There have been seven RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwes.
SAYA PUZAW PWE
Background
InvitationSPZP-2000 OrganizersSPZP-2000 Video
In April 1999, I started the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”.
At the request of Saya U Soe Paing, U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) designed and implemented the first RIT web site : http://www.ex-rit.org. I served as the Content Provider and Editor.
Saya Allen Htay and several alumni — Benny Tan (m70), Maurice Chee (M75) … — decided to support our noble task.
At one of the meetings at Ko Benny’s house, the San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Group decided to establish “RIT Alumni International” with Saya Allen as President and Ko Maurice as Treasurer.
At another meeting, Saya U Aung Khin (who was visiting the San Francisco Bay Area from Canada) gave the Go-ahead for planning the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe.
Since the sayas and alumni profess different religions, we chose the term “Saya Pu Zaw Pwe” over “Saya Ga Daw Pwe” (which has a religious connotation).
The primary objective of the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe is to repay the metta and cetana of our mentors.
It allows several core sponsors and organizers to safely participate in SPZP-2000.
SPZP-2000
The First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP (SPZP-2000) was held in San Francisco in October 2000.
It was a two-day event.
The main event was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel. There was a nominal fee to attend the Reunion Dinner and SPZP.
The follow-up event was an optional Brunch Gathering (where the sayas and alumni can bring their families and friends).
There were official and volunteer videographers and photographers.
A three-hour VHS tape was offered for a nominal fee to interested sayas and alumni. A few years back, the VHS tape was converted into a two-set DVD.
Organizers and Sponsors
The core volunteers were willing to hold the event at all costs.
“U Nyo Win Act” said that the core volunteers will have to chip in if there are not enough paid attendees.
Saya Allen Htay wrote an article, “Brother, can you afford US$500 and more?” for my Newsletter and the web site.
A young alumni Sarina Tan (Htay Htay Than) relayed the news to U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70). Steeve is a close friend of Sarina’s father. Steeve has also provided help while Sarina was pursuing her graduate studies.
Steeve contacted Ko Benny and also sent checks for SPZP-2000.
Ko Benny used Steeve’s seed money to design and order commemorative T-shirts, mugs and calendar clocks. Some mementos were offered to the attending sayas and the core volunteers. The rest were put on sale for “Fund Raising”.
Ko Benny later visited Yangon to organize a mini-SPZP for the sayas and sayamas who could not attend SPZP-2000.
Thanks in part to Saya Allen’s article, five Golden Sponsors and Donors — large and small — U Nyo Win’s Act was not enacted.
RIT Spirit
We thank the Golden Sponsors
U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70, GBNF)
Tan Yu Beng (Benny Tan, M70)
U Tin Myint (David Ko, M67, GBNF)
U Khin Maung Oo (Ivan Lee, M69)
U Maung Maung Than (M79)
and donors — large and small, young and old, near and far .
SPZP-2000 proved that the RIT Spirit was alive and well all over the world. SPZP-2000 defied the belief that RIT was a dying breed.
My poem “SAYA PUZAW PWE”
S eems like it was only yesterday A t our alma mater in a land far away Y ou taught us to work, play, laugh, even cry A nd coaxed us, forced us to aim for the sky
P roblems in real life, lab, computation, survey U nderstand concepts, design, display, … Z eal, zest, ardor, grit, passion to make it “our day” A rchitects, engineers, we’ve come here to say W e honor your metta, your cetana — we fully can’t repay
P resently we meet, alum from five decades we greet W ith memories true, fond, sweet E cstatic yet sad that the GBNF could not join this memorable fete
My poem was published in the commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter and on the web site http://www.ex-rit.org
The poem was reprinted on the back cover of the commemorative issue of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2002 hosted by the Singapore alumni and chaired by Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War).
The poem has been reprinted in several RIT-related magazines.
Seven world wide SPZPs
They include
SPZP-2000 (California, USA)
SPZP-2002 (Singapore)
SPZP-2004 (Yangon)
SPZP-2007 (Singapore)
SPZP-2010 (Singapore)
SPZP-2012 (Yangon) : first true Home Coming
SPZP-2016 (Yangon) : hosted by RITAA; free food and entertainment
USA SPZP
The First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe was held in the USA in October 2000.
See “Commemorative Issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000”.
Singapore SPZP
Singapore sayas and alumni hosted
SPZP-2002 in December 2002
SPZP-2007 in April 2007
SPZP-2010 in December 2010
See “Commemorative Issues of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2002. SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010”.
Yangon SPZP
Yangon hosted SPZP-2004, SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016.
Notes :
Yangon could not host SPZP-2006 due to the political climate and so requested Singapore to host SPZP-2007.
SPZP-2020 was canceled due to the pandemic.
SPZP-2012 : True Home Coming
It brought tears of joy. Many have given up the hope of seeing their beloved alma mater rise again from the trampling of the Adhamma Regime. HE U Aye Myint (EP72) paved the way to have the True Home Coming (Reunion & SPZP) at the Gyogone Campus.
SPZP-2016 : Free all-day event at Gyogone Campus
It was the first SPZP to be held all day at the Gyogone Campus.
Thanks to sponsors and donors of SPZP-2016, free food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) was offered to all attendees.
Thanks
Kudos to the sayas and colleagues for keeping the RIT spirit alive and well.
Thanks to my wonderful family for letting me spend 26 years as a volunteer Editor of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”.
Mr. Chairman, my Sayas, my former colleagues, friends, RIT graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I begin to say anything, I would like to request you to take the word “RIT” as to stand not only for Rangoon Institute of Technology but also BOC College of Engineering and Faculty of Engineering, Rangoon University. I am using RIT only, just for convenience sake.
Having said that, it is with a chestful of emotions that I am standing before you, trying to say a few words appropriate and befitting to this important and joyful occasion. My overwhelming emotion is, needless to say, happiness – happiness which results from seeing my Sayas, my friends, my former colleagues, and RIT graduates alive and well, after so many years. My happiness is also mingled with a certain amount of pride: pride arising from the knowledge that we have fond memories and a sense of belonging and attachment to the good old institution as well as to one another.
We are fortunate that we could all gather here to exchange our life experiences, both good and bad, and to reminisce about our past when we were at RIT. While we are doing that, we all must have noticed that all of us have changed quite a bit since we last saw one another, at least physically, some more so than other. We all now have a few gray and also less hair, we have a few wrinkles on our face; maybe we also lost a few teeth and cannot see or hear as well as we did before. Some of us also lost the memory a bit and become forgetful about lots of things such as forgetting names for example. This, as we all know, is life and nature of things. Everything changes and nothing is permanent. Bur fortunately we still have our values. Our values such as respect and gratitude for the elders and teachers, caring of our respective children and family members, helping our friends, and attachment, and gratitude to the institution which nurtured us to meet the challenges of life, are still with us. They have not changed. This Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and reunion is a testimony to those values.
I must now pause and thank and congratulate the Organizing Committee for their untiring and selfless efforts to make this event possible and successful. This Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and RIT Alumni reunion is, as far as I know, once-in-a-life-time event. As far as I am concerned it is already a resounding success with the cooperation and great enthusiasm that I have seen. I hope this will be the beginning and not the last of our get-togethers. When my wife and I paid visits to Myanmar in 1996, 1997 and 1999 we had mini get-togethers with RIT Alumni. When I was here a few years ago we also got together with a few RIT Alumni. I understood that Saya U Aung Khin also had one mini get-together here some years ago. But these get-togethers were not on a grand scale as the one that we are having here now. However the spirit of camaraderie and friendliness among RIT Alumni mini get-togethers, was the same as the one that we find here now. If you look around you, you will find that all of us came here from different parts of the world, indicating the great attachment and respect that we all have for our old institution and also for one another.
While I was preparing for this speech, fond memories of the years that I spent as a student, as a teacher and later as Rector at RIT came flashing through my mind. Without going into details, I remember that all my teachers, including Saya Num Kock and Saya U Ba Toke who are here with us, were good inspiring teachers with kind hearts. When I became a teacher and later the Rector at RIT, I noticed that my colleagues were good and dedicated people who tried their best to teach what they had learnt from good Universities and Institutions abroad.
They made conscious efforts to raise the level of education at RIT so much that the students were fully occupied with classes, studies, projects, and homework. I have to mention here that my Sayas and my former colleagues were, and still are honest, compassionate, gentle and kind people. Within this context I would now like to take this opportunity to offer my humble apologies to my Sayas and colleagues for the wrong things that I may have done or said which might have hurt them in any way in the past.
As for the students, I remember that they were good, intelligent, and energetic students in general. Since I was also involved in extracurricular activities of the students, I had more interaction and gained more understanding of their needs and feelings. Like most of the other teachers I tried my best to be helpful to them not only in their studies but also in any other problems that they needed my help. Because of the compassion that I had shown for them they became more communicative, and listened to what I had to say most of the time. Like a breath of fresh air, the first batch of female engineering students were among us, I believe in 1958. So far as I remember they did as well as or some even better than the male students in their studies. I remember that as a teacher I felt very good and satisfied whenever some students did well in their studies or did well in their careers after they left school. These are fond memories that I still have with me about the students at RIT.
As you probably know, I left RIT and Myanmar in 1977 to join UNESCO. I then migrated to Canada to join International Development Research Centre (IRDC) in 1981. For your information, IRDC is a Canadian Agency which funds research projects for development in the developing countries. I retired from IRDC in 1997. Looking back to the past, I must say that I spent the best years of my life at RIT, challenging and troubling at times, but on the whole happy and satisfied with the job that I was doing.
Now please let me take a few minutes of your time to share with you my thoughts, which I believe are some important elements of life. You might not agree with me to what I am going to say. At least, in that case, you might take them as food for your thoughts. If I sound like lecturing to you now, you must remember that the habit of a former teacher dies hard. When I was young and immature. I had great admiration for people with high I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient). I also tended to think in those days that I was quite intelligent. After going through life experiences with ups and downs I became to realize that high Emotional Quotient (E.Q.) or emotional mastery is more important in life than high I.Q., to cope with adversities, disappointments, failures and sometimes even tragedies. No one that I know of, escapes the negative impacts of life in one form or another. If you have emotional mastery you can deal with and overcome these negative impacts and still get ahead in life and be relatively happy. One thing that can help us is to have optimism, hope and courage in life and to minimize the negative thoughts and creeping pessimism. It will be wrong to classify anything in life in opposites either in black or white. One can neither be fully optimistic nor fully pessimistic all the time. There is a gray area which is neither black nor white, and so long as the dominant part of this gray area is optimism, things will turn alright in the end. I read in one of the books long time ago that the Chinese word for “crisis” denotes both risk and chance (opportunity). A pessimistic person would tend to look at the crisis as the big risk and will despair and do nothing, whereas an optimistic person will look at it as a challenge and opportunity and will do something with courage and determination and overcome the crisis. He or she might fail in doing something. But without failures one will not know success. In short, although we will not be able to master the circumstances, and situations in life, we sure can try to master our thoughts and emotions to meet the challenges of life. Here are the spiritual sides of us or our respective religions might be helpful.
Now that I am getting old and getting inflicted with aches and pains here and there, especially when I get up in the morning, I begin to realize that the important part of my life is to keep myself in good health. There are lots of books and doctors telling us how to keep ourselves in good health. The simple gist of the whole message is to have some form of physical exercise or activity to keep our weights down; and to eat nutritious food and avoid or cut down fatty, sweet, salty and high cholesterol food which are harmful to our health. As you know, it is easier said than done. What I know is we do need to make conscious efforts to keep ourselves in good health by taking physical exercises and by eating nutritious and non-fattening food. One thing is for sure, if we are not in food health we will not be able to enjoy our success or good things in life, and we will be, relatively speaking, unhappy.
When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me to get ahead in life I would need luck, brain, and industriousness. She was right of course. But one important element in life that she missed telling me was to develop and have good social relationships will all the people that I would come across in life, including family members. No one can live and get ahead in life alone. Each one of us at some stages of our respective lives needed and got help from someone to move on with our lives. From my personal experience, I noted that one must be non-egoistic, not too aggressive, be polite, be helpful, and tries to understand and respect other person’s points of view, needs and feeling, to develop good social relationships. Here I would like to add that each of us can judge who is good, who is bad, who is untrustworthy, etc. and avoid bad people and associate with good people to the extent that each of us can.
Each one of us had twenty four hours a day and the one who can budget and manage his/her time day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year according to his priorities and short term and long term goals will get ahead in life better. One should use the time and even manipulate it and not waste it to achieve one’s short term and long term goals. One must also be patient if the short term and long term goals are not achieved in budgeted time. So long as the time is used and not wasted, one will reach his/her goads in due course.
I hope everyone present here will agree with me the importance of financial management at the personal or family level as well as at the business level. At the business level there are of course financial plans and budgets for the present as well as for the future. One should likewise have financial plans and budgets at personal/family level for the present and future, to spend, save and invest within one’s available means. As you know money is neutral. If you are wise, money will treat you well; and if you are foolish it will not stay with you for long. Like time, one’s hard-earned money should be used and not wasted.
The last thing that I would like to point out to you is the danger of complacency. If you own a business and if you are complacent after a certain level of success, your business will suffer, simply because you fail to keep up with the changes in the market conditions and because of the intense competition one faces nowadays. Likewise at the personal level we should be wary of complacency. We should try not to be complacent by improving ourselves and keeping ourselves busy mentally and physically. Life thrives on activity and activity is the proof of our existence. No one is perfect and there is always something that each of us can improve upon. If we do that, at least we will not be bored, and may achieve some fulfillment in life.
