SHS & SIPS Lecture by Dr. Thuta Aung

Dr Thuta Aung is an experienced social entrepreneur turned policy practitioner, with extensive expertise in competition regulation, economic development, and people-to-people connectivity. He has represented Myanmar across ASEAN, India, Russia, and partner countries, including the East Asia Top Officials for Competition (EATOP). He has also represented Myanmar in India on numerous occasions, most notably at the ASEAN-India Summit in 2022 in Delhi.

He is a Visiting Professor of Practice at the Civil Service Academy, where he provides training to both entry-level cadet officers and executive-level Deputy Director Generals. Appointed as a Commission Member (Economist) of the Myanmar Competition Commission in 2018, he is currently serving his third term.

Dr Aung has a well-rounded education, beginning with undergraduate studies in IT in Myanmar, followed by postgraduate business education in England, and culminating in a Doctor of Business Administration from Durham University. He also received executive education at the University of Auckland under the New Zealand Government’s ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb UK) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).

Before returning to Myanmar full-time in 2012, he pursued an academic career in England and Malaysia, alongside consulting engagements with the ILO in Geneva. He has a keen interest in ancient languages, currently learning Pali and Sanskrit. He is the author of the best-selling book The Bumblebee Takes Flight: A Burmese Insider’s Guide to the Rapidly Developing Business Landscape of Myanmar (2016)