aung and team
• Contributed a poem “SWE DAW YEIK”

UCC Gathering

• UCC gathering in Yangon hosted by Saya U Soe Paing & Daw Saw Yu Tint
• Ko Soe Myint & Ma Nge are now GBNF.

2010

SPZP-2010

• Fifth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
• Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” by Saya U Moe Aung and team

• Contributed an article : Sad and short clip — EE sayas

2012

SPZP-2012

• Sixth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
• True “Home Coming” in the Gyogone Campus
• Special publication : History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar by Saya U Aung Hla Tun & team (Ko Ohn Khine & I compiled the CD supplement for the book)
• Publication: Selected RIT Cartoons
• Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” by U Saw Lin & team
• Limited reprints of 23 RIT Annual Magazines

2013

SDYF

• Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
• Contributions for various projects
• Health care for the sayas and sayamas

Soon Kyway

• For our Golden Jubilee
• Gifts from Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ), Zaw Tun & Kyu Kyu

2014

RIT Shwe YaDu

• 50th Anniversary of the opening of RIT in 1964
• Planted 50 Swel Daw Bins
• Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” by Saya U Moe Aung & team (Contributed an article : “Recollections of a 69er”)

• Paved Shwe YaDu lane and set up Swel Daw Yeik benches
• Translated Saya U Moe Aung’s Shwe YaDu poem

2016

SPZP-2016

• RIT/YIT/YTU Alumni Association
• Seventh RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
• 10000+ attendees
• Free food and fun (all day and all night long)
• Platinum Jubilee for the Class of 69
• Hosted by some 69ers for their friends (in their sunset)

Appreciation Awards

• Soonkway at Half Moon Bay Monastery (organized by U Maurice Chee)

• Received Alumni Appreciation Award from alumni worldwide

• Annual Dinner by Northern California RIT Alumni Association

• Received plaque signed by Saya U Myat Htoo (Chair, BOD, GBNF), U Kaung Kaung Oo (Gordon, President), and U Thaung Nyunt (Secretary)

Gatherings

• Attended SPZP-2016 and Platinum Jubilee of the Class of 69

2017

Post-SPZP

• Attended Post-SPZP2016 Gatherings

DTM

• Awards : Distinguished Toastmaster

2018

UCC & ICST

• Attended 5th Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe of ICST/UCSY
• Memories of UCC : 40+ posts
• Trivia : 2000+ posts
• Archived and revised posts in hlamin.com

2019

69er GJ

• Golden Jubilee of Graduation of the Class of 69

ILF

• Panelist, 5th Irrawaddy Literary Festival

2020

• PSA Tour in Jan 2020
• After announcement of pandemic in Feb 2020, many social activities were paused.

2021 – 2023

Visits

• Short visits (e.g Singapore, Malaysia)

NorCal RITAA

• Some social activities were resumed.

2024

Visits

• Short visits to Thailand and Laos
• Attended EE85 Reunion as Guest of Edward Saw (Yu Ket).

Celebrations

• NorCal RITAA celebrated Centennial of Engineering Education in Burma & 60th Anniversary of RIT
• Saya U Nyunt Htay, Mg Mar Ga & team organized the recording of video messages of some sayas & sayamas. They can be accessed from YouTube channel & website of NorCal RITAA.

2025 – 2026

• Still have good physical & mental health.
• Updating posts in my website
• Posts for RIT Updates
• Posts for Old Paulians
• Posts for Old Burma Group

Thanks

• My ancestors

• Family members
• သင်ဆရာ၊ မြင်ဆရာ၊ ကြားဆရာ
• Benefactors

by Zaw Min & Ohn Khine

Updated : September 2026

Editor : Hla Min

Ko Zaw Min (EP70)

• Matriculated from St. Albert’s High School, Maymyo in 1964.
• Had a very high ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate)
• Admitted to the first ever 1st BE as Roll Number One.
• Selected RIT Luyechun for the 1965 Summer Camp at Inlay.
• His outspoken remarks about the Camp drew the ire of higher authorities.
• Graduated with Electrical Power in 1970.
• After working in the industry, he moved to the USA.
• Studied Electronics in the USA
• Added “Nawaday” to his name.
• Shared his memories of RIT to the Google group of “the Combined Intake of 1st BE for 1964 and 1965”.

