Blog

  • Old Paulian

    An Old Paulian is one who studied at SPHS (St. Paul’s High School).

    An Old Paulian is also a B.O.B (Brothers’ Old Boys, alumnus of a De La Salle School).

    Some Early Paulians

    Some early Old Paulians include

    • ICS U Tin Tut (Minister / Diplomat)
    • U Ba Khin (First in Burma, Renowned Vipassana Teacher)
    • Dr. Ba Than (Rector, IM1)
    • Dr. Ba Han and Dr. Ba Maw
    • U Than Aung (Minister)

    Some Paulians from 1957 – 1965

    Dr. Tin Wa, U Sein Htoon, U Myint Khine (Norman), U Kyi Win (Eddie, GBNF) are some members from the Class of 1957.

    Dr. Soe Win (First in Burma), U Robert Sein (Second in Burma), U Myo Min (UCC), U Khin Maung Tun (GBNF), U Myint Kyu Pe, Dr. Khin Maung Wint, U Tin Win (GBNF) are some members from the Class of 1958.

    Dr. Frankie Ohn (First in Burma), U Nay Oke, U Thein Aung (Micky, GBNF), Dr. Myint Han, U Tin Hlaing are some members from the Class of 1959.

    Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint, Dr. Myint Tun (Henry), U Thaung Lwin, U Myo Myint, U Than Htut, Dr. Saw Naing (Henry), Dr. Khin Zaw are some members from the Class of 1960.

    Dr. Robin Ban (Kyaw Win, Second in Burma), Dr. Thein Tun, U Htun Aung Kyaw, U Sein Shwe are some members from the Class of 1961.

    U Myint Thein, U Myint Soe, U Ohn Maung are some members from the Class of 1962.

    Dr. Khin Maung U (First), Dr. Min Oo (Second), Dr. Myo San (Freddie, Third, GBNF), Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor, 4th), Dr. Thein Wai (5th), U Hla Min (7th), Dr. Johnny Maung Maung (Aung Kyaw Zaw, 9th), U Maung Maung Kyi (11th), U Aung Thu Yein (Brownie, 13th, GBNF), Dr. Frank Gale (Khin Maung Zaw, 17th), Atom Hla, Dr. Htin Aung, Dr. Nyan Taw (Dicky), Dr. Myo Khin, Uzin Ukkamsa (Victor Aung Chaw), U Than Win, D S Saluja, U Myo Nyunt (Harry Kyaw) are some members from the Class of 1963.

    Dr. Aung Win Chiong (3rd), Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice, 5th), U Aung Myint, U Maung Maung Gyi, U Hla Min (CO), U Khin Maung Maung (Alfred, GBNF) are some members from the Class of 1964.

    Bernard Khaw (1st), Winston Sein Maung (2nd, GBNF), Dr. Paing Soe (Freddie, 3rd), Dr. Kyaw Min, U Myint Thin, U Myint Toe, Dr. Tin Maung Maung Than (Edward) are some members from the Class of 1965. They are the last batch of true Old Paulians.

    Mini-gatherings

    Some Classes have mini-gatherings.

    The Class of 1965 and some from the Class of 1963 (e.g. Harry Kyaw and Dicky Taw) meet almost every month. During my visits to Yangon, Dr. Kyaw Min picked me up to attend their mini-gatherings. Ko Than Win took me to the soon offering (organized by Harry, Dicky and Atom) for Saya Uzin Beatson at a restaurant in the “Yin Pyin Daw”.

    Donation Ceremony

    Senior Old Paulians donated to some health workers (from DMR) working on COVID-19 projects (e.g. Swab Collection).

    The photos were sent by Dr. Kyaw Min (Retired Deputy DG, DMR).

    Ko Aung Myint (SPHS64) made educated guesses (e.g. U Nay Oke, Harry “R” Kyaw).

    Ko Myint Toe texted me saying he was wearing a black coat in the second photo.

  • Currency

    • The Union Bank of Burma issued Burmese Currency notes backed by Gold Reserves.
    • The bills were signed by authorities (e.g. Sithu U Kaung, U San Lin).
    • One US dollar traded at 5 – 6 kyats, and one Sterling pound around 12 – 13 kyats.
    Old Receipt

    Old Receipt from 1979

    • The Old Receipt (for 146 Kyats and 50 Pyas) is a testament of the purchasing power in the 70s.
    • It was for a farewell dinner for Saya U Myo Win (M/Ag65) by 25 members of the RIT Automobile Club.