With these remarks I now conclude my speech. May you all be successful and happy in life. May you have a pleasant stay in SF.
During our lifetime, we have witnessed many examples of “Technical Obsolescence” and “Disruptive Technologies”.
Typewriters
English Typewriter
Remington produced typewriters for English. There are other typewriter manufacturers, but Remington typewriters were widely used in Burma.
Sholes designed the QWERTY keyboard. The two most common letters in the English alphabet are “e” (for vowel) and “t” (for consonant). The frequency distribution of the characters in a given language is used to break “simple substitution” codes in that language. Several people complained that the QWERTY keyboard is not ergonomic, because it requires one to use the left hand (the weaker hand for most people) and to move the finger up to type “e” and “t”. Some, however, believe that Sholes deliberately placed “e” and “t” so that they minimize the chance of keys being stuck (when one hits keys in rapid succession).
The alternate Keyboard designs (Dvorak …) did not have much support. The key issue is the retraining cost of typists.
Burmese Typewriter
Olympia was commissioned to produce Burmese typewriters. The characters in the Burmese alphabet are non-linear. A word often has ascenders and descenders.
The Burmese typewriter have red and black keys.
Red keys are used to type vowels; the carriage is prevented from going forward.
Black keys are used to type consonants.
Backspacing for half a step is necessary on the standard edition to type “tha gyee”. Manual dexterity is needed to type some “pa sint” characters. the office edition has extra keys.
Note :
In my younger days, we had an old Remington typewriter for typing English documents. My parents gave me a brand new portable Olympic typewriter for typing Burmese documents. I could do touch typing.
Evolution of Typewriters and Word Processors
IBM produced Selectric typewriters. Golf ball-like character sets had to be installed and/or replaced. Hence, a variety of characters (including APL, a language developed by Kenneth Iverson and uses Mathematical Symbols).
Iverson is the thesis supervisor of Brooks, Architect for S/360 & OS/360. He described APL in a book, and explained the use with examples. IBM implemented APL/360 on the System S/360.
Wang Computers provided word processors for various languages. Ko Htay Aung worked at Wang for a while on the Burmese language project. He migrated to Australia.
Burma Research Society (BRS) used transliteration for its publications. For example, “k-o-l” combination represents “ko”. The scheme was used on Macintosh.
Note :
I joined BRS as a student member. I received BRS journals. Sad to say, BRS was “shut down” in the BSPP era. John O’Kell (student of Saya Dr. Hla Pelater Professor at the School of Asian and Oriental Studies) and team used the “BRS Transliteration Style” to implement a Burmese Word Processor on the Macintosh.
Input Techniques
There are various ways to handle characters of non-English languages.
Chinese characters were input on the early systems using (a) large tablets (b) three corner method (c) Romaji, …
UCC Projects
UCC had projects to do Burmese word processing.
Saya U Myo Min supervised a project for Ma San Yu Hlaing for collation (needed for sorting).
Saya TAG and his team (Ko Htay Aung, Ko Soe Myint, …) worked on Cromenco System Three for printing and processing. An EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) was burned/programmed to support the Burmese Character Set.
U Soe Win and team worked on Calcomp graph plotter to draw Burmese characters on the plotter.
Skill Sets
The evolution of Word Processing Systems has seen the proliferation of typeface/font families, keyboard layouts, and Unicode support.
We miss the days when we had type perfectly or reasonably well on typewriters using messy carbons.
Also, planning to cyclostyle double-sided printing (odd numbered pages first, then repeat with even-numbered pages) was a skill.
Changes to Burmese Spelling
Burmese Language Commission bowed to higher authorities to revise the spelling at least two times.
TIT တစ် versus TA တ
The then Number One sent a condolence message for Chou En Lai. The message had “TIT” instead of the more commonly used “TA”.
In English, “TIT” corresponds to one and “TA” corresponds to the indefinite article “a” (before a consonant) and “an” (before a vowel).
The higher authorities “deemed” that “TIT” must be used all the time, and not “TA”. Fines were “imposed” on authors and publishers spelling the “established” way. (e.g. “ta”) instead of the “preferred” way (e.g. “tit”) despite the scholars pointing out the old inscriptions at “Bo ta htaung ဗိုလ်တထောင်” not “Bo tit htaung”) pagoda.
CTK (Children’s Treasury of Knowledge) project was “delayed” to “correct” the spellings.
Censorship
It was not easy to write in those days without facing censorship.
I was requested to contribute a poem or article for the Special Issue of SarSoDaw Nay (Day honoring Poets and Writers). The editor showed me a block (type set of my work), but sadly my work did not appear in the Special Issue. The editor said that some one above ruled that my work quoted “Dhammata” poem (by Ananda Thuriya [A man of infinite valor]). It was a taboo.
It was a crime to write about the setting sun or to use ambiguous terms and references.
MMT (Maung Myint Thein) was the pen name of U Myint Thein (Former Chief Justice of the Union of Burma). His poem was censored, because it had a bird beside a river gazing afar. The higher authorities thought that there was a hidden meaning.
Memories of UCC (39)
UCC Gatherings
Over the years, I attended several mini-gatherings and gatherings hosted by UCC sayas and alumni. They took place in Yangon, Singapore, Australia, and the US.
Gatherings in Yangon Saya Paing and Sayagadaw regular hosts gatherings (usually dinner meeting) at their house in Yangon. Sayagadaw was my classmate at RIT. She is a Textile engineer, but she also drew the design for their house. She also attended CPC course. Ko Thein Oo, Ma Tin May Lwin and several others help organize the gatherings. Ko Thein Oo, Ko Htin Kyaw, Aung Aung (who worked for Microsoft in the US) and several others provide transportation to or from Saya Paing’s house.
Recently, KMD bosses (Ko Thaung Tin & Ma Tin Tin Aye) hosted a surprise gathering at MICT Park for UCC sayas, sayamas and alumni. I missed that event.
There was fun, laughter, songs and dances at UCC’s 40th Anniversary Gathering held a few years back. Dr. Tin Maung (GBNF) was represented by Sayagadaw and daughter. Daw Ngwe Tin, Aye Aye Myint and sisters, … reminded us of the good old days at UCC.
On January 14, 2018, I attended the 5th UCSY Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe as “Generation Zero” representative and the “Most Senior” (not by age). Several attendees started their studies and/or careers at UCC. Glad to know Mu Mu Myint is a senior (Shay Hmee Nauk Hmee) Professor at UCSY. Sad to know that she had a senior moment. When I visited UCSY on January 18, 2018 at the invitation of Bo Htay, she told me that she did not have time at the Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe and felt sorry not to have taken a picture with me. She was surprised when I showed the picture of her, another sayama and me.
Gatherings in the US
Dr. Rafiul, Ko Khin Zaw, Ko Aung Myint Oo & Ma Thida Khin, Ko Sein Myint & Cindy hosted UCC gatherings (especially to welcome sayas and alumni visiting US).
Ivan (M69) hosts joint UCC & RIT Gatherings at his house in New Jersey, USA. He timed the gatherings to coincide with the visits by Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Saya U Soe Paing to the East Coast of USA.
Gatherings in Singapore
In Singapore, Ko Tin Aung Win, Ko Zaw Tun, Ma Pale … organized buffet gathering. Ko Aung Aung & Ma Kyin Mya are regulars at the gatherings.
Some (e.g. Myint Myint Thein [Susan]) have moved back to Yangon.
Ko Win Latt hosted me while he was working in Singapore. He now lives in Bangkok.
Gatherings in Australia
In Australia, Ko Aung Zaw, Ko Sein Myint Maung & Ma Khin Aye Mu Ko Htay Aung & Ma Tin Tin Hlaing organized the gatherings.
I met Ma Thanda Htwe and “Pha Yaung Daing” (one of the Trio of Candles at UCC).
Ko Sein Tin (who used to bring lunch not only for him but also for his UCC buddies) created a short music video during my visit to Sydney, Australia in 2006.
Final Remarks
I belong to several circles. In addition to the UCC Gathering and mini-PZP (Pu Zaw Pwe for Saya Chit and Saya Ba Hli), I attended the RIT Alumni Annual Dinner and the Old Paulians Lunch Gathering in Olympic Park (used for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games) during my visit to Sydney, Australia in 2006.
Memories of UCC (40)
Museum
Saya U Soe Paing e-mailed me some photos of the historic ICL computer system and mentioned that Ko Thein Oo is willing to contribute to the ICL Museum project.
BCM and CHM
At an ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) meeting in Silicon Valley, I met Gwen Bell (then spouse of Gordon Bell, VAX architect), who founded BCM (Boston Computer Museum).
Gordon brought back artifacts that he had collected while co-authoring the book “Computer Structures” with Alan Newell (known for his contributions to Multi-disciplinary research) during his sabbatical at CMU (Carnegie Mellon University). Gwen developed an exhibit at the DEC office in Boston, Massachusetts. It became known as BCM.
Gwen introduced me to Karen, then Vice President of CHM (Computer History Museum). I volunteered to be a Docent.
When Microsoft bought the division of DEC (where Gordon & his team worked), Gwen had to think fast. Only a limited number of artifacts were accepted for display at the Science Museum. The rest of the artifacts were air-freighted to Moffett Field in Mountain View, California with the hope that the “Computer Museum” will be revived. For several years, the artifacts were displayed at the makeshift Museum in Moffett Field. A group of enthusiasts bought a building on Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View that was owned by SGI (Silicon Graphics Incorporated, which under-estimated the challenge of reasonably priced GPUs [Graphical Processing Units]) and offered it to be a permanent home for CHM.
In the early days, only ten per cent or so of the artifacts could be displayed at a given time for public viewing. The display items had to be moved back from the Visible Storage to the storage house.
As a Docent, I had to show the visitors and explain [if requested] about the artifacts displayed in Visible Storage. In those days, only ten percent (or so) could be displayed for a period before rolling them out.
Thanks in part to the “Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation”, CHM could now exhibit 20 sections (from pre-computer era to the Internet age).
In addition, there are special exhibits (e.g. autonomous vehicles, computer chess, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, …)
Retired engineers from IBM, DEC … worked on the “Restoration of Computers” Project.
They restored three old computers using the original specifications and genuine parts (as much as possible). They are on display in working order.
Final Remarks
Having “ICL Museum” will be a significant step towards recording and preserving the History of IT (Information Technology).
Memories of UCC (41)
History
I am glad to learn that several people felt young and remembered the Good Old Days at UCC.
Some read all my posts and even commented on some of them.
I love history (History of Computing, History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar, …).
Professor Harry D. Huskey used us as beta testers of his draft on the History of Computing. I became hooked and later volunteered as Docent at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, USA.
I was a member of the team that compiled and published “History of Myanmar Engineering Education” in December, 2012 just before the celebration of SPZP-2012. Ko Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled a CD for the book supplement.
Why should we study History? Dr. Than Tun said, “So that one would not be stupid or dumb.” There’s an old adage, “History repeats itself”.
A historian presents facts. He should not give his opinion. The historian from Smithsonian said, “There is no single correct history. There are often multiple competing histories.”
Meeting Sayas and Librarians
I first met Dr. Than Tun at the Recreation Center of Rangoon University. I was in High School, but my uncle Eric Than Lwin (Lecturer in Economics & Librarian for Social Science Library) took me to the Main Campus many times. Daw Myint Myint Khin was an Assistant Librarian. She later transferred to RIT as Librarian. U Thaw Kaung, another Assistant Librarian, became Chief Librarian of the Rangoon University Central Library (RUCL).
The early librarians of RUCL include BBS U Khin Zaw (“K”, father of Ko Wint Khin Zaw) and U Thein Han (Saya Zaw Gyi, co-founder of “Khit Sann Sar Pay”).
Sayagyi U Ba Than, Saya U Soe Paing, and Saya U Thaw Kaung supported the HMEE Project.
Thanks
I am grateful to my spouse, who said “You should pay back to your alma mater and your country.”
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) said that I should record my oral stories and put them to print for posterity. Sayamagyi Dr. Mie Mie Thet Thwin (Rector of UCSY) asked me if I could help for a commemorative issue of the 30th Anniversary of ICST/UCSY.
My beloved parents said, “Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well”.
I hope that the readers can help “fill in the blanks” with details and correct errors and inconsistencies in my posts. Collectively, we can turn the posts into a reasonably good document worthy of printing (or at least publish as an eBook). The readers can suggest topics that I should add or elaborate.
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Epilog
Computer Science & Technology is continually evolving.
There are two (or more) early definitions of Computer Science. (1) It is the study of phenomena surrounding Computing. (2) It is the study of Algorithms and Data Structures.
The first definition has the same flavor as a definition of Physics. It says, “Physics is the study of natural phenomena.” It is general.
The second definition sounds restrictive, but it covers a lot of topics and application.
There is a book called “Program = Algorithms + Data Structures”. Professor Donald Knuth (Stanford University) thought that he could finish his 7-volume book “The Art Of Computer Programming” in a couple of years. It was an underestimate of the growth of Computers, Computer Science and Applications. It took over two decades to complete and revise the first three volumes and part of the fourth volume. One reason was that his book contributed to the growth of the Design and Analysis of Algorithms.
I Am Imperfectly Perfect
I have covered some topics in the early days of Computing in general and UCC in particular.
I missed out several people in my original posts. I have added names of the staff and students in my revised posts, but it would not be exhaustive.
