UTS and UNSW support closer engineering linkages with Myanmar

Stronger links between academics and professionals

Through knowledge exchange and open dialogue, the project will strengthen linkages and cross-cultural learning between engineering academics and professionals in Myanmar and Australia. The project will also increase knowledge and understanding in Australia of the engineering profession in Myanmar.

Supported by the Myanmar Engineering Council, this project will provide outreach and knowledge exchange via workshops, master-classes and an industry-education engagement dialogue. An initial workshop and industry panel session have already taken place in Yangon in early October. The activities in Myanmar will be followed by a reciprocal visit to Australia in early 2020.

Why this project?

Engineering and the engineering profession are changing rapidly, both in Australia and Myanmar, in response to the new technologies, innovations and societal changes. Engineering students, teachers and professionals need to be equipped with the necessary skills and experiences to be able to face new opportunities and challenges. Industry and education need to strengthen how they work together, so that future industry needs and engineering education opportunities match.

This project will provide several activities to support these aims:

• An inaugural Industry-Education Dialogue on the topic of future engineering industry developments  in Myanmar and the link with education in order to best prepare graduates.  
• A workshop hosted by the Myanmar Engineering Council to reflect on current engineering teaching practices in Myanmar and Australia. This workshop took place in early October in Yangon. The focus of the workshop was assessment, both of student learning and degrees for accreditation. The workshop also looked at engineering teaching and learning, assessment and graduate outcomes in light of professional accreditation of engineering degrees.
• A knowledge exchange visit to Australia for Myanmar academics aims to exchange ideas about country-relevant and innovative teaching and learning approaches, through meetings with UTS and UNSW teaching staff and with Australian industry representatives. Other topics that will be explored are engineering accreditation, industry-education collaboration, and life-long learning and upskilling.

UTS and UNSW are collaborating on this project, building on existing relationships developed since 2013. The project will be led by Dr Iain Skinner from UNSW and Professor Roger Hadgraft from UTS.  The project team  includes Justine Lawson (UTS) and Jayashri Ravishankar (UNSW).

Thanks to the support of the Australia-ASEAN Council, we are bringing together engineering educators from both Australia and Myanmar to reflect on the future of engineering education in Myanmar

Professor Roger Hadgraft, Director, Educational Innovation and Research