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WorldQuant University gained a multiplier effect in Myanmar when Win Thu Aung graduated from the institution in 2020. Since completing the Master of Science in Financial Engineering program, Win has devoted his career to bringing world-class quantitative education to the Southeast Asian country.

He now teaches master-level data science and financial machine learning courses at Strategy First International College in Yangon, Myanmar, where he serves as an associate professor.

“In a country where exposure to financial engineering and quantitative trading is still very rare, what I learned at WQU has had a tremendous impact on my students,” he says.

Win’s influence stretches beyond First International College. He has begun building a growing quant community across Myanmar, mentoring young professionals interested in systematic trading, risk management, and data-driven investing.

“My goal is to keep expanding this ecosystem,” he says, “so that more students from Myanmar can access global-standard education in financial engineering and ultimately compete for roles in leading hedge funds and quantitative research teams around the world.”

Win’s higher education journey started in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2006 and then a Master of Public Administration at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2009.

He then joined Citizen of Burma Award, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that honors individuals and groups working on social services, charities, and democracy initiatives in Myanmar. Win also spent time as a project manager in Myanmar before launching his academic career in 2016. He enrolled at WorldQuant University to diversify his expertise.

“WorldQuant University gave me access to high-quality, online education for free,” he says. “It opened doors for me that otherwise would have been closed."

Win now pays it forward. Besides sharing his WQU knowledge in Myanmar, he has volunteered to serve as an alumni ambassador. Other WQU alumni interested in the program can apply here.