I did not cover in-depth the PDP-11 configuration and use, the introduction of PCs (e.g. Cromemco System Thee, IBM PCs, Osborne Portable Computer), and robots (e.g. Hero).
It would take a long time and I would not be able to fill in all the blanks.
Jules Verne is attributed for the saying, “If one can dream, others can fulfill”.
I have a personal experience. In 1999, I started “RIT International Newsletter” and dreamed that Sayas and alumni will get reconnected electronically and physically. With the help of five Golden Sponsors, donors, volunteers, supporters and well-wishers, the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP (Saya Pu Zaw Pwe) was held in San Francisco in October 2000. The world-wide SPZPs were subsequently held in Singapore in 2002, 2007 and 2010, and in Yangon in 2004, 2012 and 2016. I havepaid back to RIT . I am now paying back to UCC.
Thanks to my family members for supporting me in the endeavors to pay back to the institutions and my mentors that helped me develop to where I am today.
I am confident that sayas and alumni of UCC, ICST & UCSY will enhance my posts into a reference document that historians will envy.
In the early days, there were no computers in Burma. IBM (International Business Machines) based in the USA and ICL (International Computers Limited) based in the UK had presence in Burma. Both companies were not ready to introduce computers to Burma. They were supposedly content with leasing unit-record equipment (calculators, tabulators, …) using punched cards (which were “reused” as wrappers of “zee thee htokes”). The companies maintained the machines with their staff. U Aung Khin was the IBM representative in Burma. U Kyaw Tha was the ICL representative in Burma. They were highly paid compared to the Government employees. Due to the policies then in place, IBM might not have “incentives” to introduce computers and computing technology to Burma.
In the early sixties, Saw McCarthy Gyaw (Burma Railways) wanted to “upgrade” to an ICL computer, but the Coup d’etat in 1962 and subsequent restriction of foreign currency exchange (and budget planning rules) “effectively derailed” the idea of “computerization in Burma”.
In the mid sixties, Saya Chit (Dr. Chit Swe) was Head of the Mathematics Department at IE (Institute of Economics). Saya Chit proposed the need of a computer for teaching and research to Saya Nyi Nyi (Dr. Nyi Nyi, then Secretary [Deputy Minister] of Education). Saya Nyi Nyi suggested the scope to be “extended” for a computer to serve the staff and selected students of the Universities and Institutes. Thus, the UCC Project was conceived”. Saya Chit later became Professor at Mathematics at RASU. Saya offered space at the Mathematics Department for the early volunteers of the UCC Project. Saya later obtained permission to use Mandalay Hall for use by the UCC Project before the UCC Building could be completed in Thamaing College Campus.
Saya Chit served as the Founder/Director of UCC. He initiated the academic and training programs. He stressed the importance of technology transfer, leapfrogging technology, knowledge sharing (internally and externally), and challenging the staff and students to try their best. Saya Chit requested Saya Paing (U Soe Paing) to help design and implement the UCC project. Saya Chit also inquired the mother of Saya Myo (U Myo Min), who was working at IBM UK after completing his CA (Chartered Accountant) if Saya Myo would be interested to come back to Burma and help with the UCC project. Saya Paing “recruited” his friend Saya Lay (U Ko Ko Lay, GBNF) to help with the UCC project in general and with the UCC Building Design and Implementation in particular.
It took a long time for UCC up and running. UNDP would be the Funding Agency. UNESCO would be the Executing Agency. Saya Paing’s articles can be downloaded from SCRIB-D.
Note : For several years, Saya Paing tried to recruit his top students — including my cousin U Thaung Lwin (EC66) — to help with the project and become the pioneer computer engineers.
U Thaung Lwin, who was “Top of his class”, received an offer to join IBM BURMA. It was Good News and Bad News. The Good News was that he was offered a reasonably high salary (based on the then salary of engineers joining the Government Departments). The Bad News was that he would have to wait a long time until the first computer was purchased and installed at the CSO Computer Section, He had to maintain the “leased” Unit Record Machines for several years.
Saya TAG (Dr. Tun Aung Gyaw, EC69) was the first and longest volunteer for the UCC Project. Saya Paing transferred from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at RIT to UCC as Manager of the Systems Division. Saya Lay transferred from PWD to UCC. Saya Myo joined UCC. The three served as Managers for Systems, Operations, Applications (Scientific, Business …) .
I was fortunate enough to be a member of GENERATION ZERO along with my mentors and Saya TAG. Saya Paing left UCC in the eighties to pursue a career as Technical Adviser and Consultant for the UN projects in several countries. Saya has documented his experiences from the early States Scholarship in the USA to the UN assignments.
Since there are blanks to be filled in the history of UCC, DCS ICST (Institute of Computer Science and Technology) and UCSY (University of Computer Studies Yangon), several people asked me to take the challenge or at the very least motivate others to share their experience and journey regarding IT in Burma. Relying on (a) my memory, which is reasonably good but imperfect, (b) my story telling skills which I inherited from my father, “THIN SAYA”, “MYIN SAYA”, and “KYAR SAYA”, (c) my training in “Communication and Leadership” from Toastmasters International to become a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster), (d) my experience as a freelance writer, editor, translator, editor, coach, mentor, I have tried my best to prepare material in the form of readable chunks. I am confident that other interested sayas and alumni will help enhance the document with photos and anecdotes.
GBNF
The following is a partial list of GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten) from UCC. Some descriptions are brief. Some entries have been covered in detail in other posts.
Dr. Chit Swe — Founder-Director of UCC; Saya passed away in Sydney Australia in 2019
Dr. Chit Swe
Dr. Tin Maung — Succeeded Saya Chit as Director of UCC; During his tenure, Department of Computer Science & Institute of Computer Science and Technology (ICST) with Saya as Rector were established.
U Ko Ko Lay — Co-founder of UCC; Saya served as Operations Manager, Scientific Applications Manager, Professor at DCS and ICST
U Aung Zaw — Wrote lecture guides and manuals with Saya Paing and me; Taught at UCC, CSO, Asssumption Univeristy and Sydney; Passed away in Sydney, Australia in 2021.
U Mya Thein — Transferred from the Department of Commerce, Institute of Economics to UCC as Business Applications Programmer; Retired as Business Applications Manager; Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST, but also at ITBMU (International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University).
U Kyaw Nyein — Scientific Applications Programmer; Taught Numerical Methods and/or Numerical Analysis; Joined UN; During a UN assignment, his team was relocated due to war/conflict in the area.
U Win Naing — Science Scholar; 1st batch of M.Sc. (CS) with Systems Option; Scientific Applications
U Hla Min (EP70) — Chief Operator; Attended post-graduate course in UK, where he met his beloved; Early casualty (passed away at the tender age of 30+).
U Soe Myint (M72) — Retired as Pro-Rector of ICST
U Khin Maung Aye (M73) — 1st batch of M.Sc. (CS) with Applications Option; Railways
U Myint Aung (Admin) — Would often drive the E-2000 ferry.
Daw Khin Lay Myint (Admin) — Joined UCC as Secretary; Became BC.
U Shein Soe Myint (EC83) — Served in various capacities (Engineering, Teaching …); Passed away in Singapore while doing his Ph.D.
U Thein Tan — Attended M.Sc.; Close friend of U Zaw Tun.
U Aung Aung Thein — served in various capacities at UCC (Engineering, Teaching)
Daw Kyu Kyu Lwin — Ad hoc Tutor for Mathematics; Operator / Job Assembler; Transferred to SSB (Social Security Board) Computer Section.
Daw Win May Thaung — Operator / Job Assembler; Cousin: Ronnie Hla Maung (SPHS)
Daw Khin Mya Swe — M.Sc. (CS); Passed away in Lesotho
Daw Khin Toe Nyein — M.Sc. (CS); Classmate: Daw Pale (Pearl) Shein.
Daw Khin San Hlaing (Cynthia) — UCC Librarian.; M.Sc. (CS); Worked at (or attended) AIT; Passed away in Australia
Daw Nge Ma Than — Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST; Prisoner of Conscience; Spouse : U Myint Swe.
Daw Aye Aye Kyi — Operator / Job Assembler;Spouse: U Han Nyunt (SPHS)
U Maung Maung Gyi — Chief Operator
U Maung Maung Lay — Computer Operator
U Aung Myint — Computer Engineer
U Soe Thein — Business Applications Programmer
Courses at UCC
UCC Course
Saya Chit was Founder/Director of UCC and Professor of Mathematics Department at RASU. Saya Chit arranged UCC to conduct degree and post-graduate diploma courses under the aegis of the Department of Mathematics, RASU. UCC also conducted training courses for computer users. Several distinguished Professors from US, UK and Europe lectured at UCC as part of the “UCC Project”.
Saya Chit was succeeded as Director of UCC by Dr. Tin Maung (son of U Kar).
Academic courses
The courses given under the aegis of Department of Mathematics include :
M.Sc. (CS)
DAC
Courses for computer users
COC (Computer Orientation Course)
CPC (Computer Programming Course)
Elective for Honors and Post-graduate in other disciplines
Intensive training (e.g. for the Population Census Data Processing)
Special training (e.g. for those selected as State Scholars)
Planning (e.g. for departments intending to purchase computers)
Three Win Myint
There were three people at UCC (Universities’ Computer Center) named Win Myint.
Win Myint (1)
U Win Myint and U Maung Maung Lay
He was a High School Luyechun from Beik (Mergui). He was caught off guard when the then new Education System used the ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate) to determine the admission to the Universities and Institutes. He found himself studying Philosophy along with others who supposedly had “low” ILA scores.
Instead of using the marks directly, the ILA uses a “distribution” of the marks for each subject and gives a score from 1 to 20. The ILA system helped students with balanced marks. By having marks in the top tier for each subject, a student can get a good score.
But a student with low marks in a subject (e.g. Burmese or English) would be penalized by the ILA system.
Philosophy is derived from Phil (love of) and Sophy (Wisdom). The highest degree is called Ph.D (Doctorate of Philosophy). It is ironic that students with low ILA scores were forced to major in Philosophy.
Ko Win Myint is an exception. He was determined to pursue a challenging career. Since he wanted to learn and work with computers, he enhanced his typing skills for both English and Burmese. It was a requirement for the position of Secretary at the newly formed UCC.
Grapevine says that his interview at PSC (Public Services Commission) was fast and smooth. When he said, “I am Bet Thar (or similar meaning ‘I am from Beik (Mergui)’”, the PSC Chairman who was from Beik validated Ko Win Myint’s appointment as Secretary.
He not only typed very fast, but he learned Computer Science and Applications quickly and proficiently. He became a programmer.
Win Myint (2)
He majored in Mathematics and received Masters.
He was from SLR Settlement and Land Record dept.
He got appointment in UCC as programmer and then got UNV post at PG.
Win Myint (3)
He operated the cyclostyle (Gestener). The lecture guides were printed mostly on Sittaung paper and some on the Ye Ni paper.
Lecture Guides
“Introduction to Computers”, “Introduction to Computer Programming” and several Guide Books were written by Saya U Soe Paing, Saya U Aung Zaw and me. We thank Ko Win Myint (1) and Ko Win Myint (3) for the production.
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :
I had a different story about getting a job. I had only done 8 month internship, one of the tutors in medicine was transferred out. When Saya U Ba Than asked whom the professors wanted to replace her, they asked for me. I was called in by the Rector about posting me as tutor. When I told him I could not join not having finished my internship, he was so upset that “You want to erase with your feet, what I has written by hand”. I was made to report for duty. I went back and with the professor’s permission, I returned to finish my internship to get my medical registration.
Soon, my friends and I had to go for interview with PSC. The Chairman of PSC was U Khin Maung Phyu. Both he and Dr U Ba Than were classmates with my father. As I went in U Ba Than said to U Khin Maung Phyu, “Ko Khin Maung Phyu, he is Ko Kyaw Myint’s son and I have already posted him to Department of Medicine.” U Khin Maung Phyu said, “How is your father?” I replied that my father was good. Then he said that I could go !!! Must be the shortest interview in PSC.
History
I love history including History of Computing and History of Myanmar Engineering Education.
Why should we study History? Dr. Than Tun said, “So that one would not be stupid or dumb.” There’s an old adage, “History repeats itself”.
A historian presents facts. He should not give his opinion.
The historian from Smithsonian said, “There is no single correct history. There are often multiple competing histories.”
I am grateful to my spouse, who said “You should pay back to your alma mater and your country.”
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) said that I should record my oral stories and put them to print for posterity. UCSY sayamas requested me to write for 30th Anniversary of ICST/UCSY.
My beloved parents said, “Any thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well”.
I have shared my memories about the early days of Computing in Burma.
I am revising the posts.
I hope that the readers will help “fill in the blanks” and correct errors and inconsistencies. Collectively, we can turn the posts into a reasonably good document worthy of printing (or at least publish as an e-book).
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :
When we conducted the Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Study, the data analysis was from me at UCC. Ko Ronnie Myo Min and many UCC staff helped us with the data analysis.
Dr. TOKM added :
The next project we did was “Risk Approach in Delivery of MCH Care”. We did a prospective study on the risk of mothers dying during pregnancy and child birth. As the outcome was measured by “relative risk” and “absolute risk” it was much easier to analyse the data.
Our team used 1MB handheld Sinclair computer for our study. Our team did not have monitors nor printers. Your nephew Peter (Khin Tun) worked out RR and AR on Sinclair, read the result on Saya U Tin U’s old TV and copied out the results by hand. Peter still had a copy of the final report. I left my copy at home and got lost.
