As
Burma begins to open up, there is great interest in doing research, both as foreign researchers doing their own projects, and as working with local researchers. Since 2010, many foreign governments and universities have tried to engage with local universities, but have found challenging an environment of low educational standards resulting from decades of neglect, not to mention difficult bureaucratic hurdles. Think tanks and civil society organizations act as centers of knowledge creation, not the universities. Patrick McCormick, and alumnus of UW, spoke both about the changing possibilities for engaging with local universities and about the social research of local organizations. He also provided insightful information for students about his on-the-ground experiences doing research in the “new” Myanmar