Agenda for June 9, 2025
(8:30 AM - 9:00 AM)
(9:00 AM - 9:15 AM)
(9:15 AM - 10:15 AM)
Pyay Oo May is a Business Developer at Nietzsche Enterprise, driving social impact through ethical business in AIoT and solar energy. She is a business development professional with over 12 years of experience in the non-profit and private sectors. She regularly speaks on youth, sustainability, and Myanmar’s socio-political future, advocating for young people as agents of democratic change.
She holds dual MBA degrees in Project Management and International Business and graduated from the Parami Leadership Program (PLP) at Parami Institute. As a Parami University’s Goodwill Ambassador, she is deeply involved in youth empowerment, fundraising, and community resilience in Myanmar. Pyay has led education programs in refugee camps, served as an ASEAN youth leader, and supported communities with education and healthcare access following the 2021 coup. Her experience spans HR, administration, and research on entrepreneurial traits in higher education.
Min Zin is a Founding Member and the Executive Director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy (Myanmar), an independent, nongovernmental think tank dedicated to promoting democratic leadership and strengthening civic participation in Myanmar. He is a PhD candidate in the Travers Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include civil-military relations, democratization, and ethnic conflicts, focusing on Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. Min Zin’s writings have appeared in academic journals and edited books. He also writes for Foreign Policy Magazine, The New York Times, and other media outlets.
Dr. Moe Thuzar joined ISEAS in 2008, serving as a lead researcher in the ASEAN Studies Centre until August 2019. Before joining ISEAS, she spent 10 years at the ASEAN Secretariat, where she headed the human development unit. A former diplomat, Dr. Moe researched Burma’s foreign policy implementation during the Cold War years for her PhD at the National University of Singapore. She is now working on publishing her dissertation findings. Dr. Moe has contributed to several compendia on ASEAN/Southeast Asia and Myanmar. She co-authored Myanmar: Life After Nargis and Do Young People Know ASEAN? Update of a Ten Nation Survey, and co-edited Urbanisation in Southeast Asia: Issues and Implications, and Asean and India: The Way Forward.
Naing Min Khant is a third-year student at Parami University majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). He is also a researcher and writer in the areas of Good Governance, Conflict Transformation, and Security Sector Reform.
(10:15 AM - 10:45 AM)
(10:45 AM - 11:45 AM)
Nan Chon Chon Kyaw is a second-year student at Chiang Mai University, majoring in Social Science and Sustainable Development. She previously studied Social Studies at Myanmar Institute of Theology. She is also a member of the Burma Students’ Association at CMU and was honored to receive the Daughters Rising Scholarship in 2024. With over five years of experience as a freelance English teacher, Nan Chon is deeply passionate about education and community development. She has volunteered with youth organizations and led grassroots initiatives to support underprivileged children in her home country, Myanmar.
Khu David Ta Keh is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) with support from Parami and Prospect Burma scholarships. He is a Karenni IDP student who has lived on the Thai-Myanmar border since 2021. Before university, he spent two years at IDP community colleges and worked as a junior reporter covering education and food security in Karenni IDP camps. His work focuses on youth empowerment, higher education preparation, and community-based research within the Karenni IDP community. Recently, he presented his paper, “Post-Secondary Education of Karenni Displaced Students within the Ongoing Civil War,” at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Myanmar Borderlands, held at Chulalongkorn University.
Win Moe is a second-year student at Payap University majoring in English Communication Arts. He began his academic journey at Mon National College, earning an associate degree in education and teaching, which laid a strong foundation for his future studies. Fluent in Mon, Burmese, and English, he is passionate about teaching and digital content creation, using online platforms to share learning experiences and inspire others. Win Moe aspires to become a university educator and contribute to advancing higher education in his community.
Aye Mon San is a second-year student at Payap University majoring in English Communication Arts. She has an associate degree in Mass Media and Journalism from Mon National College. Passionate about storytelling and translation, she transforms everyday experiences into meaningful narratives that bridge cultures. She aspires to become a translator and English instructor, using language as a tool to connect communities and foster understanding. With a strong foundation in media and communication, Aye Mon is committed to making a positive impact through education and cross-cultural dialogue.
Khant Razar Kyaw is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). He is passionate about leveraging data, education, and civic research for social impact. Khant has worked as a research assistant, debate trainer, and program facilitator across various community and academic initiatives. He also holds diplomas in political science, federalism, and education leadership. His work centers on empowering youth and advancing data-driven solutions for social change.