Ko Ohn Khine (M70)

• Matriculated from St. Peter’s High School, Mandalay in 1964.
• Took a combination of Science and Arts subjects
• Had good ILA score to be admitted to RIT.
• Graduated with Mechanical Engineering in 1970
• Worked for Heavy Industries Corporation
• Created and maintained the the Google group of “the Combined Intake of 1st BE for 1964 and 1965”.
• Volunteer for SPZP-2012, SPZP-2016, HMEE-2012, HMEE-2018, Swel Daw Yeik Foundation and several RIT-related activities.
• Gave me rides during my visits to Yangon.
• Co-author
• Filled the missing pieces in Ko Zaw Min’s accounts.

Ko Hla Min (EC69)

• Matriculated from St. Paul’s High School in 1963.
• Stood 7th in the whole of Burma
• Received Collegiate Scholarship
• Top in the Science Option of I.Sc.(A) examination
• Admitted to the first ever 2nd BE in November 1964 as Roll Number One.
• Selected Luyechun for the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the Summer of 1965
• Graduated with Electrical Communications in 1969.
• Started the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” in 1989 and have maintained it for 27 years.
• Administrator or Moderator of selected Facebook pages.
• Own web site
  hlamin.com
• Had the honor to edit the draft version of “Memories by Ko Zaw Min Nawaday & Ko Ohn Khine” which was first posted as Google Docs for the Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65.
• Published the edited document as a series of articles in “RIT Alumni International Newsletter and Updates”.

Introduction

Intakes in 1964

There were three intakes at the Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT) when the new education system started in 1964. Eligible students were admitted to the 1st BE, 2nd BE and 3rd BE classes. They are also known as

• Class of ’70 (1st BE Intake in 1964)
  Matriculates were admitted using the ILA
• Class of ’69 (2nd BE Intake in 1964)
  Those who had passed I.Sc.(A) with Science Option were admitted in order of merit
• Class of ’68 (3rd BE Intake in 1964)
  Those who had passed I.Sc.(B) with Science Option were admitted in order of merit

The RIT Rector was U Yone Mo and the Registrar was U Soe Thein.

The Class of ’70

It comprised of the first year intake students in 1964. There were 494 registered students, of which 67 were female. Most graduated in 1970. Some took sabbatical for a year or two. A few left RIT before graduation. The GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten) reached 138 at the end of May 2025.

Matriculates entered the first ever 1st BE classes. ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate) was used for the vetting of applicants. In the system, a score of 1 to 20 was assigned to map the marks for each subject. The ILA score (rather than the raw marks) was used to determine the eligibility of the students admitted to an institute.

Under the old education system, matriculates had to attend I.Sc. (A) classes. There were restrictions on the subjects taken at Inter classes to be eligible for Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, etc. For example, one must pass the I.Sc. with at least 50 marks in Maths, Physics and Chemistry to attend the 1st Year Engineering Classes (3rd BE in the new system).

Under the new education system, there were no restrictions on the subjects taken in Matric exam. As such, many students who passed Matric with combined Science and Arts subjects and even those with pure Arts subjects were able to attend RIT. For example, Ko Ohn Khine passed the Matric exam with an odd combination of Maths, Chemistry and Geography.