UCC Gatherings
Over the years, I attended several mini-gatherings and gatherings hosted by UCC sayas and alumni.
Yangon
Saya U Soe Paing regular hosts gatherings (usually dinner meeting) at his house. Sayagadaw Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69) was my class mate. She also attended CPC course.
U Thein Oo, Daw Than Than Tint, Daw Tin May Lwin and several others help organize the gatherings.
U Thein Oo, U Htin Kyaw, U Aung Aung and several others provided us transportation to or from Saya Paing’s house.
UCC 40th Anniversary Gathering
It was the Reunion of Staff, Teachers (Past and Present) and Students.
Daw Ngwe Tin, Aye Aye Myint and sisters, Maung Myint, who maintained the UCC building rooms were among the attendees.
Dr. Tin Maung (GBNF) was represented by Sayagadaw and Saya’s daughter.
There was fun and laughter, music and dances, and good old memories.
Daw Khin Lay Myint joined UCC as Secretary and then worked as Administrator Officer. She is now GBNF.
U Soe Myint (M72) joined UCC as Operator. He served as Shift Lead, expert in Mechanical Drawing and AutoCAD, and retired as Pro-Rector of ICST. He is also GBNF.
UCSY Gathering
In January 14, 2018, I attended the 5th UCSY Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe as “Generation Zero” representative and the “Most Senior” (not by age). Several attendees started their studies and/or careers at UCC.
Sao Yan Naing, son of Dr. Saw Naing (SPHS59), gave me a ride to the Pu Zaw Pwe. He is a nephew of Dr Myo Khin & a cousin of Soe Lin Maung (UCC).
Sydney in 2006
During my visit to Sydney in 2006, I met several UCC alumni.
Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF) and Daw Kyawt organized a Reunion and mini-PZP for Saya Dr. F Ba Hla (GBNF) & Saya Dr. Chit Swe (GBNF). They were helped by U Sein Myint Maung & Daw Khin Aye Mu, U Htay Aung (Victor) & Daw Tin Tin Hlaing to name a few. I met Daw Thanda Htwe and “UCC Pha Yaung Daing”.
U Sein Tin hosted a dinner and also created a short music video.
USA
Dr. Raiful Ahad (Fremont), U Khin Zaw (Cupertino), U Aung Myint Oo (EC84) and Daw Thida Khin (Fremont), U Sein Myint (EC76) & Daw Sao Mon Sint (New Jersey) and U Toung (EC69, Connecticut) hosted UCC gatherings (especially to welcome and alumni visiting US).
Ivan Lee (M69) hosts an annual joint gathering for UCC and RIT sayas and alumni at his home in New Jersey.
Singapore
U Tin Aung Win (C80), U Zaw Tun and Daw Pale Shein organized buffet gathering. U Aung Aung, & Daw Kyin Mya are regulars at the gatherings.
U Shein Soe Myint (EC83) is GBNF.
Some (e.g. U Win Latt, Daw Myint Myint Thein) have moved from Singapore.
Activities
Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
U Saung Tin (CSO) and U Thein Oo are excellent players.
Volleyball
Rafiul Ahad (who was 3rd in Burma in Hurdles) hurt his knee. Daw Nwe Nwe Win (Judy) is often the sixth member of an all-male team.
Soccer
UCC team (including Saya U Ko Ko Lay & U Kyaw Nyein) played against other teams in and around Hlaing Campus.
UCC Dobat
U Win Hlaing played the Dobat. Others (e.g. Maung Myint, U Hla Pe) would play Wah Let Khote (bamboo clapper) and Ya Gwin.
Donlaba
UCC used to celebrate Thingyan and Su Paung Donlaba.
Dr. Chit Swe, Win Maung, Hla Min, Tun Aung Gyaw, Soe Myint, Khin Maung Aye, Daw Khin Khin Latt
UCC had a Su Paung Donlaba for several years at Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung and other monasteries.
The Donlaba monks would be offered Soon at the UCC Thingyan.
There would also be Water Throwing and occasionally “Ye Pet Khan” to selected mandats.
Ad Hoc Trips
U Aung Zaw led some trips (e.g. to Maw Tin Zun).
Soul Mates
Some found their soul mates while working or studying at UCC.
Aung Aung & Kyin Mya
Aung Myint Oo & Thida Khin
Boe Ba Shan & Phyu Phyu Win
Kyaw Zwa Than (Jaws) & Khin Khin Kyu (K-cube)
Htay Aung & Tin Tin Hlaing
Myint Oo & Tin Tin Hla
Myint Swe & Nge Ma Ma Than
Myint Zaw & Nwe Nwe Win (Judy)
Sein Myint (Bei Gyi) & Sao Mon Sint (Cindy)
Sein Myint Maung & Khin Aye Mu
Soe Than & Wai Wai Than
Than Maung Maung & Khin Si Thoung
Thaung Tin & Tin Tin Aye
Thein Oo & Than Than Tint
Win Hlaing & Thida Kyi
Win Myint & Nu Nu Aung
Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ) wrote :
Ko Soe Myint Gyi was one of the very humble people I have ever known. He spoke very soft, never see him angry nor heard him raise his voice. Even though I am some years junior to him (he’s M72 and me EC76) he always treated me with dignity and respect. I really miss him, may his beautiful soul rest in peace.
Anniversary Soon Kway
U Thein Oo and Daw Than Than Tint Soon Kway at Yaw Sayadaw’s Kayung Daik.
Attendees include
Saya U Soe Paing and Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69)
U Myint Swe
Daw Tin Moe We (Sweetie)
Daw Myint Myint Thein (Susan)
Soon Kyway
Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo (GBNF)
He matriculated from SPHS in 1968. Hewas admitted as Roll Number One to 1st BE. He was selected RIT Luyechun.
He graduated among the top of the EP74 class.
He studied Computer Science at UCC.
He received a Ph.D. in EE from Syaracuse University, New York.
His final job was as Part Time Professor at San Jose State University (SJSU).
He used the spare time for his hobbies : (a) Tinkering old cars (b) Painting (c) Cooking (d) Stock Market (e) Writing movie scripts
He did not miss a class. When he did not show up for a few classes, the students were alarmed and requested SJSU authorities to check his home. They found the doors locked. After a few days, they broke in to find him lifeless on his bed. Postmortem indicated an aneurysm.
Since he was single and had no next-o-kin in the USA, SJSU asked the Burmese Community to help. Members of the “RIT Alumni International” and BAPS helped with the fund raising for the final journey of HLN.
I was honored to push the incinerator, and later to scatter the ashes in the ocean. There was no next-of-kin of HLN in the USA. KMZ remembered that Kyaw Swa Than (Jaws, UCC) was HLN’s cousin. The missing link was supplied by some alumni (including Ko Ko Kyi). KMZ set up special web page for HLN. My poem was also posted there. I wrote about HLN’s Sea Burial for BAPS Newsletter.
HLN Memorial Pages
U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76, KMZ) set up the “HLN Memorial Pages” in the ex-RIT web site (which is now defunct). I wrote a poem “HTAY LWIN NYO“.
BAPS Newsletter
I also wrote “A Sea Burial for Professor Htay Lwin Nyo” for the BAPS Newsletter and the RIT web site.
Ko Ko Kyi (EC72) wrote :
Ko Hla Min, sad to read about Htay Lwin Nyo’s sea burial. I played a small part in notifying his first cousin Myo San Than in Toronto, when my brother called me from Birmingham, UK and informed me about HLN’s demise. Apparently, someone from California had contacted a friend of my brother’s and asked him to inform me, as he knew that HLN had a cousin living in Toronto. I informed HLN’s cousin Myo San Than, who called his elder brother living in Winnipeg, Canada. Subsequently, this cousin went to the US for HLN’s funeral. HLN was a good friend of mine, although he was two years my junior at RIT.
Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
I was actually a former classmate of HLN’s younger brother Aung Lwin Nyo in St. Paul’s High School [SPHS (6) Botataung]. All their brothers were OPs, HLN was 2 years senior to us, Old Paulians. I did not know HLN that well until we met again, the third time, at UCC. Of course he was part of our rival group while at RIT. Both of us ended up in US, he was several years earlier than me.
We met again when he moved to West Coast, namely San Jose, California while I was in Seattle. We visited him in San Jose, went Yosemite among other places, he visited us in Seattle, went up to Vancouver, Canada. Couple of years moved, he became upset with me for a reason unknown to me at the time, refused to take my calls. I eventually met him on one of my visits to California, forced him to tell me why he did not want to talk to me any longer. According to him, there were some rumors back in Yangon about his demise, his parents were very upset and he surmise that it could have been me who spread these rumors. I had to swear to him that those were nothing to do with me at all, as I lost contact with everyone, family and friends, back in Burma at that time.
So one could imagine my despair when I received a call, a year or so later, from Maurice Chee (M75) that HLN was found dead in his apartment, asking me if I knew him and also requested me to make an announcement on www,ex-rit,org site. I had to explain Maurice the background story, told him I would not do so until I have a solid information. I ended up calling HLN’s head of department at SJSU, San Jose State University. She assured me that they went to HLN’s apartment, broke it inside with the help of the Police. Sad news indeed. While Maurice Chee, Ko Banny Tan (M70), U Hla Min and RIT Alumni at BAPS, Bay Area alumni group, started working on the funeral, I called a friend, HLN’s cousin, in Manitoba, Canada, Kyaw Zwa Than (ex-UCC), to get the contact of HLN’s family back in Rangoon. I finally spoke with the elder brother, Ko Kyaw Lwin Nyo, who requested us to proceed with the funeral.
PS: I met HLN’s elder brother for the first time, this passed November 2018, at the OPA, Old Paulians’ Association, dinner. My OP friends told me that Aung Lwin Nyo met similar fate, passed away while in his bed some years back. Myo San Than (as mentioned in U Ko Ko Kyi’s comment) is the younger brother of Kyaw Zwa Than. KZT’s family : KZT, his wife KCube (Khin Khin Kyi) and their two sons, Alex and Nicholas, have since moved to Denver, Colorado, USA.
Daw Nge Ma Ma Than (GBNF)
Ma Nge (Theresa, GBNF) is the youngest child of U Aung Than (brother of Boyoke Aung San & Arzanee U Ba Win).
She matriculated from MEHS.
She graduated from RASU.
She studied and taught at UCC, DCS and ICST.
At UCC, she and Judy (Nwe Nwe Win) were considered as “UCC Twins”. Grapevine says that some guy approached them and gave each a copy of his “Yee Zar Sar” (love letter).
She found her love life U Myint Swe (ex-UCC).
During the Adhamma Era, she, her brother and U Myint Swe were detained by the higher authorities.
She became a Prisoner of Conscience.
I last met her at the 5th Acariya Puzaw Pwe of ICST.
Her health declined, but she kept on smiling. She did not complain about the aches and pains.
U Myint Swe reported the journal of her hospitalization and medical treatment.
Even in her final days, her thoughts were with former Prisoners of Conscience.
Ma Nge at the hospitalMa Nge and her cousin
U Soe Myint (M72, GBNF)
M72 friends call him “Phone Gyi Soe Myint”. At UCC, he is known as “Sunlun Soe Myint”.
His father U Thein Nyunt (Retired Secretary of Religious Affairs) was a friend and an early devotee of Sayadaw U Vinaya. U Soe Myint also served as Kappiya from his younger days.
He came to see me during my last visit and shared his knowledge about U Lokanatha (Italian American monk) and how he provided financial support to buy the land for Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung. He gave me a “Chone Hte” (for monk) to take back to the US.
On a subsequent visit to Yangon, we were sad to learn of his untimely demise.
On the fateful day, he made two trips to the Kaba Aye Sunlun Gu Kyaung monastery, because he forgot his donation on his first trip. He also visited his nephew & niece who were having dialysis treatment. May be because of his karma or because of the trips he took that day, he passed away around 3 AM.
Four Decade Old Photo
Win Hlaing
Henry Maung Maung (Census, GBNF)
Kyu Kyu Lwin (GBNF)
Khin Si Thoung (Busi Baung – USA)
Khin Khin Win (Five Star Line – USA)
Phyu Phyu Win (Singapore)
Win May Thaung (GBNF)
Tin Tin Yi (Port Authority)
Hla Hla Win (Wa – GBNF)
Aung Myint (AM, GBNF)
Soe Myint (Sunlun, M72, GBNF)
Seven of the eleven in the photo are GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten)
Annotation by KMZ, AM, Judy, Sweetie
Epilog
Computer Science and Technology is continually evolving.
There are two (or more) early definitions of Computer Science.
Computer Science is the study of phenomena surrounding Computing.
Computer Science is the study of Algorithms and Data Structures.
The first definition has the same flavor as a definition of Physics. It is general to say, “Physics is the study of natural phenomena.”
The second definition might sound restrictive, but it still covers a lot of topics and application.
There is a book called “PROGRAM = ALGORITHMS + DATA STRUCTURES”.
Professor Donald Knuth (Stanford University) thought that he could finish his 7-volume book “THE ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING” in a couple of years. It was an under-estimate of the growth of Computers, Computer Science and Applications. It took over two decades to complete and revise the first three volumes and part of the fourth volume. One reason was that his book contributed to the growth of the Design and Analysis of Algorithms.
I have covered some topics in the early days of Computing in general and UCC in particular.
I missed out several people. I mentioned many names, but did not elaborate on some of them.
