A Question about AEIOU

 

An Underground Burmese activist asked _

I am curious to know how AEIOU deals with students who are refugees.  What if they have no community to go back to, and have their own family in Chiang Mai, or are just stuck there on their own?  Having students study in their own community sounds very nice, but it seems like those who need the education most, will be the ones least able to comply with this requirement.

I just ask this question honestly, as I am genuinely interested in how this works, and not as a criticism of AEIOU at all.

 

Dean of AEIOU Programme replied _

            Thank you very much for your interest in AEIOU and the enquiry. No genuine refugee can legally stay in Chiang Mai or in any Thai City as according to Thai law (if it is an law abiding person) even if his parent are legal migrant workers and stay in Chiang Mai and the son/daughter is a refugee, then that son/daughter must stay in the refugee camp like any other refugees. Hence, this question is an impossibility.

             However, as in the clarification if he is an IDP or a migrant worker, we work it out to see whether he serves his own community of migrant workers and IDPs. This is crux of the Open University a sort of a barometre to see whether that student is really intent to serve it own community or not. Obviously more than 50% of the students failed in this test because their true color shows. We don’t want the best, the most intelligent but who is available and willing to serve its people and the country. In Burmese we say Lu Daw Lu Kaung and not the BSPP way of Lu Kaung Lu Daw, for we cannot make a Lu Kaung into a Lu Daw but we endeavour to make a Lu Daw into a Lu Kaung.

            Your second questions of “those who need education the most will be the least ably to comply with this requirement.” are very good. A student after passing two years and writing a term paper of 50 pages plus (second year) about his community is admitted into a third year provisional students where he became a senior student something like half student and half teacher. This is where his/her character is seen (selfish or obliging) of whether he/she is eligible (using her talents for the community e.g. music or physical assents) for scholarship abroad. If we are in doubt then a one year practicum is assigned and if he passed we send them abroad for one year in one of our affiliated universities. Hence the questions of going abroad just for studies are not the rationale, for we always send eligible students abroad. All of our students have come back and work. If one goes to any refugee camp and point out a youth leader, it will be one of our alumni.

            Constructive criticism and enquiry couple with love and sincerity are always welcome. “Action speaks louder than words”. You are welcome to join us in anywhere you are to make this tertiary education more successful.

Prof. Win Ph.D

Dean and Director of International Affairs of AEIOU Programme

Professor of Simon Fraser University of British Columbia