Centre for Research on Myanmar History
The Universities Historical Research Centre serves as a national centre for research on Myanmar history. Working closely with the Myanmar Historical Commission, its main activities are: the collection of historical source material; research on Myanmar history, and the publication of historical research works. In addition, it undertakes special research projects which are assigned to it as national tasks.The Universities Historical Research Centre was officially established in September 1991 under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, through the merger of two historical research bodies, the Research Section of the History Department, University of Yangon and the Burma Historical Research Department. The origin of the Centre may be traced back to the establishment of the Burma Historical Commission with supporting research, technical, and administrative staff in January 1955 founded to conduct historical research and to write an authoritative history of Myanmar. At first placed under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office, the Commission was transferred to the Ministry of Culture in 1962 and renamed the Burma Historical Research Department in 1972. In 1984 it was transferred to the Ministry of Education. Within the Ministry of Education itself, a Research Section was established in the History Department of the University of Yangon in 1972, but its work was limited by staff and budget constraints. The Burma Historical Research Department and the Research Section of the History Department, University of Yangon, were merged in March 1986 and officially became the Universities Historical Research Centre in 1991. The Universities Historical Research Centre is headed by the director and supported by 59 staff members.
Activities
The functions of the Universities Historical Research Centre include: the acquisition of materials relating to Myanmar history from domestic and external sources; the conduct of research on Myanmar history; the publication of books, journals, and papers on Myanmar history; the promotion of historical scholarship; and the provision of assistance to departments, institutions, and individuals relating to Myanmar history.
The Universities Historical Research Centre has an active ongoing programme of collecting documentary and non-documentary materials relating to Myanmar history, adding constantly to an unrivalled collection on Myanmar history in Myanmar and other languages.
The archival and library collection has holdings on Myanmar history in the following categories: books, periodicals, epigraphic rubbings, ink glosses, palm-leaf manuscripts, paper manuscripts parabaik, microfilms, hard copies, photographs, and cassette tapes.
The Universities Historical Research Centre has an active publication programme covering Myanmar history. Its most recent publication is The Myanmar Political System in Change (1962-1974) in three volumes.
Two current acquisition projects merit special notice:
(1) The Oral History Project which records on tape the recollections of active participants in contemporary Myanmar history;
(2) The Union Catalogue of Myanmar History Project, conducted jointly with the Universities Central Library, which seeks to establish a union catalogue of materials of Myanmar history in holdings throughout Myanmar.
Current research projects include:
(i) Bagan Project
(ii) Mandalay Mahamuni InscriptionsProject
(iii) Anglo-Myanmar Wars Project
(iv) Struggle for Myanmar Independence Project
(v) Biography of Bogyoke Aung San Project
(vi) Myanmar History (1819-1992) Project
(vii) Myanmar History (1945-1948) Project
(viii) Myanmar History (1948-1960) Project
(ix) Myanmar Economy in Transition (1987-1991) Project
For more information:
Universities Historical Research Centre
Amara Hall
University of Yangon (Main) Campus
Yangon 11041 Myanmar
Tel.: +95-1-33050 / 34236 / 32622 / 34248
Fax: +95-1-30121