Fellows

2026 Research Fellows

Aye Aye Aung is an international development practitioner and junior researcher with a strong commitment to advancing gender equality and educational development, particularly for women and young people. She is currently pursuing a Master of Gender and Development Studies at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, where she has developed expertise and interest in gender theories, development policy and practices, and qualitative social research.

With several years of professional experience in the international non-governmental sector and higher education, Aye Aye has contributed to programs focused on gender and social inclusion, women's economic empowerment, community-driven development, and education. She has also held an academic leadership role, coordinating faculty and academic programs with Myanmar’s interim education organizations while facilitating learning and dialogue on gender and social change.

As a 2024 YSEALI Professional Fellow and a 2026 Myanmar–Australia Visiting Research Fellow, Aye Aye's current research examines technology-facilitated violence against exiled women academics from Myanmar. Her broader academic interests include technology-facilitated violence, gender and education, digital rights, feminist research, and inclusive development.

Okkar Shein is a member of the Local Intermediary Actors (LIA) Network Myanmar. His mother organization is the Gender Equality Network (GEN) Myanmar, where he currently serves as Head of Program. Okkar is a development professional with over a decade of experience, primarily focused on advancing gender equality, community development, and inclusive humanitarian action. In response to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, he actively engages with a wide range of international stakeholders, including UN agencies, donor organizations, embassies, and UN permanent missions. Through these engagements, he strategically advocates for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and localization priorities, aiming to reshape international aid policies to be more effective, context-responsive, and supportive of grassroots communities.

2025 Research Fellows

Su Mon Thant - an expert in conflict dynamics and democracy in Asia. She works as Asia-Pacific Senior Analyst for international organisation Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) where she has worked since 2021. She holds an MA in Politics and International Relations from Keele University (UK) and has researched Myanmar's politics and society for over a decade, including as an accredited observer of the 2015 and 2020 Myanmar elections.

Aung Ko Ko - Executive Director of Mosaic Myanmar, a local civil society organization dedicated to promoting community and social integration through education and advocacy. He holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University in the US and is currently based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

2024 Research Fellows

Dr Phyu Phyu Thin Zaw - Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health. She has a background as medical specialist in epidemiology and in public policy.

Dr Tual Sawn Khai - expert in migration with previous experience working in both government and civil society.  He completed his doctorate in Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

2023 Research Fellows

Dr Khaing Phyu Htut – education specialist currently working for British Government Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in Yangon with more than 20 years of professional experience in various roles at the Ministry of Education, the British Council and Department for International Development. Her current role as the Education Adviser of DFID involves overseeing the UK’s education support to Myanmar which focuses on teacher education, assessment, and marginalised communities. Fellowship in July/August 2023

Dr Peter Suante – specialist on politics of education in Chin State who hails from the Chin/Zo indigenous community. He holds a PhD from the University of Hong Kong and is a dedicated scholar specializing in education policy, with a focus on the non-state sector. Currently working for local NGOs and doing independent research for advocacy and for academic publication. Fellowship in October/November 2023