SCIENCE & EDUCATION

Myanmar’s universities were once considered by many to be among the best in East Asia. But years of mismanagement and a disastrous nationalisation process left the education system in such shambles that many students seek educational opportunities abroad, reports Voice of America.

Since entering parliament, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made restoration of Burmese schools a priority, and a new attitude towards learning has emerged among policy-makers.

Burmese students have been visiting a United States college fair in Rangoon, in the hopes of attending college in America. Recent political reforms that have resulted in the lifting of sanctions against the country have made this type of event possible for the first time. US Ambassador Derek Mitchell said he hoped Burmese students could go to the US to get a good education, but at the same time there was a need to improve local education systems.

Source: University World News & Voice of America