U Myint
U Myint is a Burmese economist and served as the Chief Presidential Adviser to Thein Sein, the former President of Burma, and led his Economic Advisory Unit.
Career
U Myint comes from a well-connected and prominent family. He attended Rangoon University where he received a multiple Bachelor degrees in English, politics, and economics, before moving onto Cornell University, where he earned a master's degree in economics. He then earned a Ph.D in economics at the University of California, Berkeley.U Myint was previously a professor of economics at Rangoon University's Institute of Economics, and also served as the director of Ministry of [Foreign Affairs (Burma)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]' economics department. He later led the Research Department at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. U Myint currently presides as the director of the Yangon-based Tun Foundation Bank.
In 2011, his appointment as President Thein Sein's chief economic adviser surprised many Burma watchers, as he has a close relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi.
In May 2011, U Myint proposed the creation of an independent research center, the Myanmar Development Resource Institute, in a paper entitled “Reducing Poverty in Myanmar: The Way Forward,” to combat poverty. The institute was then founded by U Myint and other advisors to President Thein Sein. He currently heads the MDRI's Centre for Economic and Social Development.