My name is Zyris and I am from Kayah State, also known as Karenni State. I am the eldest of four siblings. I went to primary and middle school in my hometown of Loikaw, then attended high school in Yangon and graduated in 2017–2018.
When I chose what to study at university, I followed my parents’ wishes and enrolled in law at Dagon University in Yangon. During that time, I also volunteered with SL&CC, a student welcome organization based in Yangon. While studying law, I discovered a strong interest in IT, and my parents supported my decision to change course.
I left the law program and spent two years and four months studying computer science at Info Myanmar University. I found that the field I was most drawn to was cybersecurity.
During my first year, I took a data penetration course and learned how to penetrate systems and networks. I didn’t understand everything at the time, but I knew I had found the career I wanted to pursue.
For my second-year final assignment, I built a robot capable of sensing and following a human. Then, together with five friends, we built what we believe was Myanmar’s first protest robot — a project completed in just one week. We encountered errors and failures during testing, but worked through them and successfully demonstrated the finished robot to the public. We were proud of what we had built.
The robot was controlled by phone and by an I6 remote controller. Using a phone, it could play music and broadcast audio through the robot’s speakers. It was built as a symbol of solidarity with those who were standing up for their rights during a period of civil unrest in Myanmar, and as a tribute to those who could not speak for themselves.
About Zyris
- Age: 25
- Ethnicity: Pa O, Shan
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- University of Wolverhampton
- Bachelor’s, Computer Security
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Become a cybersecurity analyst
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $4,375
- Amount Left To Fund: $3,800
- Contract Duration: 12 years
- Status: In Deferment
When unrest in the country disrupted my final year before it began, I decided to pursue my education in the UK. In December 2021, I was accepted into an 18-month cybersecurity program at the University of Wolverhampton and arrived in February 2022. Although my family is not wealthy, they have supported me as much as they can. Neither of my parents finished high school, and they want to see me graduate. I am applying to Zomia because my family was forced to flee our hometown of Loikaw due to the conflict, and they are no longer able to support me fully.
Myanmar is among the least technologically advanced countries in Southeast Asia in terms of network security. There are many vulnerabilities and very few trained IT professionals. I want to return home and work as a network and cyber security engineer, helping to rebuild the country’s IT sector and keeping the information of the people of Myanmar safe and secure.
Written by Zyris with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Zyris
“I have only one thing in my mind now—that I will study and work hard for my family and my friends.”
