E-Learning Status in Myanmar

1. E-Learning Status in Myanmar By Hnin Wut Yee

2. Brief about Myanmar • Country - Union of Myanmar • Area - 676,577 Square Kilometer • North to south distance – 2832 Kilometer • East to west distance – 925 Kilometer • Border with India on the north west - 5858 Kilometers • China on the north west • Laos on the East • Thailand on the south east • Total coastal line length - 2832 Kilometers • Population - Fifty Three million • States and Divisions - 14 • Population living in rural area - 80%

3. Present Telecommunication Network Populations-53 millions Telephone - 445,943 Telephone Density - 0. 84% Exchange Auto Exchange – 170 Manual Exchange - 673 Transit Exchange - 5 International Exchange - 1 Mobile Exchange - 4 Packet Exchange - 1 Internet Gateway - 1 Microwave Stations Digital - 179 Analogue – 46 Earth Stations International Stations - 1 Domestic Stations - 19 International Submarine Cable Landing Point -1

4. Telecom Infrastructure • Establishing of Microwave Radio Routes • Establishing of Domestic Satellite Communication. • Connection with the SEA-ME-WE 3 Submarine Cable System. • All Exchanges in Yangon and Mandalay are linked by fiber • Linking Yangon and Mandalay by fiber is in progress • New installation of GSM Mobile Phone Net work. • VSAT and IPStar systems are introduced to cover the whole country by using thai com satellite • Connecting with fiber cable links with the member countries of Greater Mekong Sub-region under sub-regional Telecommunications Network Projects.

5. Internet Infrastructure • Number of ISPs : 2 (Myanmar Post Telecommunication and Bagan Cyber Tech) • Internet Subscriber : 10,000 • User connectivity : Dial-up, ADSL, WLL • Mostly subscribed by govt. and Military officials • Cyber café : 20 (17 in Yangon, 3 in Mandalay) • Internet User : 50,000 • Satellite is main international connectivity • Country domain name : .mm

6. Development of ICT Infrastructure • Establish Myanmar ICT Development Council (E-National Task Force (2000)) • Establish of the Myanmar ICT (MICT) Park • Increase Internet and PC Penetration Rates • Building Infrastructure for e-Government Initiative • Strengthen the connectivity Development • Establishing the public Internet Access Center • ICT exhibition is arranged in every year for 2 weeks

7. Development of ICT Projects • Smart Card (June 2002) • 2000 smart cards for officials of Ministry of Defense. • e-Passport (August 2002) • 5000 passport in its initial phase • Smart Schools (October 2002) • Collaborated with the MDC (Malaysia) • e-Visa (January 2004) • Visa application and the payment online • Certification Authority (January 2004) • To set up the national CA, initially start with National Registration Authority (RA). • e-Procurement (January 2004) • Tender, direct purchase, catalogue will be included. • TEDI (Trade Electronic Data Interchange) -Ongoing

8. Education Structure • Basic Education Primary, Secondary

9. Education Structure Higher Education • Economics • Computer Science • Education • Nursing • Paramedical • Community Health • Agriculture • Forestry • Dental Medicine • Engineering • Medicine

10. Education Structure First Degree • Bachelor Post Graduate Degree • Master, Phd

11. E-learning Initiatives in Myanmar • PC penetration to the society • Establishing multimedia classroom in high schools and middle school  all over the country. • Start ICT education by opening Computer Universities in Yangon and Mandalay  and Computer colleges in big cities of each states and divisions • Start e-Education Program by Electronic Data Broadcasting System for university for Distance Learning by  opening over 200 learning centre all over Myanmar. • Establishing of Fiber Optic Networks for the whole Yangon and connecting to Mandalay as national  backbone. • 24 government computer colleges were opened in states and divisions in addition to Universities of ComputerStudies and Mandalay University of Computer Studies • Offers Science and Technologies Diploma, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate courses on ICT Diploma, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate courses on ICT and undergraduate ICT courses to increase IT literate population • Private ICT training schools offers bachelor and diploma courses

12. ICT Facilities in Higher Education

13. E-Learning Development in Myanmar • E-Learning centers were upgraded to two-way communication system or the interactive system • Myanmar Education Network, utilizing VSAT (very small aperture terminal) and iPStar was established in Oct 2001 • Ministry of Education use e-learning in teacher upgrading program : english languagae teaching methodology for seccondary school teachers of English • Yangon University of distance education and Mandalay University of distance education, provide part of their instruction at the 619 learning centers utilizing e-learning

14. E-Learning Development in Myanmar • Yangon institute of economics offers diploma in education management as an e-learning program • The English Department of Yangon University has also launched e-learning in Young Faculty Development Programme • University of Computer studies, Yangon (UCSY) offers MSC in computer science as an e-based program which utilize e-learning. • Myanmar computer Federation e-learning Centre also has been conducting professional training courses and Japan IT Engineers Certification ( Japan-Myanmar Cross Certification ) is being offered.

15. E-Learning Development in Myanmar • more than 1.25 million students in the basic education sub-sector, • nearly 10000 teacher trainees at education colleges • about 700000 students in the higher education sub-sector • are being provided knowledge and skills including regular academic pro-grammes through e-learning centres throughout Myanmar.

16. International Cooperation • MOU between KEIO University and UCSY • Offer joint Ph.D programme between KEIO and UCSY has been setup • Active Member of SOI-Asia Japan ASEAN Exchange Project (2001~2003) • Distribution of live lectures from professors of JAPAN • Myanmar-Japan e-Learning centre (MICT Park) established • MoU between METI & e-Task Force • Provides training courses for Japan Information Technology Engineer Examination (JITEE) • MOU between JAIST and UCSY • Exchange knowledge with other participants from ASEAN countries • Learning many archive lectures at any time • Interactive disucssion between professors and participants in Mgyanmar

17. Constraints on the Use of E-Learning in Myanmar • Lack of Infrastructure • 9th out of 10 ASEAN countries in terms of e-infrastructure, e-society,e • commerce and e-government • classified as emerging readiness country • characterised by “the need to build basic ICT infrastructure • Lack of financial resources for ICT education • one of the least developed countries in the world • GDP is roughly US$ 1,027. • Limited access to and awareness of ICT • One of the countries most shut off from the Internet • Monitoring e-mail traffic and website content. • Allegedly controls the establishment of e-mail accounts and websites.

18. Items to be Localized in E-learning • E-learning contents • E-learning standards • E-learning technology • E-learning policy • Certification method for e-learning professionals

19. Any Questions?

20. Thank You