Postdoctoral Fellowship in Political Education in Strengthening Political Science Education in Myanmar

Department of Politics and International Relations with the Programme on Modern Burmese Studies, Asian Studies Centre, St Antony’s College, Cover image: scenes from Myanmar (© Catherine de Vries); right: a class of Zoology students at the , summer 2015 (© Hannah Lovell)

Overview After decades of tightly-controlled and To address this problem, the Department of repressive military rule, Myanmar began Politics and International Relations at the to open up politically and economically in University of Oxford, in partnership with 2011, with the election of a quasi-civilian St Antony’s College, is seeking to appoint a government that has implemented multiple two-year postdoctoral researcher in Political political, economic and legal reforms. Science Education in Myanmar.

The educational sector in Myanmar has This person will address the above lagged behind in these developments, but challenges at the grass roots level by working there is significant interest from international with Burmese faculty on curriculum actors in improving higher education. There development in politics and creating is also willingness from Myanmar’s Ministry materials that can of Education to implement reforms, although supplement the textbooks progress is slow. currently being used in the classroom. S/he will also contribute to the development of Unsurprisingly, political science was one Modern Burmese Studies at the University of the disciplines that suffered most under of Oxford under the supervision of Dr military rule. In December 2013, the two Matthew J Walton, the Aung San Suu Kyi largest universities in the country – Yangon Senior Research Fellow in Modern Burmese University and University – were Studies at St Antony’s College. allowed to re-institute a political science undergraduate degree; however, teaching capacity remains inadequate with regard to language skills, teaching methods and disciplinary content.

2 Current challenges Since 2011, political reforms in Myanmar facility in the English language among both have relaxed restrictions on free speech and faculty and students. It is official Ministry expression, sought to standardise financial of Education policy that English is the regulations in order to attract investment, language of instruction in these universities and have generally expanded space for – a fact that hampers efforts to improve the political participation. Along with these standards of teaching and research, since reforms have come a much more vibrant most faculty and students do not speak or media sector and an emerging public space read the language well enough to be able to for political discourse. read a basic introductory politics textbook. Classroom teaching consists mostly of Unfortunately, after years of policies that were translating passages from the textbook, and focused more on neutralising the political students barely manage to learn even the potential of university students than on most basic descriptive facts about political improving education standards and capacity, systems, let alone the theoretical knowledge the education sector in Myanmar has not that is the heart of the discipline. yet seen similar progress. However, there is now significant interest from many quarters While intensive English language training in providing assistance to improve higher is one potential response to this problem education in the country and this interest (and one that other international donors has been matched by a willingness on the are pursuing), it will not adequately address part of Myanmar’s government to implement several issues: reforms, at least in certain areas. Since the 1. A current generation of university opposition National League for Democracy students will effectively be left behind won a resounding victory in the recent with inadequate education while faculty elections, we can expect the government it improve their English language capacity forms to be even more amenable to reform and English instruction at the primary and assistance in higher education, which and secondary levels improves. has been one of its priority areas. 2. Even if Yangon and Mandalay One of the disciplines that suffered most Universities retain English as the medium under military rule was political science. It of instruction, as other universities across was only in December 2013 that the two the country implement political science largest universities in the country – Yangon education, many of them are likely to University and Mandalay University – were do so using Burmese as the medium of allowed to re-institute a political science instruction. undergraduate degree. However, despite a 3. Fostering an academic discourse on great deal of interest among the new cohort politics solely in English ensures that it of students and the dedication of a core will remain disconnected from politics and group of faculty members, teaching capacity political debates in Myanmar society and remains inadequate. Teaching is also that the universities will not effectively hampered by a lack of facility in English contribute to Myanmar’s political reforms. language, lack of training in teaching methods, and lack of training in core One of the unfortunate results of teaching disciplinary theories and texts. in a language that students and faculty insufficiently understand is that any Dr Matthew J Walton has been a leading insights they do gain from the study of member of a political science curriculum politics remain conceptually distinct development programme at Myanmar’s from the everyday discussions of politics universities that has been organised and in Myanmar that take place mostly in funded by the Open Society Foundation the Burmese language. Universities and for the past two years. His experience – academics ought to be active participants corroborated by the teaching and training in public political discourse and to do this experiences of his colleagues from other in Myanmar, faculty and students need to universities – suggests that current efforts to develop a facility in political analysis in offer curriculum development assistance are both English and Burmese. severely limited due primarily to insufficient

