Telenor Myanmar announced the two candidates who will represent Myanmar at the annual Telenor Youth Summit in Norway in December.
The candidates – Arkar Min Aung, 22, and Wai Yan Min Htay, 25 – will join 26 other young social entrepreneurs from 13 other countries at the Oslo Summit.
The event will take place from 9-11 December, and coincides with the Nobel Peace Prize festivities the same week.
The gathering in Norway will explore how mobile connectivity and digital communication can bring about social change and create opportunities for all, as well as promote cross-border dialogue.
CEO of Telenor Myanmar, Petter Furberg, said: “Arkar Min Aung and Wai Yan Min Htay are two bright youths who are both engaged with societal change and see clearly the possibilities that mobile connectivity can bring. I am confident that they will be great participants and representatives for Myanmar and Telenor at the Summit.”
Arkar Min Aung has a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology and applied to the Telenor Youth Summit with an essay about his idea for an “Open Education Platform”. He currently works as an iOS developer at a start-up in Yangon where he creates cutting edge mobile and web applications.
“I did not expect to be chosen to join the Summit but I am so happy I was selected. My idea for the application is based on my own experiences as a student in Myanmar. I look forward to sharing my concept with other youths in Norway and get some valuable input to bring back to my peers with regards to educational development in my country,” he said.
Dr Wai Yan Min Htay is an activist for raising awareness of communicable diseases in Myanmar. Since graduation from the University of Medicine in Yangon he has worked for an international NGO in rural border towns and is working with research for controlling and preventing malaria.
“When I was working in Kayin State I saw the need to raise awareness in the community about public health issues such as malaria and find preventative solutions to reach everyone. Through mobile technology this important task could be made easier for health workers. I am thrilled to get a chance to participate at the Telenor Youth Summit and to be able to engage with experts and other youths that as passionate about society and how we can make a change,” he said.
Twenty youths from Myanmar were shortlisted to participate in an Idea Generation weekend at Telenor House in partnership with Project Hub, Myanmar’s first start-up incubator.
The summit is hosted by Telenor Group’s President and CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas, and arranged in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Center.
