by So Jung Rim | Aug 13, 2018 | CU SISU, News
Social innovation is the ideas that are more efficient, more effective, fairer, and sustainable to solve social needs and issues.
What’s your name? Tell us about yourself
My name is Shoon Lae Sandar Oo. I am a second year specializing in Social Enterprise Management at Co-operative University, Thanlyin, Myanmar. I have a strong desire to achieve a social entrepreneurship business venture as a career path after graduation. Then, I would like to solve the social issues in the community through my business profits. So I decided to become a social entrepreneur to create jobs and the conditions for a prosperous society. As I haven’t graduated yet, I want to obtain extensive knowledge in the field of social innovation as part of my further studies. Therefore, I wish to study social entrepreneurship, community development and social innovation in overseas universities.
What do you think the most important social challenges are at the moment?
I think that there are many social challenges in our city, our country and globally. In my opinion, for my country firstly, not having a job is one of the social issues. Unemployment always challenges people. Constant unemployment affects people’s future ability to find a job, their psychological well-being and more. Even the employed people are affected by unemployment because of the ripple effects. Secondly, disability barriers is a big social problem because it means disabled people don’t have the same chance as normal people. They don’t have the job opportunities. Thirdly, social problems of street children who are experiencing poverty, homelessness, abuse and lack of parenthood, low education… is another important social challenges I think.
What are you doing to address this challenge or what do you hope to do?
The first point is that many citizens across our country agree to solve unemployment is a priority for both government and citizens as our country is developing as well as in its transition. Mostly, women and men who have a lack of education are facing difficulties because they don’t have so many job opportunities. So, I will give the job by providing vocational training to them. In my point of view, I have many ideas to train them in how to sew clothes, how to make arts and crafts and so on. Also, I would like to generate learning opportunities for disabled people by providing a vocational training with proper guidance and genuine care to achieve a status of being a sensational person. In addition, I would like to provide adequate health, education and social services for street children by creating and supporting outreach education and training to them.
How do you think students and young people can play a role in helping solve these challenges?
We can participate and support in solving the social problems of our community as members, alumni, stakeholders, vocational trainers, SISU users and volunteers, etc. I am now participating in the waste recycling and social innovation project under the TCU SISU activities. I can help in solving these challenges by providing a proper vocational training of making handicraft products and sewing patterns designer clothing for unemployed people, disables and street children.
What did you learn at the SEASIN studio?
I learned a lot of lessons from the SEASIN studio workshop in regard to which problem is the most important in the society, how to solve the social problem, how to design the project plan, how to create a project with the mode of project management and how to implement the project. Moreover, I gained communication and presentation skills, team work spirit, creative and innovative ideas and more extensive knowledge than I had before.
Has the SEASIN studio introduced you to new ways of thinking and working?
Yes, I had a lot of new ways of thinking and working in my personal skills, thanks to the SEASIN studio. After attending this studio, I could speak and discuss with my friends about the project implementation process and how to identify and solve the social problems. It has a tremendous effect on my education by providing me with the opportunities and enhancing my personal skills such as creative thinking, innovative ideas, communication, presentation and team work skills related to my SEASIN studio experiences.
What does ‘social innovation’ mean to you?
Social innovation is the ideas that are more efficient, more effective, fairer, and sustainable to solve social needs and issues.
Do you think it is important that university play a role in the community that is more than as academia? How?
From my point of view, every university should provide higher education to the students to achieve academic qualification as well as the professional and skill development training to marginalized people to achieve a unique status in the community. It is also important that universities play a role in the community because there are many social needs in the society such as risk and vulnerability, jobless, mental health problems and so on. Therefore, we should work together with the stakeholders to help and support in solving the social challenges and reducing the poverty for the local areas surrounding our university.
What can universities do to help students become better problem solvers of future challenges?
Universities can help students by providing and enhancing the knowledge of social innovation: how to create ideas, meet the social needs in the society to become better problems solvers of future challenges. Moreover, universities can support technical and service trainings such as computer skills, arts and crafts, sewing designing skills, customer service skills in turn, we can share these knowledge and experiences with those who are socially excluded – the marginalized, and disadvantaged people.
by myothein | Aug 9, 2018 | CU SISU, News
On 13-7-2018, TCU SISU Team conducted the seminar on “Social Enterprises Landscape in Myanmar” to share the knowledge and ideas of social entrepreneurship strategy and social enterprise landscape in Myanmar. On the event, Pro Rector U Oo Tin Thein delivered welcoming speech to audiences. Then, Social entrepreneurship strategy, intimidator , the status of social enterprise and impact investment, social enterprise and social investment eco-system, recent social investments, challenges faced by social entrepreneurs in Myanmar, why social entrepreneurship is important for development, developing the social entrepreneurship policy for Myanmar, and capacity building etc. have presented by Mo Lwin, Lecturer | Entrepreneur | Consultant, Vice President of Social Enterprise Development Association Myanmar. The participants and SISU users ask questions in regard to the social challenges of social enterprises and how to address these social issues and problems and Mo Lwin discussed these issues. After that, SISU teams took group photo together with the participants and social innovators. The session was ended at 12:00 pm.
