Yadanabon University

Today’s increasingly heterogeneous world imposes demands on higher education institutions to develop university students’ intercultural competence (IC) so that they respond constructively to the cultural challenges of the 21st century. This study aims to explore the impact of short-term study abroad programs on the development of students’ intercultural competence. 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Myanmar undergraduates who participated in study-abroad programs to get an in-depth understanding of their study abroad experiences. Thematic analysis was employed to examine how these programs influence their attitudes toward the native culture, the host culture and cultural differences, and their intercultural interaction. The main findings reveal that study abroad enhances students’ IC, confirming the five elements of IC by Deardorff (2008): attitudes, knowledge and comprehension, skills, desired internal outcomes, and desired external outcomes, with an emerging aspect ‘recommendation’ based on ‘cultural reflection’. Specific implications are offered to university administrators and decision-makers of Myanmar higher education on the basis of the findings.

The study is aimed at designing and analyzing the product validity of learning media of Ispring Suite used for science class in Junior High School. The study employs the Research & Development method of Borg and Gall consisting of five stages namely; planning, design, validation, revision and final product. Powerpoint and Ispring Suite are used in designing the product. further, the validity of the product is assessed by two experts in media learning for science. Based on the findings it can be concluded that the product is feasible and qualified to be applied in science class in Junior High Schools. Last, the product can be effectively used after it is downloaded in playstore, marketplace or google market. The researcher recommends that future researchers increase the number of studies related to the development of media products for science learning, so that the products that have been produced can be integrated by science teachers in learning.

The mixture of two organic dyes, D35-cpdt and DN-F10, namely, LEG4 and DB, were used as the efficient co-sensitizers with cobalt(II/III) redox mediator in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The co-sensitized system is optimized via the variation of DB amount while maintaining a constant amount of LEG4 dye. We achieve an improved photovoltaic performance as the utilization of the co-sensitized dye systems in DSSC devices. The individual dye LEG4 and DB can produce the efficiency of 3.10% and 3.50%, respectively, while the efficiency up to 5.60% can be achieved in co-sensitized dye system (LEG:DB). The photocurrent (JSC = 8.40 mA cm−2), open-circuit voltage (VOC = 0.73 V), and fill factor (FF = 0.50) are also enhanced under AM 1.5 G illumination with the 100 mW·cm−2 intensity. High steady state in the dye mixture can be attributed to the increased photocurrent and power conversion efficiency. The co-sensitization system of two dyes can reduce the recombination loss. The study shows that the co-sensitizing dye system has complementary characteristics and provides a broader optical absorption, which can harvest photons in a wider spectral region to increase photocurrent density in the devices with the co-sensitized dye system as well as better charge transport. This current work will be significant for the performance enhancement of photovoltaic conversion via the mixture of dyes. The two organic dyes LEG4 (red) and DB (blue) have complementary spectra and are used as the co-sensitized dye in dye-sensitized solar cells. The performance of photoelectricity conversion can be significantly improved.

Bagan (11th to 14th Century C.E.) was a capital as well as a cosmological and ritual epicenter of Theravada Buddhism for the Classical Burmese Empire. Integral in the Buddhist belief system is the notion of merit; achieved through good deeds or donations to the Buddhist Church. This often took the form of developing or renovating water management infrastructure throughout Bagan’s peri-urban zone. These were important endeavors given the semi-arid environment and limited water resources which characterize this region. This ancient landscape was also shaped by two significant climatic events during the occupation of Bagan; the Medieval Climate Anomaly (900–1300 C.E.) and Little Ice Age (1300–1570 C.E.). In this pursuit for merit, donations were inscribed on stone monuments endowing the donor with social recognition and spiritual benefits. Recorded within these stone inscriptions are references to types of water management features, construction techniques, locations, dates, donors, and recipients. The quantitative analysis of these inscriptions provides will address the shifting management strategy in response to changing water availability due to climatic fluctuations.

Background:Migration is at an all-time high worldwide, and despite increased focus on international migrants, there is little evidence about internal migrants' exposures to socioeconomic, occupational, and environmental risk factors in low-and middle-income countries. Objective:The aim of this study was to examine differences in occupational health and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) between internal migrants and non-migrants. Methods:A face-to-face survey (n = 937) was conducted in Mandalay, Myanmar. Bivariate and multivariate analysis included traditional social determinants such as education, income, occupation, gender, age, and location in addition to internal migration status. Findings:The majority of internal migrants (23% of the total sample) were labor migrants (67.3%), and while common social determinants (e.g., household income, education, and gender) were not statistically different between migrants and non-migrants, these groups reported different occupational profiles (p < 0.001). Migrants had higher odds of being street vendors (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI 1.33-3.85; p = 0.003) and were less likely to work labor jobs such as in factories or construction (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.19-1.00; p = 0.051) when controlling for age, gender, education, and location. Internal migrants had significantly greater probabilities of experiencing some injuries and illness symptoms, such as cuts, vomiting, coughing, heatstroke, and diarrhea at work (p < 0.001). Compared to non-migrants, migrants' households were approximately three times more likely (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI 2.17-5.62; p < 0.001) to have an unimproved source of drinking water and twice as likely (AOR = 1.98; 95% CI 1.10-3.58; p < 0.05) to have unimproved sanitation facilities in their homes. Conclusions:The results underscore the importance of considering internal migration as an aspect of social determinants analyses, and the need for targeting appropriate WASH interventions to address inequities.