I did not cover in-depth the PDP configuration and use, the introduction of PCs, and robots.
It would take a long time and I would not be able to fill in all the blanks.
I believe an idea that characterizes Jules Verne. “If one can dream, others can fulfill”.
I had a personal experience to support that idea. In 1999, I started “RIT International Newsletter” and dreamed that sayas and alumni will get reconnected electronically and physically. With the help of sponsors (including five Golden Sponsors), able and dedicated sayas and alumni, volunteers, supporters and well-wishers, the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP (Saya Pu Zaw Pwe) was held in San Francisco in October 2000. The world-wide SPZPs were subsequently held in Singapore in 2002, 2007 and 2010, and in Yangon in 2004, 2012 and 2016.
I have paid back to RIT.
I am now paying back to UCC, DCS and ICST.
Thanks to my family members for supporting me in the endeavors to pay back to the institutions and my mentors that helped me develop to where I am today.
I am confident that sayas and alumni of UCC, ICST & UCSY will enhance my posts into a document that historians will envy.
Kamma is a Pali word meaning action or doing. In its general sense kamma means all good and bad intentional actions whether mental, verbal or physical (thoughts, words and deeds). In the Buddhist teachings, all physical (kãrya kamma), verbal (vacî kamma) and mental (mano kamma) actions are known as the three kammas. All beings perform these three kammas at all waking hours. All their work, great or small, is performed by means of these three kammas. These three kammas become inert when a person is asleep. In the case of a dead person, the three kammas cease to function as far as that body is concerned.
In its ultimate sense, kamma means all moral and immoral volition. The Buddha says: “O Bhikkhus, I declare that volition (cetanã) is kamma. Having volition, one acts by body, speech and thought” (Aînguttara Nikãya).
When any action of thought, word or body takes place, volition determines or causes its concomitants to perform their respective functions simultaneously. For this reason, volition is predominant in all actions. Involuntary, unintentional or unconscious actions, though technically deeds, do not constitute kamma, because volition, the most important factor in determining kamma, is absent. Thus, the real nature of action (kamma) of man is mental.
According to Abhidhammã, 29 types of consciousness (Citta) consisting of (i) 12 types of immoral consciousness (akusala citta) and (ii) 8 types of moral consciousness (kusala citta) from among the 54 types of mundane consciousness (kãmãvacara citta) pertaining to the sentient realm, (iii) 5 types of moral consciousness (kusala citta) pertaining to the realms of form (rüpãvacara citta or jhãnas), and (iv) 4 types of moral consciousness (kusala citta) pertaining to the formless realms (arüpãvacara citta or jhãnas), are called kamma because they have the power to produce their due effects quite automatically, independent of any external agency.
The eight types of supramundane consciousness (lokuttarã citta) are not regarded as kamma because they tend to eradicate the roots of kamma; in them, the predominant factor is wisdom (paññã) while in the mundane, it is volition (cetanã).
Inherent in kamma is the potential of producing its due effect.
Every volitional action is inevitably accompanied by its due effect just as every object is accompanied by its shadow. Kamma is action and vipãka, fruit or result, is its effect. If kamma is likened to a seed, then the fruit, arising from the tree, is vipãka, effect or result. As kamma may be good or bad, so may vipãka be good or bad. As kamma is mental, so vipãka, too, is mental; it is experienced as happiness or misery, according to the nature of the kamma seed. The concomitant material conditions may be advantageous (ãnisamsa) such as prosperity, health and longevity, or disadvantageous (ãdinava) such as poverty, ugliness, disease, short life-span, etc.
As surely as water seeks its own level, so does kamma, given opportunity, produce its inevitable result not as reward or punishment, but as an innate sequence. From a Buddhist standpoint, happiness and misery are not rewards and punishments assigned by a supernatural, omniscient power to one that has done good or evil. The sequence of action and effect is a natural law of kamma.
There are inequalities and many different destinies of human beings in the world. For example, one perishes in infancy and another lives to the age of eighty or more, one is sick and infirm and another healthy and strong, one is a millionaire and another a pauper, one is handsome and another ugly, one is brought up in luxury and another in misery, one is a genius and another a half-wit.
What is the cause of these inequalities? The Buddha’s reply is: “All living beings have actions (kamma) as their own, their inheritance, their congenital cause, their kinsman, their refuge. It is kamma that differentiates beings into low and high states” (Majjhima Nikãya).
According to Buddhism, the disparities that exist in the world are not due to blind chance. They are due, to some extent, to heredity and environment, and, to a greater extent, to kamma which includes not only the present kamma, but also the proximate or remote past kamma. While Buddhism teaches that kamma is the chief cause of inequalities in the world, it does not teach fatalism or the doctrine of pre-destination.
In the Aînguttara Nikãya, the Buddha states: “If anyone says that one must reap according to his deeds, in that case there is no religious life nor is an opportunity afforded for the entire extinction of sorrow. But if anyone says that which one reaps accords with one’s deeds, in that case there is a religious life and an opportunity afforded for the entire extinction of sorrow.”
Thus, Buddhism does not hold the view that everything is due to past kamma. Kamma is not fate. Kamma is not irrevocable destiny imposed upon us by some unknown power to which we must helplessly submit ourselves. The past influences the present but does not entirely control it, for kamma of the past as well as the present are in effect in the present. The past and present influence the future. One’s action (kamma) of a later day may modify the effects of one’s action (kamma) of a former day.
One may at any moment change for the better or for the worse. In Buddhism, therefore, man has a certain amount of free will, and there is almost every possibility to mould one’s kamma. If this were not so, what possibility would there ever be of a man’s getting free from all kamma forever. It would be perpetually self-continuing energy that could never come to an end.
What is the cause of kamma? Ignorance (avijjã), not knowing things as they truly are, is the chief cause of kamma. Dependent on ignorance arise kammic activities. Associated with ignorance is its ally, craving (tanhã), the other root cause of kamma. Evil actions are conditioned by these two causes. All good deeds of a worldling, though associated with the three wholesome roots of generosity (alobha), goodwill (adosa) and knowledge (amoha), are nevertheless regarded as kamma because the two roots of ignorance (avijjã) and craving (tanhã) are dormant in him.
Who is the doer of kamma? Who experiences the effects? Volition (cetanã) is itself the doer. Feeling (vedanã) is itself the reaper of the fruits of action. Apart from these pure mental states there is none to sow and none to reap.
Venerable Buddhaghosa writes in Visuddhimagga: “No doer is there who does the deed, Nor is there one who feels the fruit, Constituent parts alone roll on, This indeed is right discernment.”
Where is kamma? Kamma is not stored anywhere within or without the body. It is not stored somewhere in this fleeting consciousness or in any other part of the mind or the body. But dependent on mind and matter kamma rests, manifesting itself at the opportune moment. Thus, kamma is an individual force, and is transmitted from one existence to another.
Buddhism teaches that there is no permanent soul, no eternal, immortal soul that directs one’s action. So, if there is no soul, what is it that is reborn? The answer is kammic energy: the actions we have done. These actions do not disappear unless or until they have produced their effects. So each being has body and mind as a result of actions they did in the past or in the present, and thus this kammic action goes on and on.
Kamma may be classified in many ways. Kamma is classified into four kinds according to the time at which results are produced: 1. kamma that produces results in the same life-time (Ditthadhammavedaniya kamma); 2. kamma that produces results in the next life (Upapajjavedaniya kamma); 3. kamma that produces results in any one (or more) of successive births and is indefintely effective (Aparãpariyavedaniya kamma); (These first three types require auxiliary causes such as circumstances, surroundings, etc., to produce an effect.) 4. and, kamma that does not produce any result (Ahosi kamma).
The timing of the results of kamma depends upon which thought-moment is associated with the thought-processes (cittavîthi) of volition (cetanã). According to Abhidhammã one thought-process is completed at the expiration of seventeen thought-moments, consisting of seven initial thought-moments followed by seven javana states (at which point an action is judged whether it be moral or immoral, and kamma is performed) and subsequently by votthapana (determining consciousness) and two Tadãlambana (registering consciousness).
Of the seven javana thought-moments, the effect of the first javana thought-moment is the weakest in potentiality, and is manifested in this life (Ditthadhammavedaniya kamma). If it does not operate in this life, it becomes ineffective (Ahosi kamma).
The next weakest is the seventh javana thought-moment; its effect is reaped in the subsequent birth (Upapajjavedaniya kamma). This, too, becomes ineffective (Ahosi kamma) if it does not operate in the next rebirth.
The effect of the five intermediate javana thought-moments (Aparãpariyavedaniya kamma) may take place at any time in the course of one’s wanderings in life continua (Samsãrã) until the final emancipation. No person – not even the Buddha and Arahants – is exempt from this kamma.
Kamma is also classified into four kinds according to its particular function (kicca): 1. Janaka (Reproductive) kamma which conditions the next rebirth; 2. Upatthambhaka (Supportive) kamma which assists or maintains the results of already-existing kamma; 3. Upapilaka (Counteractive) kamma which suppresses or modifies the result of the reproductive kamma; and 4. Upaghãtaka (Destructive) kamma which destroys the force of existing kamma and substitutes its own resultants.
Again, it is the last (seventh) javana thought-process – Janaka (Reproductive) kamma – that determines the state of a person in his/her subsequent birth. As a rule, the last javana thought-process depends on the general conduct of a person. In exceptional cases, perhaps due to favorable or unfavorable circumstances, at the moment of death a good person may experience a bad last javana thought and a bad person a good one. The subsequent birth will be determined by this last javana thought-process, irrespective of the general conduct. This does not mean that the effects of the past actions are obliterated. They will, in turn, produce their inevitable results at the appropriate moment.
o assist and maintain or to weaken and obstruct the fruition of this reproductive (Janaka) kamma, another past kamma may intervene, being supportive (Upatthambhaka kamma) or counteractive (Upapilaka kamma), respectively.
The reproductive (Janaka) kamma can be totally annulled by Upaghãtaka (Destructive) kamma which is a more powerful opposing past kamma, that, seeking an opportunity, may quite unexpectedly operate; it is more powerful than the above two in that it not only obstructs but also destroys the whole force of existing kamma.
There is another classification of kamma according to the priority of effect: 1. Garuka (Weighty or serious) kamma which produces its effects for certain in the present life or in the next (On the moral side, these weighty actions are the jhanas, while on the immoral side, they are heinous crimes (ãnantariya kamma) namely, matricide, parricide, the murder of an Arahant, the wounding of the Buddha, and the creation of a schism in the Sangha); 2. Ãsanna (death proximate) kamma which is the action that one does or recollects – mentally or physically – immediately before the moment of death and it determines the conditions of the next birth; 3. Ãcinna (habitual) kamma which is action that one performs and recollects constantly, and in the absence of death-proximate kamma, produces and determines the next birth; and 4. Katattã kamma which is the last in priority of results and is the unexpended kamma of a particular being that has followed him/her through the continua of kappas (Samsãrã), and it conditions the next birth if there is none of the above kammas to operate.
Kamma is further classified according to the place in which the results are produced: (1) Immoral (akusala) kamma that produces its effects in the plane of misery: Immoral (akusala) kamma is rooted in greed (Lobha), anger (Dosa) and delusion (Moha). There are ten immoral (akusala) actions (kamma): • killing (pãnãtipãtã), • stealing (adinnãdãnã), • sexual misconduct (kãmesu micchãcãrã) {these three are committed by deed}, • lying (musãvãdã), • slandering (pisunãvãcã), • harsh language (pharusãvãcã), • frivolous talk (samphappalãpa) {these four are committed by word}, • covetousness (abhijjhã), • ill will (vyãpãda), and • false view (micchãditthi) {these three are committed by mind}. (2) Moral (kusala) kamma which produces its effects in the plane of the world of desires: There are ten moral (kusala) actions (kamma): • alms-giving (dãna), • observance of five or eight precepts (sîla), • practicing meditation (bhãvanã), • reverence (apacãyana), • service (veyyãvacca), • sharing of merit (pattidãna), • rejoicing in others’ good actions (pattãnumodanã), • hearing the doctrine (dhammasavana), • expounding the doctrine (dhammadesanã), • and, forming correct views (ditthijukamma). (3) Moral (kusala) kamma that produces its effects in the realms of form (Rupa): It is of five types, which are purely mental actions (meditation) leading to the five states of rüpa jhãna. (4) Moral (kusala) kamma which produces its effect in the formless realms: These are four types of purely mental actions (meditation) leading to four types of moral consciousness (arüpa jhãna).
Kammasakatã Sammã-ditthi: Right understanding of the truth about the fact that in the case of beings only the two things – namely, good and bad actions done by them – are their own possessions that always accompany them throughout their life continua, wherever they may wander in Samsãrã.
1. Sabbe sattã kammasakã: Only the volitional good or bad actions done by all sentient beings are their own possessions that always accompany them wherever they may wander in Samsãrã.
2. Sabbe sattã Kamma dãyãdã: All beings are the heirs of their own kamma (good or bad actions). The kamma performed by beings are always theirs in their future existences. Only Kamma is inherited by beings. The effects of one’s kamma always accompany one in many existences yielding good or bad results at the opportune moments. One can never get rid of that kamma, but one has to enjoy or suffer its results under appropriate circumstances.
3. Sabbe sattã Kamma yoni: All beings are the descendants of their own kamma. With regard to the present good and evil results, one’s own kamma performed in the present existence with wisdom and knowledge or otherwise as well as one’s own wholesome kamma such as alms-giving, morality, etc., and unwholesome kamma such as killing beings, etc., performed in past existences are the primary causes (parents) of good and evil results.
