Liverpool John Moores University to teach engineering courses in Myanmar

Construction News Myanmar
A photo of Liverpool John Moores University’s campus. The university has announced a partnership to teach engineering courses in Myanmar. Photo – LJMU

Liverpool John Moores University to teach engineering courses in Myanmar

Liverpool John Moores University has partnered with London-listed Myanmar Strategic Holdings (MSH), developer and operator of businesses, to teach international standard engineering classes for Myanmar’s young professionals.

The programmes will be taught by employees of Auston College Myanmar at its campus in Yangon’s Junction Square who will have a Master’s or a PhD degree. Students will have the choice of studying in Myanmar or one of the university’s campuses in the UK as part of their programme.

The collaboration could pave the way for MSH to bring in other internationally-accredited courses in the future as Myanmar’s market for higher education is still at its early stage. A 2018 “Myanmar’s Higher Education Reform: Which Way Forward?” report by the European Union revealed that internationalising higher education became the agenda of the Myanmar government recently.

“Liverpool John Moores has long been considered a diverse and truly international university so we are excited to expand our offering to Myanmar. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Auston College Myanmar,” said Rebecca Bartlett, from the university’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology.

The Liverpool public research university will undergo a partnership with A Partners Limited, which trades as Auston College Myanmar. A Partners is a wholly-owned firm of MS Auston Pte, which is a joint venture owned 70 percent by MSH and 30pc owned by Singapore’s Auston Institute of Management.

The partnership with the university marks a significant milestone for Auston College Myanmar to provide internationally recognised degrees in Myanmar, said Enrico Cesenni, CEO of MSH.

“Liverpool John Moores University is a well-regarded international institution and it is very exciting that Myanmar nationals have the opportunity to take advantage of its course programmes,” he added.

There are plans to open up further courses in Yangon if satisfactory is met for the integration of this first syllabus, Mr Cesenni said. “There is a significant market for the provision of globally recognised education in Myanmar, and we aim to continue growing our presence in this sector over the coming years.”

MSH is one of the few western-listed funds specifically investing in Myanmar and despite its small size, it has made significant moves in the industry.

In February 2017, MSH opened its first Wall Street English Myanmar, an English language learning centre, in partnership with Wall Street English and global education provider Pearson.

In November 2017, Pearson agreed to sell Wall Street English to a consortium consisting of funds affiliated with Baring Private Equity Asia and CITIC Capital.

Currently there are three Wall Street English centres in Myanmar, three in Yangon and one recently opened in Mandalay.

In August 2019, MSH opened its first international school, The Yangon American International School, offering American curriculum aligned with International Baccalaureate and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/liverpool-university-teach-engineering-courses-myanmar.html