Thant Sin Oo

“Before coming to SOAS, I was working as a development worker in Myanmar. Two years of spending time in the remote communities in Myanmar allowed me to see how knowledge and information were accessed by people and how it shaped community development. I also noticed that as the new digital technologies advanced, they quickly spread even to the underdeveloped regions of Myanmar, and become adapted by people to use for various needs. For example, smart mobile phone technology and 3G internet came to play as an important tool to access information, especially in areas where government educational infrastructures have not reached. These mobile technologies intertwine, replace, reshape, and adapt to the existing social practices within these societies, for both good and bad uses. Becoming part of this social transformation inspired me to explore more about the positive use of the media in academic study and research. SOAS has years of reputable research and expertise in development studies, especially in Asia and Africa.

I learned about the Prospect Burma Scholarship programme from the SOAS website and I was excited to see that it offered the opportunity specifically for students from Myanmar. Without the scholarship, it would not have been possible to pursue my studies in the United Kingdom. Overall, this MA will greatly enhance my future career prospects to continue my efforts to help benefit the communities in Myanmar. It will also support my ambition to obtain a PhD degree in the near future. I believe that organisations like Prospect Burma are vital to students from Myanmar, enabling them to pursue their dreams of studying abroad.

Eventually I want to attend a PhD programme in the near future, in a subject that will help me to support the development of my country. Meanwhile, I plan to go back to Myanmar and work there in an area that will benefit societies, applying the knowledge I have gained from SOAS.”