4. Sabbe sattã Kamma bandhü: Kamma alone is the real relative that all beings can rely on through their life continua in Samsãrã. Parents, brothers, relatives, etc, whom we love and rely upon, can be loved and relied upon for only a short period, i.e., before our death. One’s own physical, verbal and mental kamma are one’s constant companions who accompany one in future existences, wholesome kamma giving happiness and prosperity. Thus, one’s wholesome kamma alone is one’s real relative who should be esteemed and relied upon.
5. Sabbe sattã Kamma patisaranã: Kamma alone is the real refuge of all beings. Here, refuge means reliance upon or taking shelter for protection against troubles and dangers. Unwholesome kamma will lead one to be reborn to the lower world where one has to suffer grievously. Performing wholesome kamma will lead one to be reborn as a man or deva, and save him from the lower worlds in the future existences.
In Buddhism, there are four kinds of taking refuge for the future: (i) taking refuge in the Buddha, (ii) taking refuge in the Dhamma, (iii) taking refuge in the Sangha, and (iv) taking refuge in one’s own wholesome kamma.
This is explained by the following example. All worldlings who indulge in sensual pleasures resemble sick persons who, to be cured, would take refuge in the chief physician (the Buddha), in good medicines (the Dhamma), in the assistant physicians (the Sangha) and in following the physician’s directions (physical, verbal and mental wholesome kamma).
The three refuges, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, exist only during the Buddhasãsana. They do not exist outside the Buddhasãsana.
The refuge of wholesome kamma exists both within and outside the Buddhasãsana. We can never be free from kamma that is operating all the time in this universe as well as in other innumerable universes. For this reason, kamma is our refuge throughout our life-continua in Samsãrã.
6. Yam kammam karissanti kilayãnam vã pãpakam vã tassa kammassa dãyãdã bhavissanti: Whatever good or bad actions are done by beings bodily, verbally or mentally, they become the heirs of their kamma.
Design and production of fabrics Natural Synthetic
Current offerings in universities include a multi-disciplinary program (e.g. Textile, Chemical and more)
Textile Sayas
U Maung Maung Than (GBNF)
U Maung Maung Than
Matriculated in 1949
States scholar to study undergraduate and graduate degrees in Textile Engineering
Alumnus of Clemson University
Former Professor, Textile
Former Rector, YTU
Former DG
Chair, RIT Sports Council
Expertise : Chinlon, Harp
U Shwe Yee (GBNF)
Early graduate
Former Professor, Textile
Daughter-in-law : Writer, speaker
U Hla Shwe (T69, GBNF)
Former Associate Professor, Textile
Resisted “pressure” from Adhamma Authorities e.g. end class teaching and pay respect to “visiting” Taing Hmu
Received donations from former colleagues and students and some unknown alumni for his Medical / Health Care
Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) wrote about him and U Tin Shwe (EP66) in “Shwe Hnit Shwe”; I translated the poem as “To the Shwe Duo”
Female Engineers
The First batch include Sayama Amy, Sayama Julie, Daw Yin Yin Kyi and Daw Mi Mi Lay
The Second batch : Daw Khin Than Nwe (Margaret)
Daw Tin Tin Ohn (Amy Thwin, T61, GBNF)
Joined Faculty upon graduation
Father : U Thwin (Principal, Boundary Road Technical School)
Dr. Julie Han (T61, GBNF)
Joined Faculty upon graduation
Attended SPZP-2000 and provided a brief bio
Former Vice President, Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA); Led fund raising to establish Dhammananda Vihara
Upon her demise, Saya U Htin Paw (EE58, former TBSA President) donated $2000 to Dhammananda Vihara in her memory
Daw Yin Yin Kyi (T61)
Worked in industry
Met her twice : in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Sydney, Australia
Spouse : U Aung Gyi (Simon, ChE62)
Naw Mu Mu Aye (T69)
Former Professor, Textile
Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69)
Worked in industry
She and Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC) hosted gatherings for UCC alumni visiting Yangon
She and Ko Tint Lwin (Daniel, M69) sent photos and reports of the “30th Anniversary of Graduation of the Class of 69”. They are partly responsible for Yours Truly to started the RIT Alumni International Newsletter in 1999.
Miscellaneous
Jimmy Kyin (T69, GBNF) Represented RIT in Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Weightlifting and Body Building)
Hla Tun (T69, GBNF) fondly known as Japun Gyi Spouse : Dolly Gale / Ma Swe
Textile factories before Nationalization (and the decline of economy) include Khit Ah Kyaik Nylon : Parents of Saya U Tin Htut (M60) and Sayama Daw Khin Khin Chit Maung (Eng) Hun Tha Aye Nylon : Parents of Daw Than Than Yi (T61) and Dat Pone Sann Aung (M74) Fabric display and sales by celebrities on trains (Yangon – Mandalay lines)
Various kinds of fabrics Including those used by NASA astronauts
Modern technology Computers, Automation, Nanotechnology …
Poem in memory of Saya U Hla Shwe (T69)and U Tin Shwe (EP66)
“To The Shwe Duo” by Tekkatho Moe War
Translated by Hla Min
SHWE duo Blossom in unison Disappear together Free from complaint Even with thin breath Showed mark [of courage and wisdom] Never ever wavered … Pressed by burden At the awaited turn [of journey’s end] Body — inheritance [from previous lives] Succumbs [to failing health] Yet, “Wei-nyin” is fresh, alive and hovering.
In the early days, there were no computers in Burma. IBM (International Business Machines) based in the USA and ICL (International Computers Limited) based in the UK had presence in Burma. Both companies were not ready to introduce computers to Burma. They were supposedly content with leasing unit-record equipment (calculators, tabulators, …) using punched cards. The managers (U Aung Khin and U Kyaw Tha) and their staff were highly paid compared to the Government employees.
In the early sixties, Burma Railways wanted to upgrade to an ICL computer, but the Coup d’etat in 1962 and subsequent restriction of foreign currency exchange (and budget planning rules) effectively derailed the project.
Project
Dr. Chit Swe
In the mid sixties, Dr. Chit Swe (Head of the Maths Department at the Institute of Economics) proposed the need of a computer for teaching and research to Dr. Nyi Nyi (Deputy Minister of Education). Dr. Nyi Nyi suggested the scope to be extended for a computer to serve the staff and selected students of the Universities and Institutes. Thus, the UCC Project was conceived. It was approved in 1970 with UNDP as the Funding Agency and UNESCO as the Execution Agency.
Dr. Chit Swe later became Professor at Maths at RASU (Rangoon Arts and Science University). He offered space at the Maths Department for the early volunteers of the UCC Project. He then obtained permission to use Mandalay Hall for use by the UCC Project before the UCC Building could be completed in Thamaing College Campus.
UCC Founders
Dr. Chit Swe, U Soe Paing, U Myo Min and U Ko Ko Lay founded UCC.
Dr. Chit Swe served as the Founder/Director of UCC. He initiated the academic and training programs. He stressed the importance of technology transfer, leapfrogging technology, knowledge sharing (internally and externally), and challenging the staff and students to try their best.
He requested U Soe Paing (RIT Electrical Engineering) to help design and implement the UCC project.
He inquired the mother of U Myo Min (Chartered Accountant working as Systems Analyst at IBM UK) if U Myo Min would be interested to come back to Burma and help with the UCC project.
U Soe Paing recruited his friend U Ko Ko Lay (PWD, GBNF) to help with the UCC project in general and with the UCC Building Design and Implementation in particular.
April 1, 1971
U Soe Paing transferred to UCC as Manager of Systems Division.
U Myo Min joined UCC as Manager of Applications Divison.
U Ko Ko Lay transferred to UCC as Manager of Operations Division,
I was a member of Generation Zero along with my mentors and U Tun Aung Gyaw (EC69), who was the earliest and longest volunteer of the UCC Project.
Tenure
Dr. Chit Swe retired as Rector of RASU. He moved to Bangkok and Sydney. He passed away in 2019.
U Soe Paing left UCC in the eighties to pursue a career as Technical Adviser and Consultant for the UN projects in several countries.
U Myo Min migrated to USA. He taught briefly at the Nanyang Technical Institute in Singapore. He retired after serving as a Principal for Seagate Technology and Conner.
U Ko Ko Lay had the longest tenure among the UCC Founders. He served as Manager of Operations, Manager of Scientific Applications, Professor at the Department of Computer Science, and Professor of Information Technology. Sadly, he was the first to pass away among the four Founders.
Dr. Tin Maung
He succeeded Dr. Chit Swe as Director of UCC.
DCS
During his tenure, the Department of Computer Science was established at RASU. U Ko Ko Lay served as Professor & Head of the Department. U Tun Aung Gyaw was Associate Professor. I was Lecturer.
ICST
Subsequently, the Institute of Computer Science and Technology (ICST) was established with Dr. Tin Maung as Rector.
U Ko Ko Lay served as Professor and Head of Information Technology.
U Tun Aung Gyaw served as Associate Professor and Head of Hardware Technology.
I served as Associate Professor and Head of Software Technology.
Some sayas from UCC and RASU taught Computational Mathematics.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Dr. Chit Swe (Founder)
U Ko Ko Lay (Founder)
Dr. Tin Maung (UCC Director, ICST Rector)
Dr. Kyaw Thein (ICST)
U Hla Min (SPHS64, EP70) : Initial Chief Operator
U Maung Maung Gyi (SPHS64, Phy68) : Chief Operator
U Maung Maung Lay (St. Albert’s, Ah Ba) : Operator
U Aung Myint (SPHS64, Phy68) Maintenance Engineer
U Soe Myint (M72, DAC) : Pro-Rector, ICST
U Shein Soe Myint (EC83, MSc(CS)) : Passed away in Singapore while doing Ph.D
U Mya Thein : 3rd Business Applications Manager; Visiting lecturer at ITBMU
Daw Kyu Kyu Lwin : Job controller; transferred to Social Security Board Computer Section
Daw Win May Thaung : Offline operator
Daw Khin Mya Swe (M.Sc. (CS)) : Programmer; Passed away in Lesotho
Daw Khin Toe Nyein (M.Sc. (CS)) : Programmer
Daw Thida Aung (M.Sc. (CS)) : Programmer
Daw Khin San Hlaing (Cynthia) Librarian; attended M.Sc. (CS); worked at AIT; Passed away in Australia
Daw Nge Ma Ma Than (DAC) : Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST; Prisoner of Conscience.
Courses at UCC
Dr. Chit Swe was Founder/Director of UCC and Professor of Maths at RASU.
He arranged UCC to conduct degree and post-graduate diploma courses under the aegis of RASU Maths Department.
UCC also conducted training courses for computer users.
Dr. Chit Swe was succeeded as UCC Director by Dr. Tin Maung.
Several distinguished Professors from US, UK and Europe lectured at UCC.
The postgraduate degree and diploma courses given under the aegis of Maths Department include M.Sc. (CS) and DAC
The Courses for computer users include
Computer Orientation Course (COC)
Computer Programming Course (CPC)
Elective for Honors and Post-graduate in other disciplines
Intensive training (e.g. for Population Census Data Processing)
Special training (e.g. for those selected as State Scholars)
Planning (e.g. for departments intending to purchase computers)
UCC Courses
Win Myint’s
There were three people at UCC named Win Myint.
Win Myint (1)
U Win Myint and U Maung Maung Lay
He was a High School Luyechun from Beik (Mergui). He was caught off guard when the then new Education System used ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate) to determine the admission to the Universities & Institutes. He found himself studying Philosophy along with others who had low ILA scores.
Instead of using the marks directly, the ILA uses distribution of the marks for each subject and gives a score from 1 to 20. The ILA system helped students with balanced marks. By having marks in the top tier for each subject, a student can get reasonably good score.
But a student with low marks in one or two subjects (e.g. Burmese and English) would be penalized by the ILA system.
Philosophy is derived from Phil (love of) and Sophy (Wisdom). The highest degree is called Ph.D (Doctorate of Philosophy). It is ironic that students with low ILA scores were forced to major in Philosophy.
Ko Win Myint Gyi is an exception. He was determined to pursue a challenging career. Since he wanted to learn and work with computers, he enhanced his typing skills for both English and Burmese. It was a requirement for the position of Secretary at the newly formed UCC.
Ko Win Myint’s interview at PSC (Public Services Commission) was fast and smooth. When he said, “I am Bet Thar (or similar) meaning ‘I am from Beik (Mergui)’”, the PSC Chairman who was from Beik validated Ko Win Myint’s appointment as Secretary.
He not only typed very fast, but he learned Computer Science and Applications quickly and proficiently. He became a programmer.
Win Myint (2)
He majored in Mathematics and received Masters.
He worked for SLR (Settlement and Land Record) department.
He got appointment in UCC as programmer.
He was initially UNV at PG.
After working on UN projects, he returned home.
Win Myint (3)
He operated the cyclostyle (Gestener). The lecture guides were printed mostly on Sittaung (Sittang paper) and some on the Ye Ni paper.
Lecture Guides
Some may remember “Introduction to Computers”, “Introduction to Computer Programming” and several Guide Books by Saya U Soe Paing, Saya U Aung Zaw and me. We thank Ko Win Myint (1) and Ko Win Myint (3) for the production.
