The Kayan National University (KyNU), established by the Kayan National Education Committee (KNEC) and officially opened on 6 August 2024, is planning to officially start classes in October 2024, according to university officials.
KNEC Deputy Director Khun Nay Zar said that KyNU aims to offer valuable educational support for young people, nurture future leaders, and admit students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, not just those from the Kayan community.
He said: "At the moment, the only program we can offer is Community Youth Leadership and Development (CYLD), which is designed to prepare students for university entrance exams in Chiang Mai [for Chiang Mai University]. We are working to launch all other academic programs at the [KyNU] university in October.”
Students will be able to study six different subjects when the KyNU starts its courses in October. They are: teacher education, agricultural science, health science, development and social science, computer science, and Kayan literature and language. KNEC said that it also plans to expand and start teaching other subjects in the future, including natural science, economic science, law studies, and urban administration
Essential information and details of how prospective students can enrol at KyNU will be announced on KNEC's Facebook page.
The student acceptance process will be thoroughly verified, and candidates will be required to undergo an in-person interview to gain admission to the university, according to the KNEC Deputy Director, Khun Nay Zar.
Talking of the proposed curriculum at KyNU, he said: "I reached out to Dr. Thein Lwin of the Critical Thinking Foundation for advice on the university's curriculum. Together with him, we have developed the curriculum systematically. Additionally, scholars from several partner universities also contributed to our curriculum development.”
Though KyNU is about to open its doors to students, it plans to only accept a limited number of students for now because it currently lacks enough classrooms, teaching materials and computers.
Currently, the location of the KyNU, in the Kayan Region, is being kept secret for security reasons.
