Australian university to offer courses in Myanmar

Murdoch University will become the first Australian institution to deliver courses in Myanmar after signing a new agreement with education provider Kaplan.

The Perth-based institution said that it would offer a master’s degree and graduate certificate in business administration at the new Kaplan Myanmar University College in Yangon, which opened in June, from September.

The courses will be taught in English by Kaplan Singapore lecturers. Murdoch added that there was scope for more degree courses to be added over time.

Lyn Karstadt, deputy vice-chancellor international at Murdoch, said that the university was “committed to strengthening our transnational education footprint, particularly in Asia”. Murdoch has Western Australian campuses in Perth, Mandurah and Rockingham, and offshore campuses in Singapore and Dubai. 

“Young people in Myanmar are hungry for education and we know we can be a creative force for good there. This initiative supports the Australian government’s aim to support the country’s reform process by improving the quality of education,” she added.

Peter Waring, dean of Murdoch Singapore, said that “Kaplan believes interest in these programmes will be especially strong from Burmese graduates of foreign universities looking to upgrade to postgraduate business qualifications. There are also a growing number of expatriates working in Yangon who may also be interested in pursuing postgraduate studies.”

Several UK universities, including the University of Portsmouth and the University of Northampton, offer courses in Myanmar, while the University of Oxford has a partnership with the University of Yangon to collaborate on higher education standards.

In 2016, the University of Technology Sydney launched a research partnership with Yangon Technological University.

Universities across the world have been under increasing pressure to break ties with institutions in Myanmar in the wake of the country’s military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, although many have argued that universities are uniquely placed to help stem the crisis.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com