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :
I had a different story about getting a job. I had only done 8 month internship, one of the tutors in medicine was transferred out. When Saya U Ba Than asked whom the professors wanted to replace her, they asked for me. I was called in by the Rector about posting me as tutor. When I told him I could not join not having finished my internship, he was so upset that “You want to erase with your feet, what I has written by hand”. I was made to report for duty. I went back and with the professor’s permission, I returned to finish my internship to get my medical registration.
Soon, my friends and I had to go for interview with PSC. The Chairman of PSC was U Khin Maung Phyu. Both he and Dr U Ba Than were classmates with my father. As I went in U Ba Than said to U Khin Maung Phyu, “Ko Khin Maung Phyu, he is Ko Kyaw Myint’s son and I have already posted him to Department of Medicine.” U Khin Maung Phyu said, “How is your father?” I replied that my father was good. Then he said that I could go !!! Must be the shortest interview in PSC.
History
I Love History
I was a Docent at Computer History Museum.
I was a member of the History of Myanmar Engineering Education project. I and U Ohn Khine (M70) compiled the CD Supplement for the HMEE book.
Why study History?
Dr. Than Tun said, “So that one would not be stupid or dumb.”
There’s an old adage, “History repeats itself”.
The historian from Smithsonian said, “There is no single correct history. There are often multiple competing histories.”
A historian should present facts and not give opinions.
My spouse said “You should pay back to your alma mater and your country.”
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) said that I should record my oral stories and put them to print for posterity.
UCSY sayamas requested me to help with the commemorative issue for the 30th Anniversary of ICST/UCSY.
My beloved parents said, “Any thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well”.
I have shared my memories about the early days of Computing in Burma.
I revise the posts as time and energy permit.
I hope that the readers will help “fill in the blanks” and correct errors and inconsistencies.
We can transform the posts into a historical document worthy of printing (or at least publish as an e-book).
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :
When we conducted the Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Study, the data analysis was from me at UCC. Ko Ronnie Myo Min and many UCC staff helped us with the data analysis.
Dr. TOKM added :
The next project we did was “Risk Approach in Delivery of MCH Care”. We did a prospective study on the risk of mothers dying during pregnancy and child birth. As the outcome was measured by “relative risk” and “absolute risk” it was much easier to analyse the data.
Our team used 1MB handheld Sinclair computer for our study. Our team did not have monitors nor printers. Your nephew Peter (Khin Tun) worked out RR and AR on Sinclair, read the result on Saya U Tin U’s old TV and copied out the results by hand. Peter still had a copy of the final report. I left my copy at home and got lost.
Gatherings
Over the years, I attended several mini-gatherings and gatherings hosted by UCC sayas and alumni.
Yangon
Saya U Soe Paing regular hosts gatherings (usually dinner meeting) at his house. Sayagadaw Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69) was my class mate. She also attended CPC course.
U Thein Oo, Daw Than Than Tint, Daw Tin May Lwin and several others help organize the gatherings.
U Thein Oo, U Htin Kyaw, U Aung Aung and several others provided us transportation to or from Saya Paing’s house.
UCC 40th Anniversary Gathering
The “40th Anniversary of UCC” was the Reunion of Staff, Teachers (Past and Present) and Students.
Daw Ngwe Tin, Aye Aye Myint and sisters, Maung Myint, who maintained the UCC building rooms were among the attendees.
Saya Dr. Tin Maung (GBNF) was represented by Sayagadaw and Saya’s daughter.
There was fun and laughter, music and dances, and good old memories.
Daw Khin Lay Myint joined UCC as Secretary and then worked as Administrator Officer. She is now GBNF.
U Soe Myint (M72) joined UCC as Operator. He served as Shift Lead, expert in Mechanical Drawing and AutoCAD, and retired as Pro-Rector of ICST. He is also GBNF.
UCSY Gathering
In January 14, 2018, I attended the 5th UCSY Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe as “Generation Zero” representative and the “Most Senior” (not by age). Several attendees started their studies and/or careers at UCC.
Sao Yan Naing, son of Dr. Saw Naing (Wesley, SPHS59), gave me a ride to the Pu Zaw Pwe. SYN is a nephew of Dr Myo Khin. He is a cousin of Soe Lin Maung (UCC).
Sydney in 2006
During my visit to Sydney, Australia in 2006, I met several UCC alumni.
Saya U Aung Zaw and Ma Kyawt organized a Reunion and mini-PZP for Saya Dr. F Ba Hla and Saya Dr. Chit Swe. They were helped by U Sein Myint Maung and Daw Khin Aye Mu, U Htay Aung (Victor) and Daw Tin Tin Hlaing to name a few. I met Daw Thanda Htwe and “UCC Pha Yaung Daing”.
U Sein Tin hosted a dinner and also created a short music video.
USA
Dr. Raiful Ahad (Fremont, California), U Khin Zaw (Cupertino, California), U Aung Myint Oo (EC84) and Daw Thida Khin (Fremont, California), U Sein Myint (EC76) and Daw Sao Mon Sint (New Jersey) and U Toung (EC69, Connecticut) hosted UCC gatherings (especially to welcome and alumni visiting US).
U Khin Maung Oo (Ivan Lee, M69) hosts an annual joint gathering for UCC and RIT sayas and alumni at his home in New Jersey.
Singapore
U Tin Aung Win (C80), U Zaw Tun and Daw Pale Shein organized buffet gathering. U Aung Aung, and Daw Kyin Mya are regulars at the gatherings.
U Shein Soe Myint (EC83) is GBNF.
Some (e.g. U Win Latt, Daw Myint Myint Thein) have moved (temporarily or permanently) to Myanmar.
Activities
Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
U Saung Tin (CSO) and U Thein Oo are excellent players.
Volleyball
Rafiul Ahad (who was 3rd in Burma in Hurdles) hurt his knee. Daw Nwe Nwe Win (Judy) is often the sixth member of an all-male team.
Soccer (Football)
UCC team (including Saya U Ko Ko Lay and U Kyaw Nyein) played ad hoc match against other teams (in and around Hlaing Campus).
UCC Dobat
U Win Hlaing played the Dobat. Others (e.g. Maung Myint, U Hla Pe) would play Wah Let Khote (bamboo clapper) and Ya Gwin.
Donlaba
UCC used to celebrate Thingyan and Su Paung Donlaba.
Dr. Chit Swe, Win Maung, Hla Min, Tun Aung Gyaw, Soe Myint, Khin Maung Aye, Daw Khin Khin Latt
UCC had a Su Paung Donlaba for several years at Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung and other monasteries.
The Donlaba monks would be offered Soon at the UCC Thingyan.
There would also be Water Throwing and occasionally “Ye Pet Khan” to selected mandats.
Ad Hoc Trips
U Aung Zaw led some trips (e.g. to Maw Tin Zun).
Soul Mates
Some found their soul mates while working or studying at UCC.
Aung Aung & Kyin Mya
Aung Myint Oo & Thida Khin
Boe Ba Shan & Phyu Phyu Win
Kyaw Zwa Than (Jaws) & Khin Khin Kyu (K-cube)
Htay Aung & Tin Tin Hlaing
Myint Oo & Tin Tin Hla
Myint Swe & Nge Ma Ma Than
Myint Zaw & Nwe Nwe Win (Judy)
Sein Myint (Bei Gyi) & Sao Mon Sint (Cindy)
Sein Myint Maung & Khin Aye Mu
Soe Than & Wai Wai Than
Than Maung Maung & Khin Si Thoung
Thaung Tin & Tin Tin Aye
Thein Oo & Than Than Tint
Win Hlaing & Thida Kyi
Win Myint & Nu Nu Aung
U Soe Myint (M72, GBNF)
The M72 friends call him “Phone Gyi Soe Myint”.
At UCC, he is known as “Sunlun Soe Myint”.
His father U Thein Nyunt (Retired Secretary of Religious Affairs) was a friend and an early devotee of Sayadaw U Vinaya. U Soe Myint also served as Kappiya from his younger days.
He came to see me during my last visit and shared his knowledge about U Lokanatha (Italian American monk) and how he provided financial support to buy the land for Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung.
He gave me a “Chone Hte” (for monk) to take back to the US.
On a subsequent visit to Yangon, we were sad to learn of his untimely demise.
On the fateful day, he made two trips to the Kaba Aye Sunlun Gu Kyaung monastery, because he forgot his donation on his first trip. He also visited his nephew and niece who were having dialysis treatment. May be because of his karma or because of the trips he took that day, he passed away around 3 AM.
Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ) wrote :
Ko Soe Myint Gyi was one of the very humble people I have ever known. He spoke very soft, never see him angry nor heard him raise his voice. Even though I am some years junior to him (he’s M72 and me EC76) he always treated me with dignity and respect. I really miss him, may his beautiful soul rest in peace.
Anniversary Soon Kway
U Thein Oo and Daw Than Than Tint Soon Kway at Yaw Sayadaw’s Kayung Daik.
Attendees include
Saya U Soe Paing and Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69)
U Myint Swe
Daw Tin Moe We (Sweetie)
Daw Myint Myint Thein (Susan)
Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo
He matriculated from SPHS in 1968.
He was admitted as Roll Number One to 1st BE. He graduated among the top of the EP74 class.
He studied Computer Science at UCC.
He received a Ph.D. in EE from Syaracuse University, New York.
His final job was as Part Time Professor at San Jose State University (SJSU).
He used the spare time for his hobbies : (a) Tinkering old cars (b) Painting (c) Cooking (d) Stock Market (e) Writing movie scripts
He did not miss a class. When he did not show up for a few classes, the students were alarmed and requested SJSU authorities to check his home. They found the doors locked. After a few days, they broke in to find Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo lifeless on his bed. Postmortem indicated an aneurysm.
Since Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo was single and had no next-o-kin in the USA, SJSU asked the Burmese Community to help. Members of the “RIT Alumni International” and BAPS helped with the fund raising for the final journey of HLN.
I was honored to push the incinerator, and later to scatter the ashes in the ocean. There was no next-of-kin of HLN in the USA. KMZ remembered that Kyaw Swa Than (Jaws, UCC) was HLN’s cousin. The missing link was supplied by some alumni (including Ko Ko Kyi). KMZ set up special web page for HLN. My poem was also posted there. I wrote about HLN’s Sea Burial for BAPS Newsletter.
Memorial Pages
U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76, KMZ) set up the “HLN Memorial Pages” in the ex-RIT web site (which is now defunct). I wrote a poem “HTAY LWIN NYO“.
BAPS Newsletter
I also wrote “A Sea Burial for Professor Htay Lwin Nyo” for the BAPS Newsletter and the RIT web site.
Ko Ko Kyi (EC72) wrote :
Ko Hla Min, sad to read about Htay Lwin Nyo’s sea burial. I played a small part in notifying his first cousin Myo San Than in Toronto, when my brother called me from Birmingham, UK and informed me about HLN’s demise. Apparently, someone from California had contacted a friend of my brother’s and asked him to inform me, as he knew that HLN had a cousin living in Toronto. I informed HLN’s cousin Myo San Than, who called his elder brother living in Winnipeg, Canada. Subsequently, this cousin went to the US for HLN’s funeral. HLN was a good friend of mine, although he was two years my junior at RIT.
Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
I was actually a former classmate of HLN’s younger brother Aung Lwin Nyo in St. Paul’s High School [SPHS (6) Botataung]. All their brothers were OPs, HLN was 2 years senior to us, Old Paulians. I did not know HLN that well until we met again, the third time, at UCC. Of course he was part of our rival group while at RIT. Both of us ended up in US, he was several years earlier than me.
We met again when he moved to West Coast, namely San Jose, California while I was in Seattle. We visited him in San Jose, went Yosemite among other places, he visited us in Seattle, went up to Vancouver, Canada. Couple of years moved, he became upset with me for a reason unknown to me at the time, refused to take my calls. I eventually met him on one of my visits to California, forced him to tell me why he did not want to talk to me any longer. According to him, there were some rumors back in Yangon about his demise, his parents were very upset and he surmise that it could have been me who spread these rumors. I had to swear to him that those were nothing to do with me at all, as I lost contact with everyone, family and friends, back in Burma at that time.
So one could imagine my despair when I received a call, a year or so later, from Maurice Chee (M75) that HLN was found dead in his apartment, asking me if I knew him and also requested me to make an announcement on www,ex-rit,org site. I had to explain Maurice the background story, told him I would not do so until I have a solid information. I ended up calling HLN’s head of department at SJSU, San Jose State University. She assured me that they went to HLN’s apartment, broke it inside with the help of the Police. Sad news indeed. While Maurice Chee, Ko Banny Tan (M70), U Hla Min and RIT Alumni at BAPS, Bay Area alumni group, started working on the funeral, I called a friend, HLN’s cousin, in Manitoba, Canada, Kyaw Zwa Than (ex-UCC), to get the contact of HLN’s family back in Rangoon. I finally spoke with the elder brother, Ko Kyaw Lwin Nyo, who requested us to proceed with the funeral.
PS: I met HLN’s elder brother for the first time, this passed November 2018, at the OPA, Old Paulians’ Association, dinner. My OP friends told me that Aung Lwin Nyo met similar fate, passed away while in his bed some years back. Myo San Than (as mentioned in U Ko Ko Kyi’s comment) is the younger brother of Kyaw Zwa Than. KZT’s family : KZT, his wife KCube (Khin Khin Kyi) and their two sons, Alex and Nicholas, have since moved to Denver, Colorado, USA.
