Aizawl: The Institute of Chin Affairs (ICA) and Mizoram University (MZU) announced a Diploma in Burmese Language and Communication Skills.

The cource will be offered jointly by Mizoram University and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Burmese is the official language of Myanmar (also known as Burma) and spoken by around two-thirds of the population. 

The study of Myanmar culture and politics is inexorably linked with its language. India shares a 1600km border with Myanmar, and both countries share a rich heritage of linguistic, ethnic and religious ties. 

Also Read: Assam, Mizoram CMs decide to form regional committee to solve border dispute

This course is recommended to students who wish to study Myanmar’s complex, multi-layered society, and work with the many local and international agencies in Myanmar and on the border. 

INGOs, religious organisations, Civil Society Groups and foreign government bodies have a strong presence in Myanmar research and programming, and knowledge of the Burmese language is a clear asset in joining these agencies to provide support.

A statement said, “The course will be led by Dr Elis Thangi, a native speaker of the Burmese language, who holds a PhD in Burmese. Dr Elis also speaks fluent Mizo language, therefore the classes will also be facilitated in Mizo and Burmese.”

The course will initially run for a period of 10 months (Semester I & II) as one academic year beginning from October 2022. The course will be of 120 hours of classroom instruction and 30 hours of self-study. 

Also Read: Mizoram governor lauds Assam Rifles for ‘effective’ management of influx of Myanmar refugees

The course will equip students with an understanding of Burmese script, vocabulary and grammatical structure, as well as practice in speaking, conversation and writing.

The course fee will be Rs 1,000 (Rupees one thousand) only payable at the time of registration. The cost of Learning Materials (Text Books and Audio) for the whole course will be approximately 15 USD (Rs 600 per Semester x 2 Semesters = Rs. 1200) payable during the course.

The candidates who are interested in the course can click here for more details on enrollment.