2025 Graduation Stories: Ye Khaung Oo

In his home country of Myanmar, Ye Khaung Oo worked for the Renaissance Institute, a Myanmar policy think tank established by the National League for Democracy (NLD)’s Economic Committee, leading public financial management and governance reform initiatives for the subnational governments until the military coup of 2021. After the coup, he relocated to Singapore and worked as a research officer for the Myanmar Studies Programme at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

Seeking to better prepare himself for a career in poverty alleviation, Ye enrolled in the Duke Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) program. Beyond the core international development courses, he took public financial management classes in Sanford and studied energy policy through the Nicholas School of the Environment and Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability.

“I firmly believe that understanding the complexities of public finance is essential for effectively addressing inequality, and that energy is a foundational element of economic development in modern civilizations,” he shares. “Energy plays a pivotal role in lifting people out of poverty.”

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In addition to increasing his public financial management knowledge, the MIDP program helped Ye hone his project management skills, advance his policy analysis knowledge, and develop his data analytics acumen. “Professors Sebastian James and Fernando Fernholz helped me improve my Excel skills and become more familiar with data analysis in general,” Ye notes. “Professors Natalia Mirovitskaya and Lisa Moreau taught me practical toolkits, such as Stakeholder Analysis, that are very relevant for my policy analyst career.”

For his master’s project, Ye chose to examine removing investment barriers for renewable energy in Indonesia. He explored why Indonesia has significantly lower investments in renewable energy projects compared to its regional peer Vietnam, despite signing up for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P). Additionally, he reviewed strategies Indonesia can utilize to fulfill its climate commitment goals.

“My country, Myanmar, is grappling with a triple nexus of crises: an energy crisis, a climate crisis and a conflict,” he explains. “Studying renewable energy investment, I believe, could provide insights into the intersection of at least two dimensions, potentially aiding in the resolution of both the energy and climate crises. Myanmar’s current situation is particularly challenging for policy analysis due to the ongoing conflict, so I was looking in the Southeast Asia region to study, and Indonesia came into my mind because of similar contexts between Myanmar and Indonesia. It also helps that I have two amazing Indonesian classmates who helped me by answering questions and with data collection.”

In reflecting on the master’s project experience, he learned: “Ultimately, you must be mindful of the political economy context for achieving your desired policy outcomes. Policy design is the plan, but politics is what ultimately leads you to your goal. The MIDP program taught me that you must carefully consider the sequencing of policy actions and be aware of the policy windows that can help you achieve your desired outcomes. Patience and perseverance are crucial for policy success.”

Building Community and Support

While the classroom sharpened Ye’s technical and analytical skills, it was the relationships he built that sustained and enriched his time at Duke.

He fondly recalls Professor Mirovitskaya emailing him research articles she came across that are relevant to his interests, as well as receiving advice from Professor James who shared insights from his experiences as an international student and his career at the World Bank.

“Small acts of kindness like these are what make me cherish my life in Durham,” Ye says.

He also expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement from his classmates, declaring, “They are the best part of my MIDP journey!”

“We have been through thick and thin,” he explains. “We share blood, sweat and tears, and we share stories about our families, friends and cats back home. A friend/classmate even lent me his car so that I could take my driver’s test. You will never find such a tight-knit community elsewhere!”

Valuing his leadership, enthusiasm, kindness and integrity, his peers nominated and elected him to serve as MIDP student council president for this academic year. As president, he prioritized improving the student learning experience and creating opportunities for students to speak with alumni working in international development.

“Ye does everything he can to strengthen the MIDP program, to build bridges across other Sanford School academic programs, and to enhance the student experience,” a Duke Sanford staff member shares. “He’s worked consistently to build community among faculty, staff and students alike. He leads from an inclusive mindset and is not deterred by hurdles or challenges he meets along the way. Instead, he leans into curiosity and brings everyone along with him to approach challenges with energy and innovation.”

One of his professors says, “Ye's dedication to his studies and professional development has been extended beyond classroom. He has a big heart. On many occasions, I saw him helping MIDP fellows with their academic struggles – without being asked and with kindness, grace and tact."

Last month, Ye’s impact on the MIDP community was recognized with the Forever Duke Leadership Award. The annual award honors students who are strong advocates for the Duke community, embody Duke’s guiding principle of “knowledge in the service of society,” and will leave the university a better place than they found it.

As Ye prepares for the next chapter of his career, he notes: “I will never forget about the relationships I have from the MIDP program. The previous cohort told me the same thing when I was a first-year student, and I think I understand why now.”

Q&A

What has been your favorite class?

Challenging the Status Quo with Professor Kerilyn Schewel. In that class, we challenge the established norms of governance and economic systems. We take a step back and evaluate whether these institutions and systems still fulfill our fundamental human needs. It was an incredible class because I had the opportunity to engage in profound discussions with incredibly passionate and intellectually stimulating classmates from diverse backgrounds worldwide.

Has your perspective on your chosen field changed throughout your studies?

The beauty of the MIDP program is you are exposed to both research and applied side of international development in a very interdisciplinary setting. The MIDP program help me connect different pieces of the puzzle together. I distinctly remember a class discussion in an energy policy class where we discussed the intersection of Saudi Arabia’s energy policies and how they link up to youth unemployment, education quality, labor force, and geopolitics in the region. Classes like this make me realize that issues are very interconnected across different disciplines, and solutions need to be multidisciplinary.

What is one of the most valuable lessons you learned during your time at Duke?

I learned how to say ‘no’ to a lot of things. The challenge with Duke is not a lack of choices, but rather too many choices exist. Whether picking which networking events to go to or which classes to take, you really end up thinking about trade-offs and opportunity costs. Ultimately, I learned to live with the choices I made.

What advice would you give to incoming MIDP fellows?

Don’t be afraid to be adventurous. Get out of your comfort zones and take classes you would never think about taking before. If you are struggling in class, understand that you are not alone, and that is part of the learning process. Graduate coursework is not easy, and there is no sugarcoating it. But you will get through it with the help of your faculty and your friends.