    Decline in the value of the Kyat

    Three rounds of Demonetization, mismanagement, … saw a huge decline in the value of the Kyat.

    Snap shots of the exchange rate :

    • 1 Kyat = 4 (or more) Bahts (Early days)
    • 1 Kyat = 1 Baht (Baht Taik Kyat Taik Khit)
    • 4 (or more Kyats) = 1 Baht
    • Four decades ago, a Palmist friend told me that I would own 10 Lakhs.
      The top prize for the “Aung Bar Lay” Lottery was 1 Lakh.
      A professor’s monthly salary was K1300.
      A lecturer earned 800 – 1200 kyats.
    • A few years back, my friend had to pay 10 Lakhs for a visit to a hospital in Yangon.
    • Another friend had to pay 800+ Lakhs to a hospital in Singapore. Luckily, he had inherited a fortune from his parents.
  • U Sein Win

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    Saya U Sein Win (EE)

    • MS in EE from University of Michigan
    • Taught at RIT
    • Retired as Professor of Electrical Power, YTU
    • After retirement, worked as Consultant
    • Technical Advisor for the UCC Project
    • Line Judge at RUBC Regattas
    • President, RIT Rowing Club
    • President, RIT Swimming Club
    • Swam almost daily
      Even when he was visiting Singapore on business trips.
    • GBNF

    Invitation to SPZP-2000

    • Saya was invited by his former students in the US and Singapore to attend SPZP-2000.
    • He gently declined the offer.
    • Told his students to sponsor EE saya who had not been to the US.
    • Said that he had been to the US for his studies. |
      He was a top student at the University of Michigan, USA.
    • With permission from Saya Allen Htay, we are printing the letter from Saya U Sein Win.

    Saya’s Letter

    Dear Allen & Ko San Hla Aung,

    Long time no see!

    Since I retired in 1993, I have been doing odd jobs. I was a mechanical and electrical supervisor for about 6 months at the FMI shopping center constructing job. Then after the construction phase, I retired, doing nothing, except to drive my youngest daughter to various tuition places.

    For the last two years, I worked part-time again, 3 times a week, from 11:00 a.m to 5 p.m., as a consultant for the maintenance of mechanical and electrical works, as my youngest daughter finished her matriculation classes.

    Since last month, I have another part-time jobs as consultant to a UPS selling company, working on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am now in Singapore for a week, at the Liebert UPS (USA based Ohio Co.) Co., for servicing and repair of UPSs and am going back [on Tuesday] with one of the company men.

    Since both my jobs are part-time jobs, and I am on company’s expense here, I do not have any leave privileges, etc. and I am sorry I can’t afford to go to USA.

    My eldest daughter and my second daughter are now medical doctors. My youngest is now reading for her first year medical course. I am still living in the same old house near the Inya Lake.

    I hope both of you are healthy as I am now a health buff and tried to stay in health but at this age nobody can say what will happen as I noticed, looking up obituaries of people around my age in the newspaper and see the names of old friends.

    Yours,
    —- auld lang syne—
    Sein Win

    Anecdote

    Saya U Sein Win left his brand new spouse at a Zay (presumably Bogyoke Zay).

    Saya went back to RIT, and had a long discussion with his students.

    The students asked, “How is Sayagadaw?”

    Saya’s reply : “Let’s end the discussion. It’s past time I should have picked her up at the Zay”.

    Uzin Bobby Myo Tun (A69) wrote :

    Classic example of ‘the absent-minded professor!’

    U Aung Myint (UCC) wrote :

    I heard about that from some of the students or from the Lab staffs while I was in EC lab: What I heard was a little different. What I heard was “He parked at Hledan Zay. His wife went for buying. He was waiting inside the car. Suddenly he got an idea of taking hair cut nearby instead of waiting for a long time. After hair cutting he forgot everything and drove the car alone. I don’t know if that is true or not.

