A long way from home: Kyaw Myat Thu's journey from Myanmar to Sydney

The plan was to study a Master of Global Health before returning home to Myanmar. But things don't always pan out. Just two weeks after he arrived, Sydney was plunged into a lockdown as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Completing a master's degree is no easy feat, especially in a new country with a foreign language, during a global pandemic.

Yet through perseverance and determination Kyaw continued his studies, though the thought of home was never far from his mind, as a military coup had taken place in Myanmar.

Just days before he was to submit his dissertation, Kyaw learned that his cousin had been arrested for participating in protests against the military regime.

"It was hard, I was crying a lot and felt very overwhelmed, so I contacted my supervisor and the Australia Awards Scholarship team, and told them that I was struggling," Kyaw said. "Thankfully they provided me with support that helped me through those tough times. Being allowed to study part-time reduced a lot of pressure."

While dealing with the demands of his studies, the situation in Myanmar only made things more difficult for Kyaw as the emotional burden of the military coup weighed heavily on him. 

"It's devastating to see such brutality unfold. My family is scattered and hiding to survive. My sister has joined the revolution and is in hiding, and we haven't heard from my uncle for nearly a year since he was taken by the military."

"I had to relocate my parents to a safer area in Myanmar. They have moved multiple times, which has been hard because they are elderly and in their 70s. My father recently suffered from a high fever that led to hallucinations. Thankfully, he is recovering, but the healthcare system back home is not like the one here so getting proper care is tough."

Unable to return home, Kyaw secured the Edith Mary Rose Scholarship and decided to embark on his PhD under the guidance of supervisors Associate Professor Seye Abimbola and Associate Professor Sarah Bernays from the Faculty of Medicine and Health.

Kyaw with his PhD supervisors and fellow PhD students

After witnessing the devastation of the coup in Myanmar, his research area shifted to one that focused on helping improve the healthcare systems of places under stress from instability and conflict.

In the beginning, the plan was to be right in the thick of it by engaging in fieldwork along the Thailand-Myanmar border. However, this was soon not possible given the escalating conflict as well as visa limitations.  

"After a few months into the project, I had to tell stakeholders that we couldn't continue as planned. The conflict and visa conditions made it impossible to work on the ground as we'd intended, and I had to shift my focus to another project location that does not require travelling and allows me to analyse the data from a distance."

Kyaw's research will soon be published in the Health Policy and Planning journal. His study emphasises that resilience in health systems is not simply a yes-or-no concept. Instead, it should be viewed as a continuum, with varying degrees of potential resilience within complex health systems that can be developed and improved over time. He emphasises that the development of resilience in systems depends on 'learning', defined as the abilities of individuals, teams and organisations to respond to challenges, while also considering the specific situation, how people think and how they behave.

This process helps systems adapt and recover from stress or shocks. Kyaw believes it can help researchers and policymakers understand how to analyse and strengthen health systems more effectively.

Outside of his studies, Kyaw was a team leader at this year's Vivid Sydney festival, and he also works at the University's Student Centre as well as tutoring at the Sydney School of Public Health. Additionally, he spent almost a year working with the NSW Health Public Health Response Team during COVID-19.

Kyaw at Vivid Sydney

"I started tutoring this semester in the Master of Public Health program, teaching a unit called Public Health Critical Challenges. It's been really interesting because some modules of the course focus on public health issues among Australia's Indigenous population. And by teaching this course I am also learning about the importance of respecting people's knowledge, cultures, and languages in public health."

Following the completion of his studies Kyaw aspires to create positive change in global health, an ambition that has always been close to his heart.

"I hope to reunite with my family when circumstances allow. I want to make a difference to healthcare systems in conflict zones, starting at home. I want to honour my family and those still fighting for their rights."

Kyaw also said that he couldn't have achieved what he has without the help of his supervisors, the Master of Global Health community in the Sydney School of Public Health, the Australia Awards Scholarship team, and support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He also said that his success is deeply rooted in the support of his family and the people of Myanmar.