3 Right: Professor Chaw Chaw Sein looks at a book in the University of Yangon Library, November 2013 (© Ed Nash)

Establishing a Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science Education in Myanmar To strengthen political science education S/he will spend the other six months in in Myanmar and to support the political Oxford, creating supplementary political transition, we seek to establish a two- science teaching materials in the Burmese year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in language, preparing syllabi and workshop Political Science Education in Myanmar. curricula, and contributing to the A major focus of the role will be on development of Modern Burmese Studies at developing curricula in political science in the University of Oxford. the Burmese language, which are currently In this last capacity, the person appointed mainly in English, for use primarily would work closely with Dr Matthew by faculty and students in Yangon and Walton to develop the academic profile of Mandalay Universities but also in other the Programme on Burmese Studies within higher education sectors within Myanmar. the Asian Studies Centre at St Antony’s This will build on Dr Walton’s work in College, while bringing expertise on the assisting with curriculum development in a political discourse of Myanmar and its discipline that was suppressed for decades regional neighbours to faculty and graduate under military rule. students within the Department of Politics The person appointed to this two-year and International Relations. post would, ideally, have a PhD in political The post-holder will develop the science or a related social science discipline, Programme on Modern Burmese Studies with teaching experience in political further by enhancing the quality of political science. S/he would need to be fluent in science education in Myanmar, forging English and Burmese. The post-holder stronger relationships between Oxford would spend approximately six months and the politics departments at several per year in Myanmar teaching two courses universities in Myanmar, thereby deepening for a full four-month term at one of the our understanding of Myanmar and its universities (one year at Yangon, one year relations with its neighbours in the region. at Mandalay), conducting research and teaching workshops for colleagues at those universities, and doing additional teaching and training at other universities and at non-formal higher education institutions. 4 Outcomes and impact This post would contribute to the following • Enhancing the interdisciplinary study of outcomes: Myanmar at the University of Oxford.

• Improving political science education • Strengthening collaboration between the in Myanmar by creating supplementary University of Oxford and universities in teaching materials in the Burmese Myanmar. language. Facilitating conversations in the classroom • Gradually raising English language in English and Burmese will push students capacity by tandem use of English to apply the knowledge they gain in their materials and supplementary Burmese studies to the realm of politics in Myanmar, materials. creating a clear public good and contributing • Enabling future teaching of political to more active and participatory citizenship. science at other universities not using These conversations will also enrich the English as a medium of instruction. discipline of political science by adding • Creating stronger links between formal insights gleaned from politics in Myanmar universities and the non-formal higher as well as from indigenous traditions education sector in Myanmar by sharing of political thought. We envisage that materials and collaborating on material a postdoctoral role at Oxford will also development. contribute to bringing scholarship in • Facilitating a stronger public discourse political science within Myanmar to the on politics in Myanmar in the Burmese attention of the wider academic community, language, supported by analytical to the benefit of all. knowledge and insights from the discipline of political science.

Establishing a Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science in Myanmar: financial information Outstanding graduates from doctoral Postdoctoral research posts normally include programmes in Myanmar, Europe and travel expenses and equipment expenses for North America can share their expertise research needs, as well as the salary and with their peers, receive valuable mentoring, internal departmental costs. and lay the groundwork for their careers by spending a postdoctoral year at Oxford. Total cost for Postdoctoral Fellow in Political Science Education in Myanmar over 2 years: 2016-18

DPIR St Antony’s Myanmar Donor Total 2 years College universities contribution Salary 0 0 0 £103,378 £103,378 Travel/research costs 0 0 0 £6,000 £6,000 Operating costs £10,719 £10,205 £ 5,000 £13,063 £38,987 £10,719 £10,205 £5,000 £122,441 £148,365

Notes The costs above assume a postdoctoral fellowship appointment The Department of Politics and International Relations will provide the starting in June or October 2016 at a suitable level of seniority post-holder with office space with computer facilities; other operating (Grade 7 stage 5), and travel/research costs appropriate to a post costs include access to Oxford libraries and learning facilities, insurance that is likely to require significant overseas travel. and clerical and administrative support for the post. St Antony’s College is likely to have a number of Junior Research The Programme of Modern Burmese Studies at St Antony’s College Fellowships in place and the post-holder is welcome to apply for will underwrite the full cost of the College fee, meals including High one so that the College costings of the Postdoctoral Fellowship are Tables, and equipment. covered. It should be noted however that while the College would The Myanmar universities (Yangon University in Year 1, Mandalay encourage an application, the Fellowships are competitive and that University in Year 2) will contribute local accommodation and office there is no absolute guarantee that the individual’s application will space for the 4-6 months the post-holder is resident in-country be successful. (with costs adjusted for Mandalay in Year 2) as well as clerical and administrative support while in-country. 5 Right: Oxford’s Dr Matt Walton talks with University of Yangon staff outside a Yangon student residence that is in the process of being refurbished, November 2013 (© Ed Nash)