  • Dr. Khin Maung Swe

    Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Tekkatho Maung Thin Char, Retired Professor of Mathematics) passed away on June 7, 2020.

    He was Editor of the Thin Char Journal.

    He wrote a book about Sayagyi U Ba Toke based on his interviews and research.

    He did post graduate studies in the U.K.

    Saya’s spouse Daw Myint Myint Khaing (Mathematics) is the daughter of Arzani Mahn Ba Khaing.

  • RU 7

    • RU Convocation
    • RU Rectors
    • RU Registrars

    RU Convocation

    • The Prime Minister of the Union of Burma attended Convocations as Chancellor of the University.
    • Pro Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor also attended Convocations. Their roles are described in “Order of Procedure”.
    • Some dignitaries receive honorary degrees.
    • Prizes (medals, books) were awarded to outstanding students (graduates and some undergraduates)
    • Related posts
      1958 Convocation
      Visits
    Convocation
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    Convocation in 1958

    RU Rectors

    • Dr. Htin Aung (First native Rector)
      Retired as Vice Chancellor
      Outstanding author
    • Dr. Hla Myint
      Economist and Educator
    • U Kar
      Served as Minister in the Caretaker Government
    • Dr. Tha Hla
      Geologist
      Retired from United Nations
    • Dr. Maung Maung Kha
      Meteorological Physicist
      Longest tenure among the Rectors

    RU Registrars

    • U Htin Si
    • U Yu Khin
      Earlier served as Dean, Chair of RU Sports Council
      After retirement, helped found IFL (Institute of Foreign Languages)
    • Daw Sein Sein
      Retired as Director, Ministry of Education
  • Khit San Sar Pay Founders

    The three co-founders were were the early students of Sayagyi U Pe Maung Tin (Pali and Burmese Scholar) at the then newly established “Burmese Department” at the Rangoon University.

    • Theikpan Maung Wa
      (ICS U Sein Tin)
    • Zawgyi
      (U Thein Han)
    • Minthuwun
      (U Wun)
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is minthuwun.jpg
    U Wun
  • RU Donors

    RU Library Donor

    Raja Dr. S. Ramanatha Reddiar(b. 1871-1932) L.L.D.(Honoris Causa), F.R.U

    Other donors

    • U Nyo (RUSU Building, RUBC Club House and several in the RU Estate)
    • Chan Chor Khine (son of Chan Mah Phee and Daw Aye Mya) donated for the RU Gymnasium
    • Sir Arthur Eggar (Law Professor) pledged a third of his salary for the operation of RUBC
  • GBNF (UCC)

    Dr. Chit Swe
    • Dr. Chit Swe / Saya Chit
      Founder and Director of UCC
      Passed away in Sydney, Australia in 2019
    • Dr. Tin Maung
      Succeeded Dr. Chit Swe as Director of UCC
      Retired as Rector of ICST
    • U Ko Ko Lay / Saya Lay
      Helped Dr. Chit Swe found UCC
      Retired as Professor of Information Systems at ICST
    • CO U Hla Min / Pauk Si
      Passed away while serving as Chief Operator of UCC
    • U Mya Thein / Bo Shoke
      Taught at the Institute of Economics, UCC and IMBTU
    • U Kyaw Nyein / Kyein
      Scientific Applications Programmer
      Taught Numerical Methods
      Worked as UNV in the Middle East
    • U Win Naing
      Science Scholar for Mathematics
      Scientific Applications Programmer
    • U Soe Thein / Joe
      Business Applications Programmer
    • U Soe Myint (Gyi) / Sunlun Kappiya
      Retired as Pro-Rector, UCSY
    • U Maung Maung Gyi / Thein Tan / Henry Than Htay
      Chief Operator
    • Daw Nge Ma Ma Than / Ma Nge / Theresa Aung Than
      Applications Programmer
      Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST
      Prisoner of Conscience
    • U Myint Aung
      Retired as Superintendent at UCC
    • Daw Khin Lay Myint
      Secretary
      Retired as Admin Officer at UCC
    • U Shein Soe Myint
      Passed away in Singapore while doing graduate studies
    • U Aung Aung Thein
      Worked and taught at UCC
    • Daw Hla Hla Win
      Operations Division
    • Daw Kyu Kyu Lwin
      Operations Division
      Transferred to SSB
    • Daw Win May Thoung
      Operations Division
    • Daw Khin Mya Swe (M.Sc,)
      Passed away in Lesotho
    • Daw Khin Toe Nyein (M.Sc.)
    • Daw Thida Aung (M.Sc.)
    • Some M.Sc. students
      Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo
      U Thein Tan
    • Some DAC students
      Henry Maung Maung
    • Some who worked or studied at ICST
      Dr. Kyaw Thein
      U Kyaw Mya Thein