Daw Nge Ma Ma Than (GBNF)
Ma Nge (Nge Ma Ma Than, Theresa, GBNF) is the youngest child of U Aung Than (brother of Boyoke Aung San and Arzanee U Ba Win).
She matriculated from MEHS.
She graduated from RASU.
She studied and taught at UCC, DCS and ICST.
At UCC, she and Judy (Nwe Nwe Win) were considered as “UCC Twins”. Grapevine says that some guy approached them and gave each a copy of his “Yee Zar Sar” (love letter).
She found her love life U Myint Swe (ex-UCC).
During the Adhamma Era, she, her brother and U Myint Swe were detained by the higher authorities.
She became a Prisoner of Conscience.
I last met her at the 5th Acariya Puzaw Pwe of ICST.
Her health declined, but she kept on smiling. She did not complain about the aches and pains.
U Myint Swe reported the journal of Ma Nge’s hospitalization and medical treatment.
Even in her final days, her thoughts were with former Prisoners of Conscience.
Ma Nge at the hospitalMa Nge and her cousin
Four Decade Old Photo
Win Hlaing
Henry Maung Maung (Census, GBNF)
Kyu Kyu Lwin (GBNF)
Khin Si Thoung (Busi Baung – USA)
Khin Khin Win (Five Star Line – USA)
Phyu Phyu Win (Singapore)
Win May Thaung (GBNF)
Tin Tin Yi (Port Authority)
Hla Hla Win (Wa, GBNF)
Aung Myint (AM, GBNF)
Soe Myint (Sunlun, M72, GBNF)
Seven of the eleven in the photo are Gone But Not Forgotten.
DAC Grads
Epilog
Computer Science and Technology is continually evolving.
There are two (or more) early definitions of Computer Science.
Computer Science is the study of phenomena surrounding Computing.
Computer Science is the study of Algorithms and Data Structures.
The first definition has the same flavor as a definition of Physics. It is general to say, “Physics is the study of natural phenomena.”
The second definition might sound restrictive, but it still covers a lot of topics and application.
There is a book called “PROGRAM = ALGORITHMS + DATA STRUCTURES”.
Professor Donald Knuth (Stanford University) thought that he could finish his 7-volume book “THE ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING” in a couple of years. It was an under-estimate of the growth of Computers, Computer Science and Applications. It took over two decades to complete and revise the first three volumes and part of the fourth volume. One reason was that his book contributed to the growth of the Design and Analysis of Algorithms.
I have covered some topics in the early days of Computing in general and UCC in particular.
I missed out several people. I mentioned many names, but did not elaborate on some of them.
I did not cover in-depth the PDP configuration and use, the introduction of PCs, and robots.
It would take a long time and I would not be able to fill in all the blanks.
I believe an idea that characterizes Jules Verne. “If one can dream, others can fulfill”.
I had a personal experience to support that idea. In 1999, I started “RIT International Newsletter” and dreamed that sayas and alumni will get reconnected electronically and physically. With the help of sponsors (including five Golden Sponsors), able and dedicated sayas and alumni, volunteers, supporters and well-wishers, the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP (Saya Pu Zaw Pwe) was held in San Francisco in October 2000. The world-wide SPZPs were subsequently held in Singapore in 2002, 2007 and 2010, and in Yangon in 2004, 2012 and 2016.
I had paid back to RIT.
I now have a chance to pay back to UCC, DCS and ICST.
Thanks to my family members for supporting me in the endeavors to pay back to the institutions and my mentors that helped me develop to where I am today.
I dream that sayas and alumni of UCC and ICST/UCSY will enhance my document into one that professional historians will envy.
Attended Yankin College, RU Faculty of Engineering and BIT
EC of RU Literary Committee & RUESU Magazine Editor
Joined Electrical Engineering Department after graduation
EE Sayas
EC of RIT EE Association; Editor of Hlyat Sit Sar Saung
Editor. (and later Chief Editor) of RIT Annual Magazine
Worked in Singapore Organized Alumni events (e.g Thingyan, SPZP)
Gathering in Singapore
After retirement, moved back to Yangon Writing articles & poems Courses at Electrical Inspectorate
U Moe Aung & U Thet Lwin
Activities & Accomplishments
Pen name : Tekkatho Moe War
Mentor : Daung Nwe Swe
Editor, RUESU Annual Magazine
RUESU Magazine
Member, RU Ka Laung Ah Phwe
RU Literary Association
Chief Editor, RIT Annual Magazine
RIT Magazine
Chief Editor, Hlyat Sit Sar Saung
Chief Editor, Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 & SPZP-2010
Chief Editor, Swel Daw Yeik Magazine for ShweYaDu-2014 & SPZP-2016
Editors for Swel Daw Yeik Magazine
Author of Books, Articles & Poems
Book of poems by U Moe Aung
Contributor, Poetic Art Series
Zat Saya & Manager, RIT Ah Nu Pyinnya Ah Thin
Chair, SPZP-2002
SPZP-2002
SPZP-2007
Sayas U Moe Aung, U Kyaw Sein (GBNF) and U Ohn Maung
Chair, SPZP-2010
SPZP-2012
Entertainment, SPZP-2016
Entertainment Program for SPZP-2016
Patron, Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
Patron, Alumni Association
SDYF Song Composed with U Than Po (GBNF, M75)
Memories
Birthday
Birthday Celebration
Pu Zaw Pwes
Pu Zaw Pwe
Discussion
U Moe Aung and Maung Sein Win (Padeegone)
Presents
Saya & meWith Saya
Saya gave me Magazines, Books and a Pasoe (from his daughter’s company)
Book Present
My Translation
Saya’s Poems
Shwe YaDu Lann
Shwe YaDu Lann
Poem Gift
The Power of Poem
Computer in my heart
Search for beauty
Heritage of Bagan
To the Shwe Duo …
Saya’s Articles
Sea of Men
History told by a Thousand Kyat Note
My heart aches & Tears well in my eyes
Feedback
Saya U Moe Aung wrote :
Thanks, Ko Hla Min, for your endeavours, not to mention that they wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Realistically speaking, archiving is not as easy as one thinks.
My reply to Saya Moe Aung :
I am paying back to my alma mater, mentors, alumni and benefactors.
I have completed 25 years as a messenger, organizer, archivist and disseminator for the RIT Community.
The smiles on my sayas and colleagues give me Second Wind to keep me going the extra mile.
I hope and pray that we will be able to have some publications to celebrate the Centennial of Engineering Education in Burma / Myanmar & the Silver Jubilee of my RIT Volunteer work.
My dream of getting the sayas and alumni get connected electronically and physically was materialized in 1999 and 2000 with RIT Alumni Newsletter & Website and SPZP-2000.
My dream of compiling the Oral and Written History of our alma mater and alumni has only been partially completed. I was a member of HMEE project and compiled a CD Supplement for the book with U Ohn Khine (M70). I have 2500+ articles in my website hlamin.com. I broadcast 220 short talks between August 2020 and January 2021.
It needs Passion and Perseverance to maintain Projects. Several of my early Collaborators and Supporters no longer have time and resources to help me.
U Aung Min (M69) wrote : Be healthy and long live Saya. Please keep going on with your pen.
Saya’s reply : Yes, Ko Aung Min. And thanks for all your encouragements which will definitely be a driving force for me, especially for my longevity.
Due to the war, the celebrations for RU took place much later than 1945.
RIT Newsletter was published in 1999 and the Silver Jubilee was celebrated in 2024.
Golden Jubilee (50 years)
RU Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970.
RIT Golden Jubilee (Shwe YaDu) was celebrated in 2014.
Diamond Jubilee (75 years)
First Day CoverRU Diamond Jubilee
RU Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1995.
Centennial (100 years)
SPHS celebrated the Centennial in 1960.
RU Centennial celebrations started in November 2020. Yah Pyay Ah Kyo celebrations kicked off on December 1, 2019 and continued throughout 2020
Sesquicentennial (150 years)
SPHS celebrated the Sesquicentennial in 2010.
Miscellaneous
Bicentennial (200 years)
Tricentennial (300 years)
Millennium (1000 years)
(2) Three Events in December 1920
Rangoon University
Rangoon University Act of 1920 was enacted on December 1, 1920.
The Act established Rangoon University with Rangoon College and Judson College as constituent colleges.
First RU Student Strike
The Strikevto protest the Act took place of December 5, 1920 (two days earlier than planned because the news leaked to the higher authorities).
The senior students requested the junior students not to strike. When their request was not complied, 11 senior students decided to the strike as leaders.
The Burmese date — 10th Waning Day of Tazaungmon — is celebrated as Ah Myo Tha Aung Pwe Nay.
The strike led to the establishment of Ah Myotha Kyaung (National School) and Ah Myotha Kaw Leik (National College).
U Po Kya served as Ah MyothaPyinnyaWun. He is a distinguished author.
Thakhin Kodaw Hmaing served as Principal of Ah Myotha Kaw Leik.
Saya U Ba Toke
U Ba Toke
He’s is a Phwa Bet Taw of RU and the first RU Students’ Strike.
Professor of Mathematics, Rangoon University
Rector of MASU
Professor of Mathematics, Rangoon Institute of Technology
Associate Dean, Assumption University, Bangkok
(3) Publications
Former EC members of the RU Ka Laung Ah Thinn (1958 – 1962) including Daw Kyu Kyu Thin and Saya U Moe Aung (Tekaktho Moe War) published a “Collection of Kabyars” and a commemorative Magazine in February 2020.
Several books, Sar Saungs and Magazines were published for the RU Centennial Celebrations.
(4) Some Early Sayas
Dr. Maung Maung Kha
Saya Kha Hall
Doctorate in Meteorological Physics from UK
Worked briefly at Meteorology Department
Transferred to RU Physics Department
Interim Dean of Engineering
Longest tenure among Rectors of RU
Hobby : Music / Violin
Former students celebrated Saya’s Yar Pyi
“Saya Kha Hall”
U San Tha Aung
U San Tha Aung
Studied Masters at Harvard University
Senior Lecturer, Physics
Co-authored High School Yupa Beda texts with Dr. Maung Maung Kha
Director General of Higher Education
Passed away after returning from an inspection tour
Dr. Nyi Nyi
He was a mentee of Dr. Tha Hla.
A Minister protested against Dr. Tha Hla’s nomination of Dr. Nyi Nyi’s scholarship citing his ideology. Dr. Tha Hla managed to push through the nomination during the Minister’s absence.
Served as Deputy Minister. Instrumental in establishing the then new Education System
Retired from UN
Pen name : Oak Aw
(5) Rectors and Principals
U Hla Shwe
Rector, Mandalay Arts and Science University (MASU)
Senior Burmese Saya
U Yone Mo
Retired Chief Engineer, Burma Railways
Dean of Engineering, BIT
Rector, Rangoon Institute of Technology
Medicine
Dr. Ba Than (Institute of Medicine 1)
Dr. U E (Institute of Medicine 2)
Dr. Maung Maung Gyi (Institute of Medicine at Mandalay)
Economics
Dr. Aye Hlaing Rector, Institute of Economics Professor of Economics, Faculty of Social Science
Education
Lt. Col. San Myint Rector, Institute of Education
Dentistry
Dr. Aung Than Rector, Institute of Dentistry / Dental Medicine
Vet
U Mya Nyunt Rector, Institute of Veterinary Science
Agri
U Than Tun Rector, Institute of Agriculture
Workers
U Kyaw Principal, Workers’ College
Taunggyi
U Khin Maung Tint (Tekkatho Phone Naing) Principal, Taungyi College Distinguished author / novelist
The 1969 RIT Graduates Reunion was held in Rangoon/Yangon,
Burma/Myanmar on Saturday, 20 February 1999 at Sait-Teng-Kya Restaurant near Kandawgyi lake.
The idea was mooted three years ago when a few of us were having dinner together and thought of having a gathering in 1999. After that most of us have forgotten about the idea until around the end of November 1998 when a group of our friends led by Ko Yee Pinn (Tavoy), Ko Myint Maung (aka “Bu”, RIT Volleyball selected), Ko Shwe, Ko Win Lwin, etc. decided to have a grand re-union in February 1999. They also decided that to be more meaningful we should invite our Sayas to pay them respect as well and, hence, it became the reunion cum Saya-ga-daw-pwe.
On that very day the guest trickled in starting from about 4.00 p.m at the restaurant. The guests were required to fill in their names and contact numbers. The organizers promised to compile the name list and send to everybody who attended. By 6.00 p.m. about 30 Sayas and about 120 of our graduates were in the restaurant. The master-of-ceremony, Ko Win Lwin, announced the start of the ceremony.
The programme started off with a few speeches, led by Nyi Hla Nge, representing the graduates in Rangoon, followed by Danny, representing the graduates overseas, Sai Aung Win, representing graduates outside Rangoon and last but not the least, by Saya U Kyin Soe, representing all the Sayas.
After that we gave respect to the Sayas. All the Sayas were seated on the stage and all of us sat on the floor. Some gifts were distributed to the Sayas followed by photo taking session and then the sumptuous dinner began. About 9 to 10 dishes were served but, most of us were too excited to notice what we were eating. Halfway through the dinner some of us went up the stage and sang some songs for entertainment. Even all the ladies, led by Alice and Naw Mu Mu Aye were on the stage as well. The crowd went wild.
The party ended at about 9.30 p.m. with some of the graduates not so sober. It was indeed a memorable gathering and we all vowed to meet again in December 2000 at place and date to be announced early next year. Three cheers to the organizers and those who have one way or the other help in making this event a great success.
HlaMin 