This partnership is a result of the growing focus on cooperation between Myanmar and Russia, providing both countries with opportunities to enter new markets in education, research, and technology. As part of this collaboration, a delegation from TSU was invited by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to participate in the Conference on Science and Technology Development (CSTD-2024). During their visit, TSU representatives also met with various ministries, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development.
One of the highlights of the visit was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between TSU and East Yangon University, with plans for agreements with two other leading technology universities in Myanmar. The parties will work together to identify areas of cooperation, with a focus on subjects such as physics, chemistry, geography, and geology. The initial focus of the collaboration will be on geography and geology, with plans to expand to other areas in the future.
Additionally, TSU is currently reviewing agreements with Yangon University of Foreign Languages and Yangon University of Economics, which will involve joint educational programs, internships, and academic mobility opportunities.
At the CSTD-2024 conference, the main speakers from TSU were Alexander Vorozhtsov, acting Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, and Stanislav Shidlovsky, dean of the Faculty of Innovative Technologies.
Myanmar is currently showing a strong interest in developing relations with Russia, as evidenced by their efforts to promote the Russian language. For instance, the Myanmar government regularly publishes a newsletter in Russian and has recently implemented a new practice of having ministry officials study the language.
During a visit to the Myanmar Armed Forces Academy, discussions were held regarding potential collaborations in scientific and educational fields. One such example is the ongoing negotiations to establish a joint laboratory focused on mobile robotics. Myanmar is highly interested in partnering with Russia in this area, particularly in terms of providing practical training for students.
TSU delegation also met with Buddhist monks, who expressed their desire to study philosophy, psychology, and religion at TSU. In response, TSU has shown interest in opening a center for Buddhism on campus. The Myanmar Buddhists were enthusiastic about this initiative and discussions about the conditions for opening the center will take place in the near future.
It is worth noting that Zear Aung, a doctoral student from the Faculty of Innovative Technologies, played a significant role in organizing the TSU delegation's visit to Myanmar.
The participants of the delegation have observed that the relationship between Russia and Myanmar has become increasingly friendly and strong. This is evident in the increase of student quotas for foreign students. In the past two years, the Russian government has increased the number of quotas for Myanmar students from 12 in 2022 to 40 in 2024.