    Advisors / Supporters

    • Dr. F. Ba Hli
      Member, UCC Management Board
      Advisor, Ministry of National Planning
    • U Sein Win
      Technical Advisor for Electrical Systems
    • U Win Htein
      SE, PWD (Electrical)
    • Dr. San Tint
      Lecturer (and later Professor), RIT EE
    • U Tin Swe
      Power User with EP students
  • Knowledge Transfer

    • Dr. Chit Swe (Founder / Director of UCC) firmly believed in Transfer of Knowledge and Technology.
    • For the UCC Project, several distinguished Computing Professionals gave courses — short term and long term.
    • Professor Harry D Huskey (UCSC) and Professor Anthony Ralston (SUNY, Buffalo) were Past ACM Presidents.
      They taught courses on
      “History of Computers”,
      “Structured Programming”,
      “PASS (Compiler)”,
      “ZIP (Interpreter)”

    • Professor Michael Stonebraker (then at UC Berkeley) gave a short course at UCC on Relational DBMS in general, and Ingres in particular.
      A few years back, he won the Prestigious ACM Turing Award and the $1 M prize.
      He joined Charles Bachmann, E F Codd and Jim Gray as DBMS Gurus to win the Turing Award,
      He is the lone Serial Entrepreneur among the 70 ACM Turing Award Winners.
    • There were several other visiting Professors (e.g Peter Wegner, Foreman Acton) and IT Professionals (e.g. Sheldon Bacchus).
  • UCC GBNF

    Dr. Chit Swe
    • Dr. Chit Swe
      Founder and Director of UCC
      Passed away in Sydney, Australia in 2019
    • Dr. Tin Maung
      Succeeded Dr. Chit Swe as Director of UCC
      Retired as Rector of ICST
    • U Ko Ko Lay
      Helped Dr. Chit Swe found UCC
      Retired as Professor of Information Systems at ICST
    • CO U Hla Min
      Passed away while serving as Chief Operator of UCC
    • U Mya Thein
      Taught at the Institute of Economics, UCC and IMBTU
    • U Kyaw Nyein
      Scientific Applications Programmer
      Taught Numerical Methods
      Worked as UNV in the Middle East
    • U Win Naing
      Science Scholar for Mathematics
      Scientific Applications Programmer
    • U Soe Thein
      Business Applications Programmer
    • U Soe Myint (Gyi)
      Retired as Pro-Rector, UCSY
    • U Maung Maung Gyi
      Chief Operator
    • Daw Nge Ma Ma Than
      Applications Programmer
      Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST
      Prisoner of Conscience
    • U Myint Aung
      Retired as Superintendent at UCC
    • Daw Khin Lay Myint
      Retired as Admin Officer at UCC
    • U Shein Soe Myint
      Passed away in Singapore while doing graduate studies
    • U Aung Aung Thein
      Worked and taught at UCC
    • Daw Hla Hla Win
      Operations Division
    • Daw Kyu Kyu Lwin
      Transferred to SSB
    • Daw Win May Thoung
      Operations Division
    • Daw Khin Mya Swe (M.Sc,)
      Passed away in Lesotho
    • Daw Khin Toe Nyein (M.Sc.)
    • Daw Thida Aung (M.Sc.)
    • Some M.Sc. students
      e.g. U Thein Tan
    • Some DAC students

    Advisors / Supporters

    • Dr. F. Ba Hli
      Member, UCC Management Board
      Advisor, Ministry of National Planning
    • U Sein Win
      Technical Advisor for Electrical Systems
    • U Win Htein
      SE, PWD (Electrical)
    • Dr. San Tint
      Lecturer (and later Professor), RIT EE