After two years of studying, Parami Leadership Program (PLP) and Parami Social Entrepreneurship Program (PSEP) students have graduated from Parami. The virtual graduation ceremony was held on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, and attended by the President of Parami Unversity, faculty members, a member of the board of trustees, staff, and students. Congratulations to all graduates!
Parami started the Parami Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2017 to provide quality education to adult learners in Burma. Parami Leadership Program (PLP) is the flagship program that accepts university graduates of Myanmar from all across the country to cultivate critical thinking, leadership skills, and a compassionate service mindset through a year-long intensive liberal arts and sciences curriculum.
In the Fall of 2021, the Parami Institute of Continuing Education introduced a new education program called the Parami Social Entrepreneurship Program (PSEP) and a new format of PLP to offer more flexibility. Both PLP and PSEP were designed to provide maximum flexibility in that students take modular courses and complete a set amount of credit hours within 1–2 years to graduate from the programs while working.
Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun, the President of Parami University, delivered an inspiring speech reflecting on the journey of Parami and students' commitment to education. "The circumstances surrounding your learning in 2021 and 2022 are the most unusual ones in the history of Parami and Myanmar. In this 2021 cohort, the entire program was filled with online learning. By June 2021, we had successfully integrated many online learning tools to make the learning experience of the Parami Leadership and Parami Social Entrepreneurship programs possible with advanced technology. Parami Leadership Program students went through the entire period of double disasters, but what I learned from this cohort is their resilience."
With the new format, students had a lot of liberated agencies. They had to determine their schedule. They had to think about how to survive during the disaster period and how to fit all these courses within their work schedule, families' responsibilities, and all the unusual circumstances I have mentioned before. So I applaud your resilience through all these three years. Two years is a long time to test your patience and commitment to education. I hope that throughout these two years, you have learned all great habits of mind not just in your courses but also in your life experiences. For that, I'd like to congratulate all of you for your resilience, patience, commitment, and outstanding achievement." ― Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun, the President of Parami University
Even before the political unrest in Myanmar in 2021, Parami sought ways to provide educational opportunities to young people during the COVID-19 pandemic, where most in-person classes were forced to move online. Due to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, Parami started introducing new technologies such as the Canvas learning management system, H5P, Padlet, Pear Deck, and many other tools to Parami better to facilitate the learning experiences for students ever since.
“I am so proud of what is really truly your achievement,” addressed Dr. Romina de Jong, the Dean of Academic Affairs. "From an organizational perspective and many of your personal perspectives, this not have been an easy year, so the fact that we have you here and the fact that we have 12 graduate students from PLP and PSEP is truly an accomplishment. Without exception, all the teachers reported to us that having you as a student was such a delight.” Dr. Romina de Jong has been working and teaching at Parami since early 2021. She has taught many classes to the students from the programs."
Dr. Win Maw Hlaing Oo, the Chair of the Division of Mathematics and Science, joined Parami in 2020 and has taught three PLP cohorts, including the 6th, 7th, and 8th. “Congratulations to all! We are now in the 21st century. We live in a digital world. Technological advancement is moving faster than ever in the history of mankind, and it will continue. As a result, artificial intelligence, such as AI, has been taking human jobs. It means you know how to do it so does artificial intelligence. However, what artificial intelligence cannot replace is your critical thinking, your creative skill. Throughout the program, we pushed your critical thinking and creative skills to a new level. You achieved that. You should be proud of yourself for your achievements.
As a requirement for the programs, students were required to do at least 40 hours of Community Services in various sectors ― teaching, educational administration, translation, mental health support, environmental issues, technology accessibility, handcrafts club, and raising awareness on vulnerable communities.
Below are some examples of community service projects and activities done by our PLP and PSEP students.
Emma (PLP 8th cohort) worked as a librarian at Youth Corner in Chin State to serve people who came to the library to read or seek counseling.
Lin Latt (PLP 8th cohort) volunteered at Doh Eain for youth participation in the MHPSS Mental Health Psychosocial Support program to track how young people in Myanmar participate in mental health awareness activities in their communities.
Min Htun Myat (PLP 8th cohort) worked on a health education advocacy video to raise awareness about the nature of Down Syndrome Children. Watch the video
Pyae Wunn Thar (PSEP) volunteered at Mary Chapman School for the Deaf to explore a new community and way of communication.
Lin Latt from the PLP 8th Cohort shared her learning experience and the valuable lessons and knowledge she has acquired throughout the program.
“Parami has been instrumental in shaping my academic aspirations for the future. From a diverse range of Parami courses, I have acquired the skills necessary to locate and access a wealth of educational resources, thereby enhancing my overall learning experience. As a Parami student, I have often been challenged to exhibit a strong work ethic and unwavering perseverance, qualities that have been proven invaluable in my pursuit of lifelong learning. The rigorous nature of Parami coursework has provided me with a profound understanding of the true essence of higher education. Through my learning journey, Parami not only transformed my attitude towards learning but has also expanded my horizons. I will forever be grateful to embrace such opportunities of being a Parami student, and cherish every memory I shared with the teachers and my fellow classmates.―Lin Latt (PLP 8th Cohort)
2022 is the last year that Parami University offers PLP and PSEP. It is one of Parami's significant accomplishments to serve some of the most talented and driven individuals from Myanmar for the past six years. Some PLP alumni are pursuing further study abroad. At the same time, some have returned to their hometowns to work in the fields they are passionate about. With the launch of the undergraduate degree programs and new continuing education programs, Parami University has, for now, decided to stop one-year certificate programs in the coming year.