Myanmar Scholars and Leaders Program Scholarship Launched

The MSLP will train and support the next generation of leaders and scholars, selected from the pool of state employees, non-governmental organization workers, emerging leaders, and researchers, inclusively representing the diverse ethnic groups of Myanmar.

INDIANAPOLIS, November 11, 2019 — The Burmese American Community Institute, in partnership with the Rectors’ Committee of Myanmar and leading Universities in the United States, has released a scholarship application through the Myanmar Scholars and Leaders Program (MSLP), which is created to train and support the next generation of leaders and scholars.

The MSLP aims to recruit and train diverse and promising individuals from Myanmar, in top U.S. graduate programs—both Master’s and Ph.D. degree programs—to develop strong technical expertise, analytical skills, and leadership skills needed to assume inclusive leadership responsibilities in various ministries, departments, and sectors in Myanmar and beyond.

“One of the most important pillars for reform and development of Myanmar is Human Resources. Myanmar needs to invest in Human Resources who are well trained in developed countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Japan,” said Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, Chair of the Rectors’ Committee during the launching ceremony of the MSLP.

“The U.S. Universities can help us with this goal. The MSLP is a good program—with its comprehensive and unique design—it will help us achieve our common goals. That is why we are partnering with the Burmese American Community Institute”.

Through a rigorous and open process, the MSLP will work with its partners to select the most outstanding Myanmar individuals from the pool of state employees, non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, emerging leaders, and researchers, inclusively representing the diverse ethnic groups of the country.

“With a strong conviction of the need to build a strong and productive democratic society, we believe that investing in the people—especially in their educational opportunities and human capital development—is one of the most fundamental and critically important areas if Myanmar is to succeed with its democracy, peace, and prosperity,” said Elaisa Vahnie, Executive Director of the BACI.

The MSLP collaboratively works with the Vietnam Initiative and will be able to draw from the expertise and experiences of the VI which has been highly successful in supporting Vietnam’s capacity and training needs through its scholarship and Strategic Leadership Fellowship programs for young Vietnamese as well as for the country’s senior officials.

“The challenges that Myanmar is facing are also the challenges of South East Asia and the world. We will support Myanmar by sharing all the experiences we have from the U.S. and Vietnam,” said Dr. Anh Tran, Director of the Vietnam Initiative and Professor at Indiana University’s O’Neil School, a top ranked Public Affairs School in the US. Tran also serves as an Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

Mr. Vahnie said that the MSLP’s design is intentional, comprehensive, but also strategic, and hopes that through rigorous coursework at prestigious institutions in the U.S., the MSLP will empower and produce highly qualified and sophisticated individuals who will serve as agents of sustained change, policy makers, and architects of future economic, political, and social institutions in Myanmar, contributing to regional and global sustainable development, peace, security, stability, and prosperity.

“With the right policy and strategic investments, such as this one, the BACI is committed to working with the Myanmar government, the U.S. Government, the international community, as well as with our friends and partners to help Myanmar in moving forward to a developed and respected nation in Southeast Asia and in the world”. 

About Rectors’ Committee
The Rectors’ Committee (RC), comprised of 164 Universities and Colleges under the Ministry of Education and other Line Ministries and a secretary from the MoE, was formed by the National Education Policy Commission on April 6, 2018 as part of an effort for the effective implementation of the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP) of the Union of the Government of Myanmar.

About BACI
The Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 that provides educational and vocational support to the Burmese community in greater Indianapolis. The BACI also supports community members regionally, nationally, and globally through new initiatives, collaborative and strategic partnerships, and advocacy.

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