Projects

FY2010

Capacity Building for Young Researchers in Myanmar's Industrial Field

Project contents
In 1988, Myanmar declared its intentions for economic reform, centering on a market economy and openness to the outside world, and waved farewell to its prior policy of the 'Burmese Way to Socialism'. Yet, under the current system, the potential for progress in economic reform is limited. Rules surrounding political and economic activity have tightened, with a negative impact on the activities of those active in the private sector. In preparation for the new civil structure to be ushered in following the general election scheduled for some time in 2010, it will be necessary to train economics experts who can help support the burgeoning market economy. In this three-year project, SPF will provide a grant to the Myanmar Economic & Management Institute to train experts in economic analysis who are capable of performing surveys in various economic fields, including macroeconomics and the industrial establishment. To further the project, economics experts from Japan, Thailand and elsewhere will be dispatched to Myanmar to provide guidance to young economics researchers in the country.
Implementation Plan
In the second year of the three-year project, the following activities will be carried out.
  • Research and surveys
    Six researchers will form three research/survey groups: (Group 1: macroeconomic analysis, Group 2: Primary industry and service industry, Group 3: Manufacturing industry). Each group will conduct research and surveys in their specified field with guidance from Minoru Kiryu, Ph.D./Professor, Osaka Sangyo University, Nobuyoshi Nishizawa/Professor, Kinki University, Myat Thein, former head of Yangon Institute of Economics, and others. In this project year, interview surveys and questionnaire surveys will be carried out, mainly through field surveys in Myanmar. Advice will be sought from Kitti Limskul, associate professor at Chulalongkorn University, and others on conducting relevant activities. The results of the research will be compiled into a report by the end of the year.
  • Activities to support researchers (outsourced to Myanmar Market Research and Development - MMRD)
    All relevant activities conducted in Myanmar will be outsourced to MMRD.
Project Results
Continuing on from last year, this year six researchers were divided up into three groups (macroeconomic analysis, primary industry and service industry, and manufacturing industry), and they conducted research on various subjects.

Specific areas of research included "More practical macroeconomic policy and macroeconomic results," "Foreign trade development since 1988," "Import alternatives in the food products industry: Case study of instant noodles," "Development of soft drink industry in Myanmar," "Importance of pulse sector in economic transitions,"and "Importance of rice cultivation in Myanmar's economy."

Implementing Agency Myanmar Economic & Management Institute (Japan) Year Implementation year(2/3)
Project Type Self OperatedGrantCommissionedOther Year project budget implementation 13,468,068yen