Diversity is one of the eight key values Parami University upholds. Diversity reinforces educational experience and fosters empathy, understanding, and respect among the students and intellectual community. Parami encourages all community members to value diversity and embrace all aspects of a person's identity, including religious identity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, linguistic diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, and gender diversity.
Since its launch in June 2022, Parami University has already enrolled three cohorts of students. The University started with 57 undergraduate students and is now home to over 240 students attending classes from Myanmar, Thailand, Kenya, and others. As the student population gradually grows, Parami University is seeing a rise in student body diversity.
Flexibility in admissions to enhance diversity
A major barrier to higher education for students from vulnerable communities is the lack of recognized secondary education certificates. Due to structural challenges, many students attend secondary schools outside the public education system, often lacking transferability to conventional higher education institutions. This issue mainly affects students from ethnic regions, migrant schools, and refugee camps, who frequently cannot obtain high school certificates that meet the standard academic criteria of colleges and universities.
Parami University bridges the gap between higher education and future community leaders by ensuring access for all qualified students, regardless of background, religion, or social status. The University employs a flexible admission policy to consider the applicants’ diverse educational backgrounds and administers proctored entrance exams and English language exams free of charge. Admission outreach is conducted broadly in various parts of Myanmar and Thailand and for small pockets of internally displaced and diaspora communities.
This flexible policy allows Parami to admit qualified students from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, and displacement statuses.
In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Parami University received 296 applications, accepted 118 students, and enrolled 101. The gender distribution among enrolled students is 49% male and 51% female.
A high school transcript and language proficiency test are fundamental requirements for university applications. However, not every student has a clear path to higher education; many students cannot secure formal high school qualifications for various reasons. Since a high school transcript is a critical admission criterion, young individuals without one, or those who cannot afford high school equivalency tests, often face challenges in pursuing further education. To address this barrier, some universities, including Parami University, accept applications from students without a formal high school transcript or its equivalents and offer university-proctored entrance exams as an alternative.
Of 296 applicants, 17% of applicants from alternative education systems took Wonderlic, a Parami-proctored entrance exam, and 76% of the applicants with no English standardized scores such as TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo, took Emmersion, an online English language exam proctored by Parami.
These exams provide a way to evaluate the students who do not have the financial resources, mobility, or verified legal status to take the standardized exams at testing centers and help them overcome a hurdle in the college application process.
The rise of diversity among students
The increasing diversity among students signifies a transformative change in higher education, including at Parami University. By embracing varied backgrounds and perspectives, Parami aims to create a more enriching learning environment that equips students for a globally connected world. This diversity is evident in the range of mother tongues and geographic locations represented by the student body.
Parami undergraduate students speak more than 10 mother tongues (Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Burmese, Mon. Rakhine, Shan, Rohingya, Otubo, and Somali) and come from 16 places of origin in Myanmar, Thailand, and Kenya.
Of the 101 students accepted to Parami University this year, 64% are from rural areas outside Yangon and Mandalay in Myanmar. Of the admitted students this year, 16 are from Mae Hong Son, Bangladesh, and Kenya refugee camps.
The culture, geographical places, and educational backgrounds will enrich the learning experience of the Parami community.
Accessible and inclusive online education
Basic infrastructure, such as internet connectivity and regular electricity, is crucial to making online education available for everyone. Some students face difficulties studying online from home due to many factors, such as poor internet connection and irregular electricity supply. To make its online undergraduate programs accessible, Parami provides room and board support for students without online access who need a space to study. The university has successfully established four learning hubs and two learning facilities in Myanmar and Thailand.
In this year's intake, 29 students received learning support and relocated to Parami University’s learning hub, both in Myanmar and Thailand.
Benefits of diversity and inclusion for students
Parami University is a melting pot of cultures where students from different backgrounds come together to learn and grow. This is especially crucial for peaceful coexistence and for building understanding and friendship among different cultures.
Diversity in the classroom will be a great advantage for students' academic and personal development. Students from different backgrounds bring diverse perspectives and worldviews to the classroom and discussion. When exposed to diversity in the classroom, the students will learn to embrace their differences and the world around them. Diversity in the classroom fosters ideas and perspectives, introduces intercultural exposure and experience, and encourages creative and critical thinking.
Parami’s commitment to accessibility to higher education is enabled by the generous support of philanthropic donors. Become a part of Parami’s journey to educate youth who aspire to bring positive change to their communities. Click [https://www.parami.edu.mm/giving] to share your gift of education with our students.
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