A new book co-authored by Professor of Education and South Asian Studies, Marie Lall, examines the role of students, academics and higher education institutions in Myanmar’s resistance movement following the country’s 2021 military coup.
Published by UCL Press, Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: Students, higher education and political change brings together the voices and experiences of young people who have been at the forefront of the movement opposing military rule. The book is co-authored by Professor Lall, whose research at UCL’s Centre for Education and International Development (CEID) examines political issues and education in South Asia, co-authored with Professor Ikuko Okamoto of Toyo University, Japan.
On 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup that brought an end to a decade of political and social reforms. The book explores how students and academics responded to the coup, tracing the emergence of the youth-led resistance movement known as the Spring Revolution.
Drawing on first-hand research conducted in a conflict-affected setting, the authors examine how students have challenged military rule not only through protest and political activism, but also by seeking to reclaim education and learning opportunities to secure their futures.
Professor Lall commented:
“This book seeks to amplify the voices of Myanmar’s students and academics whose lives have been profoundly affected by the coup. Their experiences offer important insights into the relationship between higher education, political change and youth-led movements, while also documenting a pivotal moment in Myanmar’s history.”
It also explores how the movement has reshaped ideas of identity and citizenship, and the risks university students have been exposed to in order to pursue education either in Myanmar or abroad.
The publication contributes to ongoing debates about education’s role during periods of political upheaval and social transformation. It also offers a unique account of how students and universities can become central actors in movements for change, despite challenging circumstances of conflict and displacement.
Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: Students, higher education and political change is available through UCL Press as an open-access publication.
Related links
- Read the book: Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: Students, higher education and political change
- Professor Marie Lall’s UCL Profile
- Centre for Education and International Development
Image: Protest against the Myanmar coup, March 2021. Credit:
Roel Wijnants/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).