Student as citizen: Learning, leading, and giving back

A photo of the Get Engaged: Student as a Citizen summer program at CEU in 2025

Every summer, Parami students take part in global classroom experiences, both online and offline. This year, seven students traveled to Budapest, Hungary, to join the Get Engaged: Student as a Citizen summer program at Central European University (CEU), an OSUN-affiliated institution. The program gathers young leaders from across OSUN each year to explore the importance of civil society, examine global challenges, and learn from diverse perspectives. 

Civil society, according to the World Bank, refers to a wide range of organizations, from community groups and NGOs to indigenous organizations. The term gained prominence in the 1980s and was associated with non-state movements resisting authoritarian regimes in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Civil society continues to evolve in response to technology and subtle societal changes. Understanding this evolving role of civil society provides an important foundation for examining how individuals and communities can help shape society.

Building on this broader understanding, students in the CEU program explored civic engagement from historical, philosophical, and practical perspectives. Classes focused on political participation, civil society, social justice, associational life, and personal responsibility, balancing theoretical understanding with opportunities to contribute actively to communities.

Parami students highlighted lessons such as leadership in crisis, running projects under authoritarian settings, understanding civic engagement, writing strong proposals for impact, and using strategic tools for project design. Many found value in building global connections, improving project skills through mentoring, and gaining inspiration from peers and local experiences.

Niang Sian Lawh Lun initially worried about her capability to participate. On the first day, she realized that simply making friends was already meaningful. Conversations with students from China, Argentina, Ghana, and other countries broadened her perspective and demonstrated that connection is part of civic engagement.  This experience also shaped how she understood her own role as a student citizen.

Niang Sian described a student citizen as “someone who learns not just for themselves but also contributes to their community.” In Myanmar, where young people often feel powerless, even small actions—sharing stories, supporting peers, or starting grassroots projects—can be forms of leadership. Storytelling, mentorship, and grassroots action are powerful tools for Chin youth.

She shared, “Sharing stories helps heal, mentorship gives courage, and small community projects can restore hope where it feels lost.” She plans to carry these lessons into her project, Back to the Farm, which creates safe spaces for displaced Chin girls to reconnect with the land, find healing, and build connections with one another. For Niang Sian, these lessons also reshaped her understanding of leadership, particularly in times of crisis and when working under complex conditions. She reflected, “Leadership is not always loud or visible but about quiet resilience, creativity, and building trust step by step.” Niang Sian’s experience reflects a broader lesson from the program: leadership can take many forms, often emerging through small, community-centered actions. Her classmate from Parami University, Hein Lin Htun, demonstrated this through his work on the student-led White Tale project, where he serves as a storyteller and leads communications and curriculum.

The project aims to build reading habits among children and make books more accessible through storytelling and discussion-based activities. Hein Lin said the program reinforced the importance of designing effective, student-centered approaches and using available resources thoughtfully.

Hein emphasized that students are not only preparing for future careers but are also “key contributors and leaders in their communities.” He believes that good citizenship is not necessarily about politics, but about taking action to create positive change, address societal challenges, and serve one’s community.

Reflecting on the context in Myanmar, he added, “In Myanmar, where many struggle to survive, contributing to one's community is a privilege—yet even the smallest consistent steps can bring positive change.” For Hein, being a “student as a citizen” means recognizing one’s responsibility, agency, and potential to help shape a more inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking society.

Hein stressed that “ethical leadership involves both capability and self-reliance.” Capability builds skills in decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability, while self-reliance strengthens accountability and resilience. Together, they enable stronger collaboration and more sustainable outcomes.

The Get Engaged: Student as a Citizen program provided valuable lessons in connecting with a diverse global community, improving project development skills, and gaining inspiration from local experiences. Sharing Myanmar food and observing Hungary’s culture fostered meaningful bonds, refined projects, and offered new perspectives. Interactions with students from different courses and countries also expanded networks, exposed participants to diverse academic and community initiatives, and inspired ideas for community engagement. Every lesson from the program will support the development of student-led educational initiatives, project proposals, and knowledge sharing to drive meaningful social impact.