Emerging from adversity: Spring Universities in post-coup Myanmar

Following the 2021 coup in Myanmar, ‘Spring Universities’ have emerged as online educational platforms, offering higher education opportunities to a generation of students who have lost the benefits of the previous decade of reforms (2011-2021). Using qualitative data, this article analyses three student-led institutions: the Burma Academy (BA), Spring University Myanmar (SUM), and Irrawaddy Law School (ILS). Despite facing numerous adversities, these institutions demonstrate remarkable flexibility through innovative teaching methods, bottom-up research initiatives, horizontal management structures and the exploration of alternative educational pathways. This ensures both the continuity of learning and support for the ongoing Spring Revolution. The dedication of founders and educators highlights how students can serve as effective agents of change in times of crisis. These Spring Universities not only address immediate challenges but also lay the groundwork for Myanmar’s long-term social justice and political reform.