Higher Education

Academic and administrative policy matters relating to higher education institutions in Myanmar are managed by two Councils chaired by the Minister of Education. These are the Universities Central Council and the Council of University Academic Bodies. The Universities Central Council is mainly responsible for the framing of broad policy for approval by the Myanmar Naing-ngan Education Committee. This Council is also responsible for co-ordinating the works of universities, degree colleges and colleges that are administered by the various ministries. The Council of University Academic Bodies has the responsibility of proposing and adopting all academic regulations approved by the Universities Central Council and the co-ordination of all academic undertakings of higher education establishments.

As mentioned, tertiary-level and university education is for basic education graduates who have passed the entrance examination. Institutions of higher education include universities, technical institutes and colleges. Bachelor’s degree courses normally require three years (four years in the case of law); a bachelor’s honours degree is conferred after an additional year of study. A post-graduate diploma requires one or two years, while master’s degree courses usually last two years. A doctoral degree requires at least four years of study and research. Under the guidance of the National Centre for Human Resource Development, higher education institutions also offer a wide range of short training courses (three to nine months of study) leading to a certificate.

The majority of the existing higher education institutions are administered by the Ministry of Education, while the rest are under the control of other ministries. The following table shows the number of higher education institutions under the different ministries:

Tertiary-level institutions administered by the Ministry of Education function under the two Departments of Higher Education—one in Lower Myanmar (Yangon) and the other in Upper Myanmar (Mandalay). These Departments are responsible for the systematic administration and co-ordination of an equitable education system in consonance with the existing cultural, traditional and social values, and the economic and political aspirations of the nation. There are 107 higher education institutions throughout the country, with a student enrolment of 354,890 at the fifty-eight establishments under the Ministry of Education. This represents 85.4% of the total student population at the tertiary level.

For the qualitative development of higher education, five seminars were held between 1997 and 2000. Various issues were discussed, such as the relevancy of existing courses, the introduction of a credit system to replace the existing assessment system, the improvement of the quality of teaching, the utilization of new information technologies, the creation of an alternative delivery modality for higher education as well as activities to promote human resources development. The seminars were able to establish far-reaching decisions concerning post-graduate courses, doctoral programmes, facilitation of doctoral research, upgrading of research facilities, the introduction of multidisciplinary courses and computer training programmes. Emphasis was placed on the necessity of teacher quality upgrading activities and to make the existing system more flexible and open—especially the university distance education system. In addition, the participants identified the need to break away from present academic practices in order to meet the challenges of globalization.

The Higher Education Seminar of 1998 identified the need for higher institutions to be more attuned to the manpower needs of the nation. It was accepted that a more flexible alternative mode of education delivery should be established. Higher education institutions were encouraged to generate their own income and thereby provide incentives for personnel and counteract the rising attrition rate among academic staff. Their income generating activities would also enable the institutions to attract better academic as well as administrative personnel. It would also enable the institutions to undertake specialized, self-financed academic programmes.

Universities have been open for study for only three years out of the past twelve years, and in many cases the academic year has been shortened.