Blog

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 24, 2021

History of Myanmar Engineering Education

• HMEE-2012
  Lead Author : Saya U Aung Hla Tun (National Literary Award Winner)
  U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD Supplement
  
• Beginning of Engineering Courses at Rangoon University
• BOC College of Engineering and Mining
• Faculty of Engineering
• Leik Khone
• Burma Institute of Technology (BIT)
• Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT)
• Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT)
• Yangon Technological University (YTU)
  
• Changes in Education Systems and Names

Early supporters of the Project

• Sayagyi U Ba Than
• Saya U Thaw Kaung
• Saya U Soe Paing (my mentor at RIT and UCC).

Saya U Soe Paing’s post on March 5, 2011

I went to the University Central Library (UCL) on Tuesday and managed to get scanned photos from the Eng Student Annual Magazines for the academic years 51-52, 52-53, 56-57 and 60-61. Photos include photos of Sayas and students of that year. From these when can know about the Sayas at that year. We can also identify the students at that year.

Saya U Sein Hlaing (Professor of Electrical Engineering) was a final year student in 1951-52 and became an A/L (Assistant Lecturer) starting 1952-53.

Saya U Tin Swe (Lecturer, EE Department) was a student in 1951-52 and 52-53. He was a member of the Eng Student Union and the victorious Prome Hall football team.

Ex-Burma Selected Footballer U Chan Tha (Chief Engineer, Roads, Rangoon Municipal) was the Captain of the football team.

U Khin Si, husband of RIT Finance Officer Daw Yin Yin Htway and part time lecturer Textile, and his brother U Tin Si were also members of that victorious team. The brothers were also outstanding tennis players and excelled at the Doubles event. Their partnership won RU as well as national championships.

The 1956-57 magazine contains photos when the new Leik Khone Engineering Buildings were inaugurated in 1956 Nov by HE U Ba Swe, Prime Minister at that time.

In the 1952-53 magazine I found out that Mr. Robert Hole (ex-EE, Highways, PWD,PWC,CC; uncle of Percy Maung Maung and uncle Bobby to me) was the English editor. I called Uncle Bobby and requested him to write something about his engineering student days, his teachers and fellow students. He agreed and asked for about three weeks time.

I need to go back and to the UCL to get more info from the RIT handbook 1966-67 and photos from the Hlyat Sit Sar Saung.

Saya U Ba Than (Professor of Mechanical Engineering) has donated some of his Engineering College photos to the MES library and I need to go there to check up on the photos.

Best wishes
SP (Saya U Soe Paing)

Editor’s notes

• An academic usually spans two years. To save space and time, I had loosely used the end year instead of the start year and end year. Using that notation, Saya U Sein Hlaing is from the Class of 52; Saya U Tin Swe and U Chan Tha are from the Class of 53; U Aw Taik Maw is from the Class of 54.
• In the early days, there were no Instructors (but only Assistant Lecturers) for the Faculty of Engineering. They are Gazetted officers.
• Some of our sayas (Saya Dr. Aung Gyi, Saya U Min Wun, Saya U Maung Maung Than, Saya U Khin Aung Kyi, Saya U Aung Khin, Saya U Thit, Saya U Thein Lwin, Saya U Soe Paing) applied for “States Scholar” before graduation.
• Some (Saya Allen Htay, Saya Dr San Hla Aung, Saya U Htin Paw, Saya Dr. Ba Lwin, Saya U San Tun, Saya U Tin Hlaing) joined the faculty and were selected to do post-graduate studies.
• Grapevine says that the Halls would aggressively seek outstanding athletes (footballers,…)
• U Chan Tha is also Past Captain and Gold of RUBC Gold. He attended RUBC Regattas (including the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of RUBC). I was a contributing editor for the commemorative issue.
• Ko Percy Maung Maung and his younger brother Ko Hugh Maung Maung are old crocs. Ko Percy is a class mate of Saya U Soe Paing at SPHS (St. Paul’s High School) and Stanford University.
• Ma Gilmore Hole, daughter of Mr. Robert Hole, was a sayama at UCC, DCS and ICST. Due to declining health (and some loss of memory), Mr. Robert Hole could not fulfill his promise to write about RUESU and the olden days.
• Saya Dr. Yan Naing Lwin (Emeritus Professor of Physics at Western Illinois University) e-mailed me a copy of the “Burmese state scholars in ’54”. The list was published in one of my early updates. The list includes Saya U Sein Hlaing, Saya U Tin Swe, …
• Ko Benny Tan (M 70) used to have two copies of the “RIT Handbook”. One was loaned indefinitely by an alumni. I published the list of permanent and part-time sayas and sayamas from that handbook in one of early “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” updates.
• Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War, EE) may have old copies of “Hlyat Sit Sar Saung”, RIT Annual Magazines, commemorative Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saungs for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010, commemorative Swel Daw Yeik Magazines for Shwe YaDu and SPZP-2016. Saya served as Chief Editor and/or Publisher for the above mentioned publications.
• Saya Charlie Kaw (Tex, GBNF) is believed to have brought along with him the projects of his final year students when he migrated to the USA.
• “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar” was published in time for SPZP-2012. Due to resource constraints, there were inadvertent errors and missing names/captions for the photos. Ko Ohn Khine (M70) translated Section 1 and summarized Section 2 in English. The translations were provided in the companion CD compiled by Ko Ohn Khine and yours truly.
• Saya U Aung Hla Tun (Met, National Literary Award winner) headed the team (see attached photo). Saya feels that the younger generation could/should “correct” the book and enhance it.