This project is aimed at fostering human resources in Myanmar, particularly public officials and young journalists. Lecturers are invited from Malaysia, Korea, and Thailand, and they seek to develop the skills of midlevel bureaucrats and other trainees by acquainting them with the experience of Myanmar's neighbors. The hope is that within this intellectual setting the trainees will gain the ability to frame policy issues in a broader perspective.
This year a training workshop for midlevel regional officials was held in Mandalay (May 22-24, 2003), and another one for midlevel central-government officials was held in Yangon (November 11-15). High-level officials of Myanmar's Civil Service Selection and Training Board were taken on a study tour to Korea (December 11-16), where they were familiarized with the course of reform in Korea's civil service system and had a chance to exchange views with their Korean counterparts on such subjects as the future of the civil service system and the personnel system in Myanmar. The project also provided training to young journalists with the Myanmar Times, and they learned about such basics of journalism as writing copy and headlines.