ZMT Alumna and Ambassador:

Ai Thanda Kyaw | Myanmar

Ai Thanda Kyaw 

What was your position at ZMT?

I came to ZMT as a student of the ISATEC course (International Studies in Tropical Aquatic Ecology). I have always dreamed about studying ecology abroad and the DAAD scholarship finally made that dream come true. After finishing my previous degree in Business Administration (MBA), I became interested in natural resource management because I wanted to help communities in an effective and sustainable way.

How did you benefit from your time at ZMT?

What I learned in the ISATEC program advanced my career to a higher level. Especially the knowledge and practical experience I gained from subjects such as international relations, project planning, scientific writing, socio-economic analysis and environmental conservation have been extremely helpful in my career up to now.

My most vivid memory from my time in Bremen is seeing snow for the first time in my life. Since I was born in delta area of Myanmar, one of the tropical countries in Asia, seeing snow wasn’t seemed true and was like dreaming.  Another notable memory is that of the Spirulina products (blue-green algae dietary supplement). I ordered them from Myanmar and they arrived in the classroom just after my first presentation on Spirulina production in Myanmar so that I could share things like Spirulina medicine, noodles, toffee and Thanakha with my colleagues. That was fun for everyone in the class.

What happened since you left the institute?

I am currently managing the (U.S.) Volunteer Technical Assistance Program of Winrock International by implementing the Asia Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Mynamar. We provide technical training in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and natural resource management directly to rural communities. My studies in ecology as well as in veterinary and business management have been very useful for this type of work, and I am really happy that ZMT helped me get to where I am today.