2026 Duke Sanford Graduates: Aye Nyein Thu

Aye Nyein Thu grew up in Myanmar, a country where access to education and open dialogue has often been shaped by politics and power. That experience stayed with her as she built a career in development, working across the country to support economic growth, humanitarian aid, and community resilience.

Now, as she prepares to graduate from Duke’s Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) program, she sees education as a force that shapes how people understand and engage with the world.

Before coming to Sanford, Aye spent years working with both bilateral and multilateral organizations, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises in becoming more socially responsible while promoting green and inclusive growth. She also worked with a United Nations agency delivering humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected regions in Myanmar.

“One of the most meaningful chapters of my journey was working on a Danish-funded development program during Myanmar’s democratic transition,” she said. “Supporting local enterprises in creating job opportunities and helping lift communities out of poverty gave me a deep sense of purpose.”

Her work took her across the country, including to regions long affected by civil war.

“There, I saw firsthand how security and survival often take priority over economic opportunity and how development looks fundamentally different in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.”

When everything changed

In 2021, Aye witnessed the military coup in Myanmar, a moment that reshaped both her country and her understanding of development.

“The economy collapsed, and progress unraveled almost overnight,” she said. Those experiences forced her to rethink what development really means. “I came to see that development is far more than economic growth; it is deeply complex and multifaceted, shaped by conflict, political systems, ethnic diversity, and cultural history.” As a practitioner, she wanted to go deeper.

“I wanted to learn from people across the world and better understand the forces shaping development outcomes.” That desire led her to Sanford.

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Finding freedom in the classroom

Duke had long been on Aye’s radar. As a student in Myanmar, she encountered Duke scholars through her coursework in economics and development studies. The MIDP program stood out for its interdisciplinary approach and global community.

At Sanford, the classroom experience itself became transformative.

“I was born in a country where education was often politicized and used by authoritarians as a tool to shape how and what people think, with limited space for open discussion,” she said. “At first, it was an adjustment to be in a classroom where the distance between professors and students is much smaller, and where debate and dialogue are encouraged. But I quickly grew to love this approach.” Engaging with classmates from around the world expanded her perspective. “Exchanging ideas freely and learning from others has been a deeply liberating experience.”

Learning to look beyond the numbers

Aye came to Sanford with a strong background in data and quantitative analysis. In the classroom, she began to challenge her own assumptions.

“Coming from a background where I valued data and quantitative approaches as strong evidence, this course challenged me to look beyond the numbers,” she said of Global Inequality Research with Professors Jocelyn Olcott and William A. Darity.

“It pushed me to question what lies beneath the data and to think more critically about issues such as gender inequality and structural inequities.”

Courses on Southeast Asia by Professors Edmund Malesky and Jonathan Stromseth helped her place her home country in a broader context.

“Together, these classes helped me situate Myanmar’s development within a broader regional context and think more comparatively.” And in a more personal way, her experience in Introduction to Community Conflict Management by Professor Shai Tamari encouraged deeper reflection. “It challenged me to reflect on my own journey, who I am, what has shaped my values, and how I engage with the world.”

Giving back and looking ahead

During her time at Sanford, Aye also took on a leadership role as Treasurer of the MIDP Student Council, an experience shaped by both challenge and gratitude.

“I was navigating the emotional weight of ongoing instability in my home country, along with uncertainty caused by funding challenges to my scholarship,” she said. “During that time, the Sanford community supported me in ways I will always be grateful for.” Taking on the role became a way to give back.

“MIDP is a uniquely close-knit community where people genuinely care for one another. Taking on the role of Treasurer was my way of giving back to a community that gave me so much love and support.”

As she looks ahead, Aye plans to continue her work in development economics and development studies, with a focus on more inclusive and context-sensitive approaches. “I hope to share the knowledge and perspectives I have gained with people in Myanmar, who continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of a highly disruptive political situation,” she said.

Her approach to development has evolved to reflect everything she has experienced, both in the field and in the classroom.

“Sanford taught me that development is not just about numbers or economic growth, but about people and that meaningful change requires listening, humility, and the courage to see beyond a single perspective.”