Opening Speech (13.7.2018)
Presentation by U Mo Lwin (SeDaM)
Presentation by U Mo Lwin (SeDAM)
Q & A Session
Q & A Session
Group Photo on completing the seminar
by myothein | Aug 9, 2018 | CU SISU, News
On 31-7-2018, TCU SISU Team conducted the seminar on “Entrepreneurial Idea for Youth” to cultivate and develop entrepreneurial sprit and idea among the students during higher education. On the event, Prof. Dr. Yi Yi Win, Rector delivered welcoming speech to the participants. Then, the characteristics of entrepreneur, well-known entrepreneur around the world, AEC and entrepreneurial idea, etc. have been presented by U Ya Myint (Entrepreneur), well-known writer and academician of Myanmar. The participants and SISU users ask questions with regard to the entrepreneurship. After that, SISU teams took group photo together with the participants. The session was ended at 12:00 pm.
U Ye Myint (Entrepreneur)
Participants of the Seminar
Q & A session (31.7.2018)
Group photo
by So Jung Rim | Jul 25, 2018 | CU SISU, News
What’s your name? Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Waranya Chaiyapoomsakun and I’m a third year student studying at Faculty of Social Science. My major is Political Science. I have a passion to work with kids.
What do you think the most important social challenges are at the moment? (In your city? Or in your country? Or globally?)
The most important social challenge in my opinion is education. I used to study at the Opportunity Expansion School and the quality of teaching and academic resources were not as good as other schools at the same level. One teacher taught various subjects but he or she was not qualified to teach due to lack of proper knowledge in subjects they taught. As a result, students’ knowledge was limited and not good enough to be improved.
What are you doing to address this challenge or what do you hope to do?
I joined the English club and there were some foreign volunteers to teach English to us who lived up-country. Both teachers and students were satisfied with studying with foreign teachers so O-Net scores of our school were higher and kids were not afraid of talking to foreigners.
How do you think students/young people can play a role in helping solve these challenges?
Yes. Doing volunteer work up-country, sharing knowledge to kids, creating children’s books, helping build a library or doing whatever you are good at to help kids get more opportunities for learning were great.
What did you learn at the SEASIN studio?
I’ve learned from taking part in activities such as group discussion on the most important problems we’ve faced today in order to share our idea and try to think out of the box. It’s also a way to find solutions for people who have common problems.
Has the SEASIN studio introduced you to new ways of thinking/working? Has it changed your perspective or your behaviour?
Yes, but I thought the workshop length was too short so we were not able to find new thinking process clearly. Joining SEASIN studio made me change a bit anyway. When it comes to joining activities, I used to focus only on myself but after I joined this activity, I tend to listen more to surrounding people and my team to achieve our objectives.
What does ‘social innovation’ mean to you?
It could probably mean cooperation by various factors in society gathering together to solve problems effectively and in the long run. Activities can be conducted such as launching projects to deal with unresolved issues.
Do you think it is important that universities play a role in the community that is more than as academia?
I think it’s important because universities can guarantee and build up trust. If universities take part in any activities, people or participants are likely to have trust that it will have more chance to be successful as the reputation of university is something they can trust on.
What can universities do to help students become better problem solvers of future challenges?
Universities can provide spaces for students to share problems they’ve faced through activities or student clubs and they could finally find the best solutions to tackle problems occurred.
by myothein | Jun 4, 2018 | CU SISU
Most of the women in villages have no regular income and they spend their time on household works. Thus, if they have regular income in a sustainable way, they can solve their social issues in their family. Thus, TCU SISU supports the project on enhancing the income generation of women in villages. For this project, Bayat village, Tanatpin village, Saylonegyi village, Chaungsaut village, and Bottapyawkan Village are selected. All these villages are located in Thanlyin Township. Target participants will be 60 women from selected five villages, who have low income and are interested in hand-made product. TCU SISU will provide the training on making Nylon Flower Making. In addition, TCU SISU will support the marketing sources for the Nylon flowers made by the women. In Myanmar, Nylon flowers are marketable for decoration of living room, table and for the event of graduation, wedding reception, etc. How it is marketable depends on the creation and innovation of flower makers. The more innovation, the more market for the product.
As part of this project, TCU SISU provided the training for trainers who will disseminate the knowledge and technique in selected villages. The training was conducted in TCU SISU Classroom from 28th May 2018 to 31st May 2018. Totally, 28 teachers are participated in this training. The training was conducted in co-operation with LEORA Social Enterprise, one of the stakeholders of TCU SISU. The trained teachers will conduct the training in selected villages at the last week of June.
by myothein | Mar 21, 2018 | CU SISU
On 21.3.2018, TCU SISU Team conducted the evaluation meeting between SEASIN project members and Co-operative University, Thanlyin.
On the event, Rector Prof. Dr.Yi Yi Win (Manager of the SISU Team) delivered welcoming speech to audiences.
Firstly, Dr.Nay Min Aye, Ms.Tin Nyunt and Ms.May Lin Aung presented on TUC SISU activities.
Secondly, Dr.Daw Tin Hla, member of Advisory and Evaluation Committee was remarkable for TCU SISU activities and other A&E member also remark respectively.
Thirdly, TCU stakeholders introduced to the audience regarding with their social innovation ideas and experience of their business.
Fourthly, two groups of SISU users’ presentation conducted in SISU class room.
Then, tour of the SISU and meeting with SISU users were conducted.
After that feedback and consortium session. Finally, SISU team took group photo together with the participants and social innovators. The session was ended at 12:30 pm.
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