Exploring federalism, decentralisation, peace, and conflict resolution, the courses are delivered in collaboration with local community leaders and international partner organisations.
Examines how Myanmar's powerful neighbours shape its democratic transition. Students analyse the interests, instruments and influence of regional superpowers and what they mean for Myanmar's political future.
A foundation course in peace and conflict studies: the causes and dynamics of conflict, theories of peace, and the tools used to analyse and transform conflicts, with reference to Myanmar.
Explores how diverse societies hold together. Students examine identity, ethnicity and religion as sources of both division and solidarity, and the policies and practices that build social cohesion.
Uses the British Parliamentary debate format to teach political concepts. Students learn the rules and roles of the format while debating real political questions, sharpening argument and critical thinking.
A training-of-trainers course for those who will run British Parliamentary debate programmes themselves: judging, coaching, motion setting and the facilitation skills needed to teach the format to others.
British Parliamentary debate training delivered in Burmese. Students learn the format, practise constructing and rebutting arguments, and take part in practice rounds on political and social motions.
An intensive one-week British Parliamentary debate training in English: the format, speaker roles, argument structure and rebuttal, with practice rounds and feedback.
A four-week boot camp combining three skills: structured debate, finding and evaluating evidence, and presenting with confidence. Each week ends with a practical exercise that puts all three together.
A regular debate club for students who have completed a training course. Members meet to debate current motions, judge one another and keep their skills sharp between formal competitions.
The roles of women and young people in building peace: the international frameworks that recognise them, the barriers they face, and case studies of their contribution to peace processes in Myanmar and elsewhere.
How media can inflame or defuse conflict. Students study conflict-sensitive journalism, misinformation and hate speech, and the ways media can support dialogue, reconciliation and peace.
A two-week workshop for experienced debaters: advanced case construction, weighing and comparative analysis, handling difficult motions and judging at competition standard.
SUM's intercollegiate academic debate competition. Teams compete over seven days on motions drawn from politics, federalism and social issues, with training sessions, preliminary rounds and finals.
An introductory but insightful study of federalism through various contexts. As an ethnically diverse nation whose political struggle has long centred on federalism, Myanmar needs to understand how federal systems work; the course covers the concept, its models and its relevance to the country's future.
The mechanisms societies use to deal with past abuses: truth commissions, prosecutions, reparations and institutional reform. Students examine how transitional justice can rebuild trust and cohesion in communities emerging from conflict.
How development planning and public policy work in federal systems, where responsibilities are shared between levels of government. Students compare federal states and consider what a federal policy process could look like in Myanmar.
The role of local government within federal systems: decentralisation, local democracy, service delivery and the relationship between local, state and federal levels, with comparative cases and Myanmar's township administration.
The defining characteristics of federal systems: division of powers, written constitutions, bicameral legislatures, constitutional courts and intergovernmental relations, illustrated with federations around the world.
Examines federalism as a tool for resolving ethnic and territorial conflict. Students study where power sharing and self-rule have reduced conflict, where they have not, and the lessons for Myanmar's peace process.
The constitutional design of federal states: how constitutions allocate powers, protect minorities, structure second chambers and courts, and how they are amended, with attention to constitution-making in Myanmar.
How revenue and spending are divided in federal systems and how natural resources are governed. Students examine resource revenue sharing, equalisation and the fiscal arrangements that could underpin a federal Myanmar.
The relationship between party systems and federal structures: national versus regional parties, coalition building and how parties organise across levels of government in federations.
The connection between human rights and sustainable peace. Students explore how rights violations drive conflict, how rights frameworks shape peace agreements, and the role of accountability in post-conflict settings.
The concept, history and law of genocide: the Genocide Convention, the stages of genocide, prevention and the international response, with case studies including those relevant to Myanmar.
How security forces are organised in federal states: the division of policing and military responsibilities, civilian oversight and the security sector reform questions facing Myanmar.
The principles, law and politics of humanitarian intervention: the responsibility to protect, humanitarian access, the role of the UN and regional bodies, and the dilemmas of intervening in ongoing conflicts.
The economic dimensions of federalism: how federal arrangements affect growth, inequality, resource distribution and regional development, and the political bargains behind them.
The political theory behind federal ideas: sovereignty, self-determination, consent and the thinkers who shaped federalism, read against Myanmar's own constitutional debates.
A four-week fellowship for young peacebuilders combining seminars on peace and federalism with mentored project work. Fellows design and present an initiative for change in their own community.
Training in the Karl Popper debate format used in schools and universities worldwide: team roles, cross-examination, evidence and the critical thinking the format is designed to teach.
A focused study of China's role in Myanmar: economic investment, border dynamics, political relations with different actors and the implications for Myanmar's transition and peace process.
A deeper examination of security arrangements in federal states, comparing constitutional models for the control of armed forces and police and asking what security sector design could serve a federal Myanmar.
A training-of-trainers programme for school alumni, equipping them to facilitate workshops and share what they have learned about federalism and peace with their own communities.
An introduction to the relationship between federalism and security: how federal states organise defence and policing, share security powers and manage the risks of fragmentation.
Compares how federal constitutions handle security: the allocation of military and policing powers, emergency provisions and civilian oversight across a range of federations.