IDFC2027

International Development Field Camp for Myanmar and Japan Youth Leaders

Young people from Japan and Myanmar learn from one another through international collaboration and become a bridge connecting the two countries

Group photo from the IDFC2026 Main Conference — Photo: IDFC2026 main conference

IDFC2027 Main Conference Plans

IDFC 2027 brings together bright young minds from Myanmar and Japan to learn, collaborate and co-create solutions for education challenges across borders and gaps.

DATE / Planned Dates: March 20–26, 2027
Location: Bangkok
Mae Sot
PARTICIPANTS / Eligibility: High school students or university students from Japan or Myanmar

THEME

“Empowering Migrant Youths Through Resilience: Discovering Essential Skills In The Dynamic World”

TARGET

University-aged Myanmar migrants in Japan and Thailand who face barriers to accessing higher education.

BRIEF PURPOSE AND INTENSION

To explore challenges, co-design practical education pathways, and build cross-border collaboration that empowers Myanmar learners to access and succeed in higher education.

Including organizing committee members and support staffs from both countries.

Planned participants by country

Japan: 18 people
Myanmar: 18 people
Total: 36 people

Vision / Mission / Value

Vision

Young people from Japan and Myanmar learn from one another through international collaboration and become a bridge connecting the two countries

Mission

By providing a setting for active learning and deeper mutual understanding, we aim to increase interest in Myanmar and develop people who address social challenges and take action.

Value

Equal Collaboration and Mutual Understanding
A commitment to lifelong learning and acceptance of diversity
Connections that last

Achievements (2014–2026)

12 times

Number of conferences held

246 or more people

Number of in-person participants on the Japan side

159 or more people

Number of in-person participants from the Myanmar side

* Participant counts reflect the number of in-person attendees who could be confirmed. Repeat attendance by the same person is counted multiple times. The Japan-side participant count includes Myanmar students living in Japan.

6 Cities

Past host cities

441 or more people

Total participants to date (including online)

*The number of conferences held and the participant counts on the main conference introduction page include online events.

Host cities to date: Yangon, Mandalay, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Bangkok

IDFC Through the Years

2014
IDFC was established. The first IDFC was held in Yangon as the first student conference between Japan and Myanmar.
2016
Held the main conference in Mandalay on the theme “Community Development”
2017
Held the main conference in Yangon under the theme “Beyond the Change”
2018
Held the main conference in Yangon and published a free magazine as its first output
2019
The first conference held in both Japan and Myanmar, under the theme “Seeking New Values”
2020
Held the main conference in three cities: Kyoto, Yangon, and Mandalay
2021
Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the coup. Because holding the conference overseas was difficult, four online events were held.
2022
Held three online events under the theme “New Departure”
2023
Held the main conference in person in Osaka and Tokyo, rebuilding a forum for discussion
2024
A series of in-person cultural exchange activities was held, and the main conference discussed the issue of internally displaced people.
2025
We invited Myanmar students living in Japan and held the International Development Field Camp for Myanmar and Japan Youth Leaders in Tokyo
2026
Began holding public lectures regularly. Held the first overseas in-person main conference since 2020 in Bangkok, after a six-year interval. Established IDFC’s first Myanmar-side organization in the same year.

Activities and members for 2027

A year of activities with IDFC → Presidents’ Messages and Leadership → Japan Executive Committee → Myanmar Executive Committee → Sponsorship and Supporters →

Year-round activities

One year of activities at IDFC

IDFC’s activities extend beyond holding the main conference. Throughout the year, we carry out many kinds of activities, including lectures and study sessions, workshops at schools, exchanges with Myanmar residents in Japan, and sharing information. Through these efforts, we value deepening our own understanding of Myanmar while also expanding opportunities for learning and interest beyond our organization.

Workshops in schools

IDFC also conducts workshops in schools to help people learn about Myanmar. We place particular emphasis on holding them in regional areas, working with children and students who tend to have limited opportunities to encounter not only Myanmar but also settings such as other countries and universities. We believe that workshops in these settings help people learn about Myanmar and also prompt reflection on the information gap between urban and regional areas within Japan.

We adjust the workshop content each time to suit the participating students’ grade level. By designing lessons that spark students’ interest, we create opportunities for them to feel a little closer to Myanmar.

Public lectures and study sessions

IDFC regularly holds public lectures with invited speakers and internal study sessions to broaden interest in and understanding of Myanmar within Japan. At IDFC2026, we held five lectures and study sessions in total, covering topics such as Myanmar's political history, the Myanmar community in Japan, Japanese-language education, and the realities of educational support.

Repeated opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives help participants deepen their knowledge and also feel a closer connection to Myanmar.

We will continue to value these efforts at IDFC2027. We also believe that one of IDFC’s important roles is to expand opportunities to share knowledge and insights about Myanmar with people across Japan while deepening our own learning.

Public lectures and study sessions — Photo: Activity photo included in the supplied materials

Sharing information

At IDFC2026, we regularly shared information about Myanmar's culture and society, primarily through Instagram posts. Going forward, we would like to actively use Reels in addition to our existing posts to reach a wider audience.

Organizing Events

Alongside the main conference, IDFC has also held exchange events open to the public.

Through online projects in which Japanese and Myanmar students create travel guides together, and in-person events where they work together to cook Japanese and Myanmar curries and exchange through food culture, we create opportunities to become familiar with Myanmar's culture and ways of thinking.

Organizing Events — Photo: Activity photo included in the supplied materials

Annual schedule

* This is only one example; the content changes every year.

