campusreview . com . au international education young people have streamed out of the country , fleeing a repressive state , civil war and economic decline , and searching for education . Most languished in refugee camps on the border with Thailand or worked in low-skill jobs across South-east Asia . However , for those fortunate enough to have family money behind them or host-government scholarships , an overseas qualification is life-changing .
UNESCO data shows there were more than 7254 Burmese students in universities abroad in 2012 , as steady growth averaged nearly 15 per cent a year over the previous decade . The leading destination was Russia ( 1799 ) – surprising for a South-east Asian country – followed by more predictable places , such as Thailand ( 1481 ), Japan ( 1139 ), the US ( 782 ) and Australia ( 641 ).
In addition , there are many thousands more Burmese students abroad in intensive language courses , foundation programs and diploma programs , who are not included in UNESCO ’ s figures . Another group of Burmese students not counted by UNESCO are those studying in Singapore , which is probably the top destination . Singapore is one of the few countries in the world that is secretive about where its international students come from , which is a shame , given its regional importance .
Myanmar is a bigger country than many might think , with a population somewhere between 50 million and 60 million , and its university students abroad represent just 0.2 per cent of the country ’ s tertiary-age population . That rate of overseas degree study is on par with some large , low-income countries such as India and Indonesia , but is less than half the rate of nearby Thailand , Vietnam and China , whose economic development Myanmar hopes to emulate .
The 0.2 per cent rate is also much lower than for other former British colonies in South-east Asia – Malaysia and Singapore . It ’ s a pretty safe bet that outbound student numbers will continue to grow rapidly as long as the economic recovery persists . Those students will play a key role in rebuilding the country , using what they have learned abroad to help Myanmar make up for lost time .
MYANMAR international students in Australia The number of students in Australia from Myanmar tripled between 2006 and 2010 , reaching a peak of 1200 . Since then , enrolments in Australian universities have remained fairly flat , around 700 , whilst there has been a decline in vocational education enrolments , which are down by more than half since 2010 . Enrolments in foundation programs have been growing at about 30 per cent annually , for the last couple of years .
These students ’ level of study in Australia reflects Myanmar ’ s poor state of domestic education provision . Five out of six students from Myanmar in Australia ’ s universities are in undergraduate or sub-degree programs , with few going on to postgraduate study . The largest proportion are studying business programs , followed by engineering , health , science and information technology – all areas of expertise that are in high demand in Myanmar .
The total number of Myanmar students shows every indication of continuing to rise , as continued economic growth , particularly in the urban centres , expands the number of those with the means to study abroad . So why has the number in Australia stalled in recent years ?
The main reason is cost , which the lower Australian dollar will help with , slightly . The growth destinations , it seems , are Singapore , Thailand and Malaysia , which are attractive given the lower tuition fees , cost of living and airfares .
ASEAN integration will only strengthen the pull of those regional hubs . Foundation programs are now offered by private colleges in Yangon in association with Pearson and Navitas , providing students with simple pathways into linked diploma and degree programs offered by private institutions and transnational providers in those countries .
Transnational education in Myanmar ? These conditions – huge demand , limited capacity to quickly increase the domestic supply of quality education and low percapita incomes – suit the development of transnational programs and campuses in Myanmar more than recruitment to study in Australia . In many ways , these conditions for international education in Myanmar resemble Malaysia and Singapore in the early 1980s and Vietnam in the early 1990s , before the transnational education booms in those countries . A similar trajectory is likely over the next couple of decades if the political conditions remain stable . So far , no foreign educational institution has been brave enough to take the plunge , but many are circling .
The main impediment to collaborative provision is that local partners are thin on the ground . Partnerships between Myanmar ’ s public universities and foreign universities to jointly deliver programs would make good sense and would help build capacity and quality over time , but the country ’ s universities are struggling with bureaucratic oversight by many ministries and limited ability to innovate .
A recent promise by the government to increase university autonomy may help , but only time will tell . In the meantime , there are urgent needs for collaboration to develop modern curriculums , strengthen institutional management and build research capacity . The large donor countries are investing by supporting such linkages and , hopefully , there is room in Australia ’ s dwindling aid budget to do the same . TAFE Directors Australia recently received funding from Austrade ’ s Asian Business Engagement Plan to support linkages with Myanmar ’ s government technical institutes ; more projects like this are needed to build productive connections that will be important as the country emerges onto the world stage .
In Malaysia and Singapore , early transnational education developed through partnerships between foreign universities and local private colleges . However , in Myanmar there are no private universities and the few private colleges that have emerged in recent years to provide English academic preparation and foundation programs are still small . The most likely foreign entrants into the Myanmar education system are private education providers with experience in developing countries , which could fill the void by providing either international foundation , credit transfer and degree programs or vocational programs in high-demand areas such as construction , tourism , information technology and so on .
As long as the democratisation and liberalisation processes continue in Myanmar , international educational links have enormous scope to develop , but it will take decades for the country to recover and it is early days still . For example , the lifting of trade embargoes has allowed Visa and MasterCard in , so you can at last pay your hotel bill with plastic . But you still can ’ t easily transfer funds across the border or use a foreign phone . So the growing numbers of educators and students moving in and out will need to carry wallets full of greenbacks and pockets full of SIM cards for a while longer . n
Associate professor Christopher Ziguras is deputy dean , international in RMIT ’ s School of Global , Urban and Social Studies , and vice-president of the International Education Association of Australia .
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