Overview
Kyaw Hsan Hlaing is a PhD student in the Department of Government and a 2024 recipient of the Paul & Daisy Fellowships for New Americans. Primarily, he studies comparative politics with a focus on Regime Changes, Political violence, Contentious Politics, Authoritarianism, Democratic Backsliding, and Rebel Politics.
Prior to commencing his doctoral studies, he re-entered academia as a transfer student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in January 2023, following a seven-year hiatus from his studies at the Yangon University of Distance Education---Sittwe University (Branch). In August 2024, he earned his B.A. in Asian Studies, graduating summa cum laude. Kyaw Hsan also worked as a freelance journalist and analyst, reporting on armed conflict, the pro-democratic movement, and human rights violations for a range of international media outlets, including TIME Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat Magazine, and Al Jazeera.
Research Focus
His doctoral studies aims to explore not only the nature and traditions of revolution, violence, and post-war state-building and nation-building, but also to extend beyond these themes, with a potential regional focus on Southeast Asia. He is particularly interested in transitional governance and reform during and after the conflict in Myanmar.