Off the Syllabus: A space for conversations beyond the class
At Parami University, learning can happen beyond the classes and other academic activities. Launched in May 2025 as a work-study program by the student affairs team, the Off the Syllabus podcast gives students a space to explore ideas, experiences, and conversations outside the formal coursework. Since its launch, the podcast has produced 24 episodes, with 2 episodes a month.
The podcast gives students ownership of the content, while the student affairs team supports coordination and other logistical needs.
Saw Khun Thike (Theo), the Student Affairs Officer, who supervises the podcast team, recalled the wider purpose of the podcast: “Through this podcast, students can explore their own personal interests outside of class. I want this to be a space that connects students by not only listening but also sharing and learning with each other to create a meaningful student experience at Parami.”
That broader goal is reflected in the hosts’ own experiences, from building confidence to learning what goes into producing each episode.
For Htet Myint Myat Chaw, one of the podcast hosts, joining the team was an opportunity to challenge herself. Htet said, “I’m quite introverted and I wanted to do ‘exposure therapy’ to expose myself to get over my fear of public speaking. So I thought it would be a good idea and a fairly small step towards my goal while helping the Parami community.”
Htet and the other podcast host, Khong Dau Chamloit (Bruce) choose topics based on what may interest Parami students and their relevance to academic and university life. They develop fun and engaging questions to encourage conversations that students can relate to. Previous episodes have covered university admissions, exchange program applications, study tips, and other aspects of student life.
For future episodes, the team plans to introduce more lighthearted content while staying connected to university life. One planned episode is a Parami-themed quiz featuring representatives from different cohorts competing for the first prize.
The hosts are also learning through the process of producing each episode. From preparing questions and speaking with guests to editing and promoting episodes, the podcast helped them develop both communication and technical skills.
“Knowledge-wise, I have learned a lot of different insights, views, and tips on different topics, both from the guests and my co-worker. Skill-wise, I definitely feel more confident on camera now and voicing out my opinions.” Htet reflected.
For Bruce, producing each episode has changed how he understands podcasting. “There is actually a lot of work behind each episode,” he said by describing the process of brainstorming ideas, preparing questions, choosing guests, recording, editing, and publishing each episode. He added, “Sometimes we also have to reschedule because of power outages or other emergencies.” Despite the work involved, the team enjoys creating the podcast and regularly meets to discuss how they can improve.
Bruce mentioned one of the professors telling him that she was surprised to see how much Bruce spoke on the podcast compared with in-class discussions. This experience showed him that the content was reaching the members of the wider Parami community and boosted his motivation to improve.
"It was encouraging to know that a professor was actually watching our videos, and it motivated me to improve even more. I already have many ideas for future podcast episodes. I hope Off the Syllabus becomes a platform where Parami students can have fun, share ideas, debate different perspectives, and share inspiring stories," Bruce shared optimistically.
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