20th research conference marks centenary of Yangon University

December 22, 2020

The opening ceremony of 20th Research Conference to mark the centenary of the University of Yangon was virtually held yesterday morning.
Union Minister Dr Myo Thein Gyi delivered an opening remark at the ceremony which was also attended by the president, the vice-presidents and members of Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science, the directors-general, rectors, professors, researchers and academic staff.
Those who submitted the papers to the Research Conference for the Centenary of the University of Yangon (RCCUY2020) were 47 professors (5 per cent), 196 associate professors (22 per cent), 319 lecturers (37 per cent), 101 assistant lecturers (11 per cent), 35 tutors (41 per cent) and 164 others (19 per cent)—totally 862 persons.The numbers of research papers in respective years were 307 in 2017, 455 in 2018, 999 in 2019 and 862 in 2020.
A total of 12,767 research papers have been published in local and foreign research journals from 2011 to 2016. The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicated that Myanmar published 1,649 research papers from 1996 to 2015 and 2,140 research papers from 2016 to 2019.
The best awards for doctoral research paper in respective years were 9 out of 25 in 2017, 11 out of 34 in 2018, 9 out of 46 in 2019 and 10 out of 33 in 2020. Except for Laos and Timor-Leste, other countries have possessed better quality and quantity in research. In contrast, ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries are strong in this issue due to a larger amount of investments in research and innovation.
The Union Minister urged for cooperation to conduct the best research for the country and the world. He added that the research is the lifeblood of universities, and it plays a crucial role in independent management at the universities.
He also advised for promoting automation technologies of artificial intelligence (AI), Robotics, Big Data, Cloud computing and Internet of Things, the disciplinary relating to any academic subject, interdisciplinary, epistemic subjects, high-tech learning and high-touch learning and the blended learning. The Union Minister also discussed the implementation of Schools and Industry Partnership-SIP, developing curriculum for ensuring the promotion of skills and capacity.
The National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Committee will perform as an external assessment group for quality assurance, while the National Education Strategic Plan (2021-2030) includes independent management in developing human resources.
The Union Minister called for the participation of the private sector in research and innovation sector for ensuring quality economic system, banking system, sustainable development and highest benefits in production and service sector.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)