Theoretical Nuclear Physicist Moh Moh Aung

Meet Moh Moh Aung from Myanmar, PhD student in the joint Thai-Swedish PhD Scholarship Program.

Moh Moh Aung always knew she was interested in physics. And she is not alone. Myanmar is one of the few countries in the world where women outnumber men in physics and other science subjects, at all levels from students to professors.

Moh Moh is specialized in theoretical nuclear physics. Her research explores, put simply, the strong interaction within and among neutral baryons (more specifically neutrons). By studying neutral baryons' collisions it is possible to get a deeper understanding of the properties underlying these interactions.

Moh Moh conducted PhD studies at Mandalay University, Myanmar when she learned about a PhD scholarship offering doctoral training in both Thailand and Sweden. In the program, students register at a Thai University, where they spend two years of their PhD training, combined with one year in Sweden.

- I applied for the scholarship since I wanted new challenges and get new experiences. It is a great opportunity to study in another Asian country and in Europe at the same time.

In November, Moh Moh arrived to Uppsala University and Professor Stefan Leupold’s Theoretical Hadron research group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, after having spent almost two years at Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) in Thailand. She says that moving between different universities at different continents is something that widens perspectives, both regarding education systems, research and culture.

When Moh Moh finishes her PhD, she plans to apply for a demonstrator position at Mandalay University to be able to share knowledge and experiences by teaching and carrying out research in continued collaboration with her Thai and Swedish professors.

- Increasing the number of PhD’s in Myanmar is very important and urgently needed because my country is trying and struggling hard in order to keep up with other countries. In my point of view, I’m obligated to take part in nation building especially regarding education as much as I can to pay back the gratitude of my mother country. I’m happy to be able to contribute to that. In addition, I am especially grateful to Thai and Swedish Government Agencies who help and support me to study in Thailand and Sweden.

December 2019