Aung Myin Thu is the Director of Admissions and Student Affairs at Parami University.For about seven years, he worked with hundreds of underserved Myanmar youth on English language, debate, and pre-college programs. His passion for student diversity and inclusion deepened while pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Washington, Seattle. He believes that promoting diversity and inclusion is vital for enriching classroom dialogue, fostering mutual learning, and enhancing the overall university experience.
(11:45 AM - 1: 00 PM)
(1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
Jonathan is IIE’s Regional Director based in Bangkok, Thailand. In this role, he leads engagement with governments, corporations, universities, and nonprofits throughout Asia Pacific. This includes administering scholarships, English language initiatives, student mobility, partnership facilitation, and capacity building with stakeholders and institutions in their efforts to engage better globally.
Jonathan Becker is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he is an Associate Professor of Political Studies and co-director of the Global and International Studies Program. His scope of work includes academic oversight of the Bard High School Early Colleges; the Bard Prison Initiative; the Clemente Course in the Humanities; and Bard’s international dual-degree partnerships with the American University of Central Asia, Al-Quds University, Bard College Berlin, and St. Petersburg University. Jonathan earned his BA from McGill University in 1987 and his PhD from St. Antony’s College, Oxford, in 1993.
Elis Tun is the Founder and President of Level Up College, a community-based institution focused on empowering youth from conflict-affected and displaced communities—a mission deeply connected to her experience as an internally displaced person. Also an Executive Committee member of Myanmar Colleges Consortium, she holds a Master’s in Ecological Design Thinking from Schumacher College, UK. Elis combines this with a business administration background to create innovative, sustainable educational solutions. Her work blends systems thinking with practical leadership to build inclusive, resilient, and future-focused learning environments for the 21st century.
Daniel Marco Siegfried is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Child’s Dream Program. He chairs the board of its Swiss association and serves on several boards within the Child’s Dream charity network. Daniel oversees the organization’s strategy and leads humanitarian projects focused on health and education for sustainable development across the Mekong Sub-Region (Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand). With a team of 90 and a budget of nearly US$12 million, Child’s Dream has implemented over 1,000 charitable projects. A graduate of Zurich Business School, Daniel spent nearly a decade with UBS in Zurich, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Singapore. His exposure to charitable work during his travels led him to leave the financial sector in 2003 to focus on serving marginalized communities. He also sits on several philanthropic advisory boards.
(2:00 PM - 2:30 PM)
(2:30 PM - 3:30 PM)
Navya Mohan is an academic advisor at Parami University. She recently graduated from the University of Maryland, where she studied Public Policy and Marketing while participating in outdoor education and peer counseling programs. She is passionate about education equity and mental health.
Dr. Dale Mineshima-Lowe is a social science and humanities faculty member at Parami University. Her research interests are at the intersection of political communication and social movement theory, focusing on how activism and civil society networks utilize digital technologies to address social—environmental, and democratic governance issues.
Phyo Thiha Aung is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). He is a Prospect Burma Scholarship recipient and actively works on continuing education for youths and students in Myanmar. His strong endeavors and interests are gender equality, focusing on feminism and women’s participation in politics.
Dr. Will Buckingham is a social science and humanities faculty member at Parami University. He is a writer and philosopher with a background in anthropology and philosophy. His work spans academic writing in philosophy and adjacent disciplines, novels, narrative nonfiction, and children’s books. He has worked with Parami in various ways since 2017 and is now based in Taiwan.
Janhvi Kulkarni is an academic advisor at Parami University. She received her Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. She is interested in the role of advocacy and grassroots organizations in building better, more sustainable communities.
Htet Myat Phone Naing is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). His interests and goals lie at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development, and he is particularly passionate about applying data operations to contribute meaningful social impacts back to societies.
Anny Lin is an academic advisor at Parami University. She is passionate about improving marginalized students’ access to higher education, cultivating holistic student success, and integrating social-emotional learning in higher education. Her work is guided by her belief that all students have the agency to shape their education and future.
(3:30 PM - 4:30 PM)
Agenda for June 10, 2025
(2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
Prof. Navadon Khunlertgit is an Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering at Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2016. His work spans AI and ML, with applications in bioinformatics and software development. His research interests include classification and clustering algorithms, biomarker discovery, integrative data analysis, and user interface design. He is actively engaged in research and teaching, contributing to advancements in technology and education.
