Established in 1920, the University of Yangon has an illustrious yet tumultuous history. Once among the largest universities in Southeast Asia and recognized as a premier institution of higher learning, it has endured decades of rigid external control, isolation and lack of resources. Today the legacy of limited capacity and freedom continues to hamper the University’s ability to contribute to meeting the needs of Myanmar’s society and the on-going economic, political and social transformations in the country.
Since the onset of political change in Myanmar in 2011, the University of Yangon has been at the centre of revitalization efforts in higher education in the country. In order to shape and implement a programme of ambitious and sustainable transformation, the University initiated a process of developing a Master Plan for its Revitalization in 2017, with full support from the new democratic Government of Myanmar.