Engage civil society intellectually through a post-graduate scholarship program, thus helping to build a pool of new generation Myanmar scholars and researchers;
	Promote Myanmar art and culture in the region and beyond and contribute to exposing Myanmar artists to contemporary art movements internationally;
	Stimulate pro-engagement policy dialogue and popular debate, to promote a discourse on Myanmar/Burma that is both supportive of societal and institutional engagement and reflective of the realities of the country and the people who live there.

Call for applications. Information and Forms ~ 2008/2009 Scholarship Applications ~  Process completed for 2008/09!

Heinrich Boell Foundation holds an annual scholarship competition for a small number of students from Myanmar/Burma to study at two premier Thai universities, offering three international Programmes. The “HBF Call for Master of Arts Scholarship Programme” with guidance notes is available from November of the current year to February of the following year.

Application forms and entrance qualifications for the international programmes of the respective universities are available at web links provided below and as word documents.

• The Master of Arts in International Development Studies (MAIDS) program at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science.

application form
reference form

• The Master of Arts in Sustainable Development of the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) at Chiang Mai University, Faculty of Social Sciences.

announcement for admissions
application form

• The International Master of Economics Program of the Faculty of Economics (M.Econ) at Chiang Mai University.

admission schedule
application form

Please download the 2008 application forms and guidance notes. Applicants must read the guidance information carefully. 

Students for the Scholarship Program are selected by both HBF and the respective Universities in an open competition. Decisions made are final. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Applicants can re-apply for the Scholarship Program the following year.

Our post-graduate scholarship program: general information

The HBF Program on Myanmar seeks to address the existing need for bridging educational disparities between the country and her more prosperous ASEAN neighbors. The program identifies young Myanmar intellectuals as potential agents of social change for the country who can help bridge this gap by becoming more internationally exposed and better-trained than is currently feasible in the existing higher education sector inside the country. Furthermore, the program aims to make relevant information and educational materials accessible for young Myanmar women and men, with a broad focus on political, social, gender and environmental awareness.

Every year we offer a small number of full scholarships for three MA Programs, especially tailored to meet the needs of Myanmar candidates and jointly undertaken with two premier Thai universities. These programs are: 

• The Master of Arts in International Development Studies (MAIDS) program at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science is designed for postgraduate students, NGO workers, and international organization employees who are interested in the field of international development. The program is multidisciplinary and integrates academic, technical, managerial, and professional training. This full time program lasts one year.   

• The Master of Arts in Sustainable Development of the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) at Chiang Mai University, Faculty of Social Sciences, offers a graduate program (M.A) to Thai and international students, particularly from neighbouring countries. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the interplay between ethnic and gender relations in resource management and sustainable development in different socio-economic, political and economic contexts. This program is a full-time, two-year curriculum. 

• The International Master of Economics Program of the Faculty of Economics (M.Econ) at Chiang Mai University aims to generate graduates with ample knowledge and understanding of broad social and economic conditions in order to perform proficient and sustainable work, and to undertake self-development that enables them to advance with rapid global economic changes in various regions, inclusive of domestic economic developments. The program allows diversity and cross learning by offering only a small core of elective courses followed by specialization in fields ranging from development economics to trade, environmental and resource economics and human capital, among others. This program comprises of three semesters for the period of eighteen month.  

“Cross-Cultural Awareness Meeting on the Union of Myanmar” at the International Center for Education of Chiang Mai University, August 2007

In the framework of the “Greater Mekong Sub-Region: United in Diversity – Cultural Awareness Exhibitions” HBF scholarship recipients and their fellow Burmese students from Chiang Mai University organized a “Cross-Cultural Awareness Meeting on the Union of Myanmar” at the International Center for Education on 23 August 2007. The three hour programme included multimedia presentations on Myanmar’s history, culture and traditions. A variety of photos and posters along with explanations on historical sites, ethnic dresses and traditions were at display, such as beautifully designed longyis, lacqueware and bags. Even some of the beauty secrets of Burmese women were revealed. The students explained how to apply Thanaka cream and demonstrated the grinding of the bark of the thanaka tree (add little water and grind on a circular stone). A vivid cultural show with dance and song performances contributed to the successful exhibition and certainly inspired cross-cultural exchange among the international audience.  

One of our scholarship holders at the Myanmar day
events at Chiang Mai university, August 2007