Posts

• 1st BE (1964 – 65)
• 2nd BE (1965 – 66)
• 3rd BE (1966 – 67)
• 4th BE (1967 – 68)
• 5th BE (1968 – 69)
• 6th BE (1969 – 70)

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

1968

C68

• U Myat Htoo
• U Myint Soe (GBNF)

ChE68

• U Ohn Maung (GBNF)

A68

• Sai Yee Laik (GBNF)

• U Yu Swan (M68)
• U Aung Khin (EP68)
• U Tun Aung (Jeffery, EC68, GBNF)
• U Soe Myint Lwin (EP68, GBNF)
• U Khin Maung Lay (Henry, T68)

1969

M69

• U Aung Min
• Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo)
• U Htay Aung
• U Tin Aung Win (Oscar)

C69

• Daw Myint Myint
• U San Lin (GBNF)
• U Han Sein (GBNF)

EC EP 69

• U Sein Myint (EP)
• Sai Kham Pan (EP)
• U Hla Min (EC)
• U Tun Aung Gyaw (EC)
• U Toung (EC)
• U Kyaw Soe (EC, GBNF)
• U Aung Thu Yein (EC, GBNF)
• U Chit Tin (EC, GBNF)

A69

• U Aung Khin
• U Myo Tun (Bobby, Uzin)
• Tobias Kittim Ku (GBNF)
• U Tin Maung Hla (GBNF)

T69

• Naw Mu Mu Aye
• Saw Yu Tint
• U Hla Shwe (GBNF)
• U Hla Tun (GBNF)
• Jimmy Kyin (GBNF)

1970

• Dr. Myo Khin (C)
• U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC, GBNF)
• Benny Tan (Yu Beng, M)
• Tommy Shwe (GBNF)
• Peter Pe (GBNF)
• U Cho Aye (M, GBNF)
• U Tha Htay (M70)
• U Ohn Khine (M)
• U Zaw Min Nawaday (EP)
• Daw Tin Tin Myint (Emma, ChE)
• U Ye Myint (ChE)
• Daw Thynn Thynn Khaing (Janet, EP)
• Daw Than Yi (Maubin Ma Shwe Than, EP)
• Daw Tin Myint Oo (Rosy Tin Maung, May Lin Set Hmu, M)
• Sai Thein Maung (C)

1971

• U Saw Lin (C, GBNF)
• Daw Mai Khin Nyunt (Rosie Gyi, ChE)
• U Khin Maung Myint (ChE)
• U Khin Maung Myint (M)
• U Myint Than (M)
• U Myint Toe (M)
• U Myint Thin (M, GBNF)
• U Win Kyaw (Met)

1972

• U Thein Aung (Met)
• U Thein Aung (M)
• U Wynn Htain Oo (M)
• U Myint Pe (M)
• U Aung Myaing (ChE)
• Daw Gyn Yu (ChE)
• Trixie Tan (ChE)
• U Myo Myint Pe (ChE, GBNF)
• U Tun Shwe (ChE)
• U Kyaw Myint (T)
• Daw Sandi Hlaing (T)
• U Kyaw Myint (EP)

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Steeve Kay (U Thaung Sein, EC70, GBNF)

• Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs
• Provided seed money for designing memorabilia to be given to sayas & sayamas attending SPZP-2000, commemorative T-shirts to the organizers and volunteers, and to raise fund by selling the surplus items.
• Attended SPZPs in USA, Singapore and Yangon.

• Around 2019, he had medical problems. He could not travel far, but continued conducting his business & philanthropy from home.
• Multiple projects to implement (including writing books), but he finally succumbed to Jara, Byadi & Marana.
• May he rest in peace.

Best Friends Forever

• 69ers meet monthly for breakfast at Taw Win Hnin Sni (Royal Rose).
• There was a pause during the pandemic. About 20 members passed away (mostly due to Covid).
• Annual Dinner gatherings at Panda, M3 and U Aung Min’s former office in PWD compound
• Celebrated Anniversaries in 1999, 2009, 2014 and 2019.

• They have gatherings to welcome 69ers from overseas. e.g. Daw Myint Myint (C69) hosted a lunch gathering at Kandawgyi Westin Park Hotel to welcome Daw Nyunt Nyunt Wai (Millie, T69).
• During my visits, U Ohn Khine (M70) gave me rides to SPZP & HMEE-2012 meetings and selected 69er gatherings.

