Htoo Wai Htet named Watson Fellow

2016 Apr 15

Htoo Wai Htet, of Yangon, Myanmar, will travel the world next year, funded by the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program.

Htet is one of 39 students nationwide selected for the fellowship from more than 700 candidates nominated by private liberal arts colleges and universities in the United States.

This marks the fourth straight year that the College has had a Watson fellow. The children of Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of IBM, and his wife, Jeanette K. Watson, established the program in 1967 to honor their parents' longstanding interest in education and world affairs.

Htet is a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Learn more about him here:

Activities: Robotics Crew, MakerCorps, Academic Opportunity Program tutor, Early Music Ensemble and Chess Club

Project title: "Making Technological Empowerment Affordable"

Countries: Switzerland, United Kingdom, India, Indonesia and Japan

Description: "I will investigate the gap between advancement and affordability of technology, and how innovative design processes depend on governmental and cultural contexts in countries that are at the two extremes of the technological spectrum. In each developed country (Switzerland, England, and Japan), I will engage and learn from design teams at start-up companies, university researchers, and innovators at community hackerspaces. In each developing country (India and Indonesia), I will work closely with teams from social enterprises and distributors developing products that empower local communities. Engaging with the end users of the products, and learning about each team's business models, design processes, and marketing strategies, I will deepen my understanding of cultural influences on design process. I will use my insight into how technological empowerment can be made affordable to improve people's livelihood in Myanmar and other developing communities."