Examples of activities throughout the year
Period	Activities	Content
April–May	New and outgoing members come together	Carry out the handover while working together
June	Official transition to the new year	Holding a kickoff gathering
June–July	Holding a camp for the Japan-side members	Deepen friendships among fellow participants through learning
August–September	Host cultural events	Sharing culture while experiencing it ourselves
October	Japan-side preliminary main conference	We deepen discussions among participants in Japan and international students from Myanmar
November	Conduct workshops in schools
December–February	Study sessions and lectures on the main conference theme	We prepare thoroughly for the conference through study sessions and lectures
February–March	Hold the main conference	Develop policy recommendations together with local Myanmar students

IDFC main conference

The main conference is IDFC’s central activity. It brings together students from Japan and Myanmar to deepen their understanding of each other’s societies, cultures, and challenges through lectures, discussions, and exchanges. Its great significance lies in being a place where students can openly exchange views and build new perspectives and relationships, as well as gain knowledge. Through this conference, IDFC aims to help young people from Japan and Myanmar develop connections as they learn.

The main conference also goes beyond making recommendations. IDFC continues its activities throughout the year, examines the recommendations developed at the main conference, and works to put them into practice. In the past, for example, a free newspaper was published based on these recommendations. IDFC’s distinctive strength is its ability to turn discussions into something tangible rather than leaving them as a one-time event.

View the IDFC2026 main conference →

Social gathering

We hold occasional meals and retreats with members and alumni. We have deepened our friendships with people from other universities and older alumni who are now working professionals.

Leadership

Kazuki / Message from the IDFC Japan President

Third year, Keio University; IDFC Japan President

Founded in 2014, IDFC enters its 13th year this year.

IDFC was founded on the occasion of Myanmar’s transition to civilian government and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Myanmar. However, the circumstances surrounding exchanges between the two countries have changed completely since then. Travel restrictions caused by the spread of COVID-19 and changes in the situation in Myanmar led to periods when the exchanges we had built up came to a halt.

Even under these circumstances, IDFC has continued exploring ways to sustain student exchanges connecting Japan and Myanmar. Starting with online events and expanding participation to Myanmar students living in Japan and high school students, we have gradually regained the breadth of our activities.

Last year, the organizing committee worked together on preparations to realize our long-held wish of holding the main conference overseas for the first time in six years. We also received tremendous support and guidance from our alumni, and these combined efforts led to the conference being held in Bangkok, Thailand.

This year is an important milestone as we strengthen the foundations of the Myanmar-side organization first established in 2026. Building on the exchanges we have developed so far, we hope to expand opportunities for new connections and learning. At IDFC2027, we will work with the Myanmar-side organization to develop its activities in Southeast Asia, while continuing lectures, exchanges with Myanmar people living in Japan, and information sharing within Japan. Through these efforts, we aim to realize IDFC’s vision: “Young people from Japan and Myanmar learn from one another through international collaboration and become a bridge connecting the two countries.” I personally feel the weight of that responsibility anew.

To me, IDFC’s significance lies in the way students from Japan and Myanmar have deepened their mutual understanding by looking at society, culture, and people’s everyday lives, rather than viewing Myanmar through issues such as aid and refugees. Because the organization began during the transition to civilian government, when Myanmar was known as Asia’s last frontier and there were hopes for a bright future, I believe it is meaningful to return to those roots now.

Through the candid dialogue and exchange made possible by our position as students, we hope to build new relationships and, by accumulating these experiences, contribute to the future development of Japan-Myanmar relations.

Aleo / Message from the IDFC Myanmar President

Chulalongkorn University / IDFC Myanmar Representative

In 2026, we established IDFC’s first Myanmar-side organization. This year, we are building on that foundation to develop a structure that enables the Myanmar side to sustain its own activities. With a strong sense of responsibility, I am very pleased to help carry this work forward together.

At present, it is difficult to hold the conference in Myanmar itself, and that is frustrating. At the same time, this time we may be able to connect with Myanmar students who are studying or living around the world. We believe this will offer a new opportunity to build a broader network of Myanmar students in a different way from before.

In recent years, more people from Myanmar have aspired to study and work in Japan, and interest in Japan is also growing among students. I believe that connections between students from Japan and Myanmar can create new learning, insights, and relationships that lead into the future. I hope IDFC2027 will be the first step.

The idea of holding the main conference in Thailand began when I met many Myanmar students while studying there myself. Meeting students who were studying hard and trying to shape their futures while facing Myanmar’s current situation from a neighboring country inspired me to become involved with IDFC. Last year, we started by reaching out to friends, then held discussions and made preparations on both the Japanese and Myanmar sides, successfully bringing the conference to fruition. I see this year as an important year in which the Myanmar-side organization, centered on conference participants, begins taking action on its own. Achieving this will not be easy, but IDFC as a whole will support the effort as we work toward independent operation.

This year, we will also receive another grant from the Sojitz Foundation, which supported us in the past. We are deeply grateful that it has recognized the significance of our activities even amid a complex situation. Continued support and a stronger foundation are essential for expanding our activities further. We will make careful use of the grant to build more substantial activities.

2027 Leadership Structure

Aleo

President / Myanmar

Win War

Vice-President / Myanmar

Pyae Phyo Kyaw

Vice-President / Myanmar

Hemmi Kazuki

President / Japan

Ueno Hanna

Vice-President / Japan

Kokubu Yuka

Vice-President / Japan

Japan Executive Committee

Committee Profiles

Profiles are based on official IDFC2027 social media introductions and the 2027 brochure.

Updated October 21, 2026

President

Kazuki

Keio University

A little about me: Enjoys singing professional baseball cheering songs.