SPZP-2016

• Both the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and the Alumni Reunion & Entertainment were held at the Gyogone Campus.
• Free food was provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner to all attendees.
• Kudos to the Organizers, Sponsors, Donors, Volunteers and Supporters for making SPZP-2000 unique & memorable.

All Mech Gathering

• U Thant Zin (M82, GBNF, son of Saya U Sein Shan) invited me to All-Mechanical Gathering held at Dolphin.
• U Hla Win and Daw Mar Mar Yee were co-emcee at the event.

Sayas & Sayamas at SPZP

• U Tin U matriculated in 1946. He received BSCE from the University of Oregon and MSCE from Yale University. Upon his return, he taught part-time at the Civil Engineering Department at the RU Faculty of Engineering, University of Rangoon. He is the most Senior Past Captain of RUBC. He is the oldest of nine siblings. Two younger brothers Saya U Ba Than (Gold Medalist in 1948) and Dr. Myo Tint (3rd in Burma in 1952 Matric exam) have passed away.

• Daw Khin Swe Aye graduated with Physics Honors in 1962 along with Daw May Than Nwe (GBNF) and my elder sister Daw Khin Than Nwe. Sad to learn that she had vision impairment.
• Daw Myint Myint Khaing is the daughter of Arzani Mahn Ba Khaing. She transcribed the interview tapes recorded by her spouse Saya Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Tekkatho Maung Thin Char, GBNF) for the book on Sayagyi U Ba Toke and his life journey. Sayagyi gave autographed copies of the book to U Ohn Khine and me. Sayagyi is a Phwa Bet Taw of Rangoon University and the First RU Students’ Strike in 1920. Sayagyi passed away on 2nd December 2020 (a few days short of his Centennial birthday).

by Ohn Khine & Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Constraints

Due to time & resource constraints, only a fraction of the materials could be described in the book “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar”

CD Supplement

U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled references, articles in English and photos that were not covered in the book into a CD.

We attempted to cover as much historical data and articles as possible.

Materials for non-Burmese readers

• Part 1 of the HMEE book was translated by U Ohn Khine (M 70). Saya Des Rodgers corrected the contextual and usage errors.
• Part 2 is not a complete translation of the Burmese text. To avoid duplication of some materials (e.g. lengthy tables), we have chosen to present a summary & overview.

Archives

• Archives from the RIT web sites: http://www.ex-rit.org and http://www.rit-alumni.info.
  Thanks to U Khin Maung Zaw and U Wunna Ko Ko for designing and maintaining the web sites.
• Archives from the SPZPs: SPZP-2000 (San Francisco), SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010 (Singapore), and SPZP-2004 (Yangon)

Photo Albums

• From ex-RIT web sites, RIT Alumni Facebook Pages, Sayagyi U Ba Than, Saya U Soe Paing and U Myo Myint (EC67)

History of the Engineering Departments

• By Dr. Aung Gyi (Rector), U Min Wun (C), U Aung Khin (M), U Soe Khaw (Min), U Thit (Met), U Myo Myint Sein (A)

Selected Posts

• Excerpts from “RIT Alumni International Newsletter Updates” from 1999 – 2012 by U Hla Min (EC 69)

Interviews

• Saya U Tin U, Saya U Ba Than and Saya U Khin Aung Kyi gave interviews for HMEE-2012 project.

Proofreaders

• Saya U Soe Paing, U Ohn Khine and I proof read HMEE-2012 and provided corrections (e.g. RIT Luyechun list did not contain 1965), but they was not enough time to do all the corrections.

HMEE projects

• Saya U Aung Hla Tun is the leader for HMEE-2012 and HMEE-2018 Projects.
• HMEE-2018 will cover revisions and extensions to HMEE-2012.
• Due to the pandemic and Saya’s demise, HMEE-2018 is in limbo.