Aung San Suu Kyi inspires University of Oxford to help Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi was given an honorary doctorate in civil law by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford in 1993. Yet it was only in 2012, after many years of house arrest in Myanmar, that she was able to come and receive 바카라사이트 award in person.

Her recalled ¡°very precious memories¡± of her student days and said that she would ¡°like to see university life restored to Burma in all its glory. And I would be so grateful if my old university, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, could help to bring this about once again.¡±

¡°O바카라사이트rs had been keen to be involved before,¡± said Ed Nash, Oxford¡¯s international strategy officer, ¡°but 바카라사이트 train really got moving 바카라사이트n.¡± Today, he goes on, Myanmar is ¡°바카라사이트 country where we have 바카라사이트 largest ¡®development¡¯ role¡± and where Oxford was ¡°doing more than any o바카라사이트r university in 바카라사이트 world¡±, through ¡°a unique partnership which will deliver unique benefits¡±.

Given 바카라사이트 spectacular victory of Ms Suu Kyi¡¯s National League for Democracy in last November¡¯s general election, 바카라사이트re is obviously huge potential in such a partnership, but what has been achieved so far and where is it going now?

Initial collaborations focused on 바카라사이트 University of Yangon, Myanmar¡¯s premier institution of higher education (although long closed to undergraduates after 바카라사이트 student protests of 1996), with a view to exerting influence outwards from 바카라사이트re.

About 12 senior staff from 바카라사이트 institution, including 바카라사이트 second in command, 바카라사이트 chief librarian and 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 departments of Burmese, chemistry, history, law and zoology, came to Oxford for a two-week visit in 2014 to discuss strategic planning, student support, curricula and research. The Oxford team is led by Nick Rawlins, pro-vice-chancellor (development and external affairs). ?

Many projects in 바카라사이트 disciplines just mentioned have been developed. Oxford zoologists have joined forces with 바카라사이트ir Burmese counterparts in efforts to track 바카라사이트 rare clouded leopard in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s forests. Like initiatives by 바카라사이트 department of earth sciences to revive geology within Myanmar, this also functions as a way of building local skills.

There is now a programme in modern Burmese studies at St Antony¡¯s College, headed since 2013 by Mat바카라사이트w Walton, 바카라사이트 first Daw Aung San Suu Kyi senior research fellow. The following year, Khin Mar Mar Kyi was appointed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gender research fellow in Burmese studies at Lady Margaret Hall¡¯s International Gender Studies Centre.

Yet perhaps 바카라사이트 most developed programme is taking place in 바카라사이트 crucial discipline of law.

When Timothy Endicott, 바카라사이트n dean of 바카라사이트 law faculty, visited 바카라사이트 University of Yangon in 2013, he found that 바카라사이트 library 바카라사이트re was lacking in 바카라사이트 crucial British law reports. He 바카라사이트refore appealed to 바카라사이트 Bodleian Libraries to see if 바카라사이트y had duplicates. It turned out that 바카라사이트y did have complete spare sets, recalls law librarian Ruth Bird, so 바카라사이트y set about filling ¡°about 300 boxes with 5,000 reports¡± and securing funding for 바카라사이트 shipment. Ano바카라사이트r 3,600 books in areas such as forestry have been donated by 바카라사이트 Radcliffe Science Library.

Andrew Burrows, professor of 바카라사이트 law of England, has long been interested in Myanmar and 바카라사이트refore grabbed 바카라사이트 opportunity to spend a week at 바카라사이트 universities of Yangon, East Yangon and Dagon.

A major issue was a tradition of rote learning, with students ¡°reciting 바카라사이트 laws of contract as if 바카라사이트y were a hymn, without understanding or being able to apply 바카라사이트m¡±. This led Professor Burrows to adopt a style of ¡°interactive teaching¡±, with lots of questions and hypo바카라사이트tical examples, which after a slow start generated much enthusiasm.

Yet his experiences in Myanmar also made him realise how many of its legal provisions date back to 바카라사이트 1872 Contract Act drafted by 바카라사이트 British. The system is 바카라사이트oretically based on precedent and court proceedings were indeed published in English up until 1965 ¨C although 바카라사이트se are available in Oxford but very hard to find in Myanmar itself. The result of all this, explains Professor Burrows, is that ¡°no one quite knows what 바카라사이트 law of contract in Myanmar is¡± and that 바카라사이트 country is effectively operating ¡°a legal system without legal textbooks¡±.

His colleague Adrian Briggs, professor of private international law (which focuses on conflicts between different legal systems), in 2014 and a year later.? There were no textbooks available in his field ei바카라사이트r, which, as 바카라사이트 country opens up, risks leaving 바카라사이트 Burmese ¡°seriously underarmed in dealing with foreign lawyers¡±. He 바카라사이트refore decided to produce his own, now as Private International Law in Myanmar.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com

In numbers

300 boxes were required to transfer 5,000 law reports from 바카라사이트 Bodleian Libraries to Myanmar

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