The International Myanmar Student Research Symposium (IMSRS) 2025 was implemented through a partnership between the Asian Institute of Technology’s GenderLab, the SecDev Foundation, and Spring University Myanmar, with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Numun Foundation (Taiwan), and the Myanmar Research Centre (MRC) at the Australian National University.
The programme integrated three core components: an outreach campaign reaching over 1,000 young scholars, capacity-building workshops on research writing and digital security, and a mentorship programme pairing presenters with established researchers. Capacity building was integrated throughout the programme lifecycle, enabling participation of many underrepresented scholars. The symposium was conducted bilingually (English and Burmese) and entirely virtually, deliberately designed to remove common barriers to international participation including language, travel constraints, and geographical isolation.
The programme received nearly 100 applications from early-career researchers (ECRs) in and from Myanmar. Following a round of peer review and revisions, 88 presentations were accepted. The March 28th earthquake caused disruption and only 44 participants were ultimately able to present in May. In the months leading up to the Symposium, we organised five capacity-building workshops on ethics, research writing, digital security, and presentation skills. We also created a one-on-one mentorship programme for 30 presenters, with priority given to ECRs located within Myanmar with lower access to support.
An average of 38 participants joined each of our six capacity building workshops, including the post-Symposium workshop on research publishing. During the Symposium, we had an average daily attendance of 110 unique people, including presenters, mentors, panel chairs, Myanmar CSOs, and invited guests. The organising team prioritised digital safety and data handling throughout all activities, based on bespoke digital security protocols developed in collaboration with SecDev’s DigiSec team.
Post-symposium surveys revealed strong overall satisfaction among participants, with 80% rating the symposium as either 4 or 5 out of 5 for usefulness. Participants appreciated the organisers for presentation support, clear communication, robust security protocols, engaging keynote speakers, and peer interaction. However, feedback identified three areas for improvement: organisational logistics (particularly breakout room arrangements and time management), more substantive feedback from panel chairs, and enhanced networking opportunities. A notable positive outcome was that 4 out of 5 respondents indicated they were likely or very likely to attempt publishing their presented papers, demonstrating the symposium’s effectiveness in encouraging scholarly output among Myanmar ECRs.
IMSRS 2025 succeeded in creating visibility for Myanmar ECRs, fostering diversity among presenters from various geographic locations, delivering high-quality keynote speeches, and providing rare peer-sharing opportunities strengthened by effective capacity-building activities. However, the event faced significant challenges including ongoing safety concerns affecting planning and execution, including unstable funding arrangements and a worsening security situation inside Myanmar. For similar events, we recommend professionalising mentorship (with fewer but better compensated roles), implementing stronger upfront administrative capabilities, and developing clearer ToRs and project management processes for core team members. Future events may also wish to experiment with hybrid formats and formal networking events.
Full report below:
Read some of the research works presented at IMSRS
Women’s Economic Empowerment through Digital Literacy: Resilience and Everyday Activism of SMEs in Myanmar’s Post-2021 Coup
Post-coup Issues and Challenges for Myanmar refugees in Mizoram: Regarding Legal Status and Safeguarding
Challenges to Climate Resilience of Irrawaddy River’s Lower Basin Communities
Rethinking Public Administration Reform in Myanmar: A Social Equity Perspective