Dr. Mohammed Megheib received his MA and PhD in Statistics from George Washington University (GWU). He has taught at GWU and Georgetown University, earning five merit awards for teaching and consulting. As a postdoctoral fellow at IMCI, he worked on projects in COVID-19 modeling, small area estimation, and genomics. He also served as a Senior Statistician at the FDA, guiding drug approval decisions. He also held senior roles at SAS, ADA, and other organizations. His expertise spans regression, time-series analysis, and social network analysis, with proficiency in SQL, Python, R, SAS, and more. His research covers biostatistics, spatial statistics, Bayesian inference, and small-area estimation.
Dr. Panachit Kittipanya-ngam is the CEO and Co-Founder of ZTRUS, a Thai startup providing automatic data entry service with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and AI-based cognitive templates designed for various types of documents. Panachit is a technology business builder. He was a researcher at the Institute for Infocomm Research, A*Star, Singapore, focusing on commercializing emerging technologies in the Singapore Tech ecosystem. He moved back to Thailand to work for True Corporation in the True Innovation Center to support and strengthen the Thailand Innovation Ecosystem from the corporate side. Then he turned to work for the Electronic Government Agency as director of innovation, driving digital transformation via public policies and implementation such as Open Data, Big Data, Design Thinking, and Agile Development in the government environment before becoming an entrepreneur. He was elected to be the president of Thailand Tech Startup Association.
Zaw Htut Aung is the Education Technology Manager at Parami University. He has over four years of experience integrating digital tools to enhance teaching and learning. He has supported community schools in Myanmar’s border areas by implementing learning management systems and training over 300 educators in education technology. Zaw also leads Padauk Classroom, an AI-focused initiative empowering teachers to use AI ethically in education. He recently organized a workshop on ethical AI integration in teaching.
(3:00 PM - 3:30 PM)
(3:30 PM - 4:30 PM)
May Thaw Tar is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). She has explored the intersections of data science, storytelling, and social impact. May is also working as a Digital Marketing Executive at OSG Youth Alliance, an organization focused on youth empowerment and sustainable development. As a generalist with a diverse background, May is driven by curiosity and a deep interest in learning across disciplines, from digital communication to research and education. Throughout her career journey, she embraces the uncertainty of the future as a space for experimentation, reflection, and reinvention.
Kyaw Toe Toe Han is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). He is actively involved in student leadership and governance, having previously served as president of the MTU Student Union and currently contributing as a member of Parami University’s Constitution Drafting Committee for the Student Council.
Min Thant Hein is a second-year student at Parami University majoring in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). He is actively involved in student life, has served in the Parami Media Club and Environmental Club, and is currently the internal secretary of the Evolved Mind Mental Health Club. Beyond campus, he completed his service learning as an English teacher at BEAM Education, supporting students from diverse backgrounds. Balancing academics and volunteer work has strengthened his resilience and adaptability.
Dr. Kaung Htet Swan is the Founder of EHS Myanmar, a youth-led nonprofit promoting environmental awareness in Myanmar. He is a Postdoctoral Researcher at KMUTT in Bangkok and holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Mahidol University, with prior degrees from AIT and WYTU. He has earned several diplomas in teaching, business, and GIS, and is a licensed ESIA consultant with over eight years of field experience. With more than six years of leading youth engagement and sustainability efforts, he has driven community research and empowerment through EHS Myanmar. Writing under the pen name “Naing Kyaw Lu,” he publishes on environmental education and was named an ASEAN Youth Eco-Champion in 2023.
Ko Thant is a young LGBTIQ advocate and community worker currently serving as Program Manager at Colors Rainbow. With a growing background in civil society and human rights, he has contributed to initiatives on human rights education, SOGIESC inclusion, and community resilience for queer and conflict-affected groups in Myanmar. Thant has supported civic education, digital literacy, and leadership programs for youth, women, and marginalized communities, while helping to strengthen community-based initiatives amid crisis.
Alexandra is an academic advisor at Parami University. She graduated from Tufts University in 2024 with an International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies degree. She has worked with youth in Boston, India, Greece, and Jordan, and is passionate about the transformative power of education.
