Graduation Ceremony of All Ethnic International Open University

_ reported by May Ng

Dean of the Faculty of Education (CMU) Prof Annop Pongwat presiding over the graduation Ceremony frank by the Rector and /Dean of AEIOU

             On 2 April 2008, a quiet and a simple celebration of the AEIOU/EWOB Program’s second graduation was silently hosted by the Faculty of Education at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai.  

… 

These Students were awarded Diploma in Teaching by AEIOU, CMU and SFU  

             Four students were awarded Diplomas in Teacher and another four (one in absentia) were awarded with Honours in Social Science from two Universities, the All Ethnic International Open University (AEIOU) and the Chiang Mai University (CMU) which has a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Simon Fraser University of British Columbia, Canada.…

Three students were awarded Diploma of Arts in Honors (one in abstentia) …

            The joint ceremony was generously supported by the CMU; and both Faculty members of the CMU Education Department and the AEIOU attended the celebration. 

            “Charge To The Students” speeches were delivered by Prof. Dr. Annop Pongwat, Dean of the Faculty of Education representing the Chiang Mai University, Dr Ma Tin Yee, Rector of AEIOU Programme and Prof. B T Win of the Simon Fraser University of British Columbia, Canada. 

            This year, AEIOU will send five students to the professional institutes in Thailand, two to Medicine, one to Dentistry, one to Technology and one to Business and Administration and they all were already accepted by their respective institutions. 

            In spite of their limited human and financial resources the program has high hope for the coming years and has tentative plan to become a full fledge Burmese University in Diaspora, offering various curricula, including courses in professional training. … 

They were all smiles as the young Co Ed in white got the certificate of teaching and the Suits got their Diploma.

 … 

            Today, AEIOU is offering superb leadership and academic excellence as the “Pillar of Democratic Burma” and it is the only institutions with full capacity as an Open University in conjunction with the Chiang Mai University. With scores of students graduating from AEIOU annually for the last eight years– like the saying, “What Oxford University think of Today, England will think of Tomorrow”, it is hoped that “What AEIOU think of today, Federal Republic of Burma will think of tomorrow”.

            The program holds itself to a fully open and transparent accountability. Its advisory board is made up of honorable persons such as the former Premier of Manitoba, Canada cum the incumbent chairperson of UN Women Association, as well as senior lecturers from different educational bodies such as Australia, United States, Canada, EU, and Southeast Asia. The AEIOU program is a hands-on practical education for the Burmese students from disadvantaged background, including Internally Displaced Persons, Migrant workers, and also students from inside Burma with experience in humanitarian organizations such as Phaung Daw Oo and other programs whose names cannot be revealed to protect the participants of the AEIOU.  

            The AEIOU can therefore be considered ‘a lean-mean machine’ for trying to make a difference on behalf of the future of Burmese people in this manner.