{"id":195944,"date":"2024-04-19T16:00:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T02:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=195944"},"modified":"2024-04-24T12:27:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T22:27:58","slug":"hlaing-from-refugee-to-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/19\/hlaing-from-refugee-to-scholar\/","title":{"rendered":"From refugee to scholar: M\u0101noa student wins competitive fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Hlaing
Kyaw Hsan Hlaing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A student who fled political persecution in Myanmar is set to graduate this spring with a BA<\/abbr> from the Department of Asian Studies<\/a> at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa and has won a highly competitive fellowship to pursue a PhD<\/abbr>. Kyaw Hsan Hlaing is one of 30 students<\/a>, selected from nearly 2,400 applicants in the country, recently awarded the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which provides him $90,000 in funding for graduate school.<\/p>\n

Kyaw Hsan, 27, reflected on the pivotal summer of 2020 in his homeland of Myanmar. It was then that he delved into journalism, spotlighting daunting crises of the raging COVID-19 pandemic and armed rebellion linked to displacement and genocidal acts by the Myanmar military. His reporting garnered international recognition and was published in TIME<\/em>, Al Jazeera<\/em>, Los Angeles Times<\/em> and other notable media outlets.<\/p>\n

Check out more stories of our UH<\/abbr> spring graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“I myself, I believe I can give a voice for all these people. I am just trying to get all these voiceless and marginalized communities\u2014to hear what they feel, what they suffer during the war and pandemic,” said Kyaw Hsan.<\/p>\n

Homework by candlelight<\/h2>\n

\"Kyaw<\/p>\n

His commitment to furthering his education traces back to a challenging childhood, growing under authoritarian rule in Myanmar. Violence was a harsh reality in his tiny village. Access to education was scarce, however, Kyaw Hsan’s parents believed in its importance. After finishing primary school, they sent him to a charity-run school. He often completed his studies by candlelight because their village has no electricity, until to this day.<\/p>\n

“Although I wasn\u2019t an outstanding student, passing the high school exam in 2013 was a huge accomplishment for both me and my family,” Kyaw Hsan said. “Because I became the first in my family to graduate from high school and the first to attend a university.”<\/p>\n

In February 2021, the military coup in Myanmar shattered Kyaw Hsan’s dreams of furthering his education. Undeterred, he pivoted, channeling his energies into exposing human rights violations and amplifying the voices of democratic movements, even in the face of death threats that forced him into hiding.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Kyaw Hsan was forced to flee his homeland and was granted political asylum, resettling in the U.S in early 2022.<\/p>\n

Hope in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span><\/h2>\n

Upon arrival in the United States, despite being determined to complete his college studies, Kyaw Hsan didn\u2019t receive any offers from universities on the continent, he had applied to at least 10. He was eventually accepted into UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa as an Asian studies major in spring 2023. He credits the university for assisting him through the application process, which can be particularly challenging for refugees who can\u2019t always provide specific documentation.<\/p>\n

“I was so depressed because there seemed little hope that I could go back to school until getting to UH<\/abbr>,” Kyaw Hsan said. “A lot of people from UH<\/abbr> really had to work hard to get me to UH<\/abbr>\u2026This means a lot. I\u2019m really grateful.”<\/p>\n

Following graduation, Kyaw Hsan will continue his academic journey at Cornell University, pursuing a PhD<\/abbr> in political science and continuing his mission not only to give voice to the voiceless, but also to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an academic.<\/p>\n

“We are truly inspired by Kyaw\u2019s courage and story. His determination and activism took him here to our university, where we value our commitment to inclusion and a bridge between the local and the international. He represents the best of our ideals,” said Peter Arnade, dean of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa College of Arts, Languages and Letters (CALL<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

The Asian studies department is housed in CALL<\/abbr> at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kyaw Hsan Hlaing won a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which provides $90,000 in funding for graduate school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[777,1471,234,1466,660,9],"class_list":["post-195944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-asian-studies","tag-college-of-arts-languages-and-letters","tag-commencement","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t