Yangon Technological University

History

The university traces its origins to Rangoon University's Department of Engineering established in 1924 during the British colonial period. In the beginning, the department was located in the extended compound of Rangoon General Hospital in downtown Yangon and consisted of two lecturers and 17 students. In 1927, it became a separate entity, BOC College of Engineering and Mining, named after Burmah Oil Company, and was moved four miles north. Civil Engineering was the only program offered until 1938 when a combined Mechanical and Electrical Engineering program was added.

After World War II, in 1946, the college became the Faculty of Engineering of Rangoon University. After Burma's independence in 1948, the college added Mining, Chemical, Metallurgy and Architecture programs in 1954 and a Textile Engineering program in 1955.

In 1961, the college became Burma Institute of Technology (BIT) of Rangoon University and was moved to the current building complex in Gyogone built by the Soviet Union. In 1964, BIT was renamed Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT) and, more importantly, made an independent university under the Ministry of Education. RIT began conferring Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degrees instead of Bachelor of Science (Engineering) and Master Science (Engineering) degrees, hitherto offered at Rangoon University. The university expanded its bachelor's and master's degree offerings to the current 11 disciplines over the years. The PhD programs were added only in 1997.

The university was renamed Yangon Institute of Technology (YIT) in 1990 and was placed under the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1997. In 1998, the name of the university was changed to Yangon Technological University (YTU). In 1999, a new campus located six miles west of Gyogone in Hlaingtharya was opened. Until 1991, when Mandalay Institute of Technology was founded, the university was the only senior engineering university in the country, along with several Government Technical Institutes (GTIs), which offered two-year engineering diplomas. In 2012, both Yangon Technological University (YTU) and Mandalay Technological University (MTU) started to accept the best and most outstanding students around the country to undergraduate programs and they are called as Center of Excellence (COE). Only 250 students are accepted to YTU annually based on their scores from the annual university entrance examinations. YTU remains the best university which students need best scores among all the students around Myanmar to get acceptance.

Programs

YTU maintains 18 academic departments: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Power Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Technology, Mechatronic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Mining Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Biotechnology, Architecture, Engineering Geology, Engineering Physics, Engineering Chemistry, Engineering Mathematics, and Languages.

Most YTU students are enrolled full-time in engineering programs although over 2000 students are also enrolled in part-time programs. Of the nearly 11,000 students who graduated between 1997 and 2004, a little over 50% received bachelor's degrees, 10% master's, 4.5% postgraduate diploma, 32.5% undergraduate diploma, and 2.4% Ph.D.

Engineering

The university offers six-year B.E. and B.Arch. programs and two-year M.E. and M.Arch. programs. The Ph.D. programs last between three and five years. Students are accepted to YTU's undergraduate programs based on their scores from the annual university entrance examinations.

Postgraduate studies

The following one-year postgraduate diploma, two-year master's and doctoral programs are offered in applied sciences. The university had 322 postgraduate students in the 2007-2008 academic year.

Undergraduate diplomas

The university offers one-year Diploma in Technology degrees in the following:

Campus

The university consists of the main campus in Gyogone and a smaller campus in Hlaingthaya Township, six miles west.

The main campus, built between 1958 and 1961 with aid from the Soviet Union, comprises eight main buildings, all interlinked by rain-proof corridors. The main hall and administrative departments are in Building 1. Buildings 5-8 house the School of Architecture and laboratory rooms. The library is near Building 1. The campus also includes a sports hall, a football pitch, a canteen, a restaurant, and a carpark. Faculty residences are located in the back of the campus. Seven halls (named Block A through Block G) are accepted again as dormitory halls in December 2013.

List of rectors

Dr. Myint Thein

Alumni

As YTU was the only senior university in the country until 1991, most senior engineers in Burma hail from RIT/YTU. However, many alumni and former faculty members have left the country for work, further studies, or both. The largest group of overseas alumni are believed to be in Singapore and the second largest in the United States.

Number of graduated students

Under Ministry of Education (from 1927 to 1996)

Under Ministry of Science and Technology (from 1997 to present)

International affiliations

YTU is a member of ASEAN University Network, Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network (AUN/SEED-Net), and Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network (GMSARN). The university has academic affiliations with University of Karlsruhe (Germany), Shibaura Institute of Technology (Japan), Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand) and Mae Fah Luang University (Thailand).