Myanmar Spring Universities: Reflecting on the Nexus Between Higher Education and Displacement

In the wake of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, a new wave of online educational initiatives—collectively known as ‘Spring Universities’—has emerged to provide higher education opportunities for a generation of students who have been cut off from the gains of the 2011–2021 reform era. This presentation draws on qualitative data to examine three student-led institutions: Burma Academy (BA), Spring University Myanmar (SUM), and Irrawaddy Law School (ILS). These institutions were founded by students who leverage their identities not only as learners but also as catalysts for community and resistance in exile. By anchoring their educational efforts in a sense of collective purpose, they embody the principle of 'not wasting the crisis'—using higher education as a tool to actively contribute to the ongoing Spring Revolution. Despite operating under conditions of extreme adversity, these institutions display remarkable resilience through innovative pedagogies, grassroots research initiatives, horizontal governance structures, and the creation of alternative academic pathways. The dedication of their founders and educators underscores both the transformative potential of students in times of national crisis and the critical, yet underexplored, role of education in contexts of displacement.