About the Department of to forge strong links to the higher education sector and political actors in the region. Politics and International The Programme on Modern Burmese Relations Studies at St Antony’s College was created The department at Oxford is one of in 2013, with the arrival of Dr Matthew J the best in the world, and one of the Walton as the inaugural Aung San Suu Kyi largest units for research and teaching Senior Research Fellow in Modern Burmese in international relations, politics, Studies. His post is supported by a grant government and political theory. Its size from the Sigrid Rausing Trust and the enables it to build networks of academics programme is designed to open new whose research clusters in political perspectives on Burma/Myanmar during its theory, political economy, area studies, period of political and economic transition international relations and institutional and on the contested borders, social analysis provide a critical mass for fully interactions and economic opportunities professional research training. that exist within Southeast Asia and with its regional neighbours in South and East Asia. The department’s strength also lies in our unique capacity to understand global Since 2013, the programme has focused on and regional perspectives, combining the developing a vibrant community at Oxford highest level disciplinary teaching and devoted to the study of contemporary research skills with deep knowledge of Myanmar, holding numerous events each the regions of the world; this makes the academic term that address a wide range department an excellent collaboration of topics including religious conflict, partner with the Programme on Modern military politics, land reform, legal reform, Burmese Studies, which has a similar and gender dynamics. Dr Walton acts as orientation. It is also an ideal host for this supervisor to the Burmese scholars who visit postdoctoral position, as the appointee will each year as Charles Wallace Burma Trust be able to draw on the expertise of some of visiting fellows. Dr Walton has also built a the most experienced and talented political cohort of postgraduate students studying science instructors in the world. Myanmar, with students at St Antony’s and other colleges focusing on topics including Modern Burmese Studies at gender and violence, displaced communities, Oxford environmental migration, arts as a tool for reconciliation, and public opposition to With its wealth of specialists in politics and dam projects. international relations of the region, Oxford is uniquely placed to develop a world-leading Programme of Modern Burmese Studies, and

6 Right: St Antony's College (© Oxford University Images)

Asian Studies at Oxford About St Antony’s College The interdisciplinary programme in Modern The Asian Studies Centre is one of the Burmese Studies is situated within the Asian seven regional research centres housed Studies Centre at St Antony’s College. The at St Antony’s College. It is the most Asian Studies Centre is primarily a co- cosmopolitan of the Oxford colleges, with ordinating organisation which exists to a special mission to research and teach bring together specialists from a wide variety international affairs. It is widely regarded as of different disciplines. Geographically, being one of the best places in the world to the Centre predominantly covers South, study global issues. Southeast and East Asia. It is a forum for supporting activities through which scholars A diverse extended family of Research, from across the University and beyond Visiting, Honorary, Emeritus and Junior discuss thematic topics of comparative and of Research Fellows is complemented each regional interest. The Asian Studies Centre is year by some 90 visiting Senior Members host to the Taiwan Studies Programme, the from diplomacy, business, politics and the Programme in Modern Burmese Studies, the military, as well as from other academic South Asian Seminar Series and the institutions and think tanks. More than Southeast Asia Seminar Series. 400 students from 75 different countries study for postgraduate degrees at the College. It houses on-site seven regional centres focused on Africa, Asia, Europe, , Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and Eurasia as well as programmes on North America, Burma, Morocco, Poland and Taiwan.

Acknowledging our benefactors The University of Oxford and St Antony’s Naming the post College would not exist without the The University of Oxford and St Antony’s generosity of their benefactors. Both College would be delighted to discuss recognise their donors in a variety of ways, naming the post. and involve them deeply in the life of the college and the University, on both a formal and an informal basis.

7 Contact details

If you would like more information, please contact:

Dr Matthew J Walton Mr Wouter te Kloeze Professor Ricardo Soares de Oliveira Director of the Programme on Development Director Development Director Modern Burmese Studies St Antony’s College Department of Politics and International Relations E: [email protected] E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

Produced January 2016