International Education Fair Myanmar records lowest turnout since relaunch in 2023

Yangon, Myanmar - The International Education Fair Myanmar 2026 drew around 300 registered visitors, a 40% decline compared to last year and the lowest turnout since the event resumed in 2023, according to the fair’s public menu.

Aimed at connecting local students with both domestic and international institutions, the fair falls Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 in Yangon, organised by Dagon Exhibition Limited.

“Some institutions are strong at marketing but may offer a different experience after enrolment, ” said Phoo Sone Nyi Tun, 24, who came to seek a potential university for her younger sister. 

“We don’t have the chance to visit the campuses in person now, so this is the only way to check,” Phoo Sone Nyi Tun said.

Naing Lin Tun, 17,  said, “I came to the fair to look for alternative universities and understand what options are still open for this year's intake.” He dropped out of a “2+2 degree” programme at INTI International University in Malaysia, which promised students the opportunity to complete the final two years of college in the United States. 

“The main reason I enrolled was the transfer pathway. I expected the programme to be a stepping stone, but without the chance to transfer to the United States, I felt the education I was receiving wasn’t strong enough for me to continue,” Naing Lin Tun said.

According to the National Immigration Forum, Burmese residents were no longer eligible to obtain a student visa to the United States after a travel ban announced in 2025.

To address families’ concerns and the long-term loss of talents, the local community hopes more international institutions establish their branches in Myanmar, said Nay Oke, 82, patron of College and University Association Myanmar. 

“If these schools establish local campuses, young people won’t need to leave the country to access world-class education. They would get to live with their parents, and the overall costs of their education would be lower as well,” said Nay Oke. 

Since the military takeover in 2021, students and families in Myanmar have been increasingly relocating overseas, with a 7.9% migration rate recorded in 2024 at the national level. It is estimated that one out of every 12 people in the country was living abroad in 2024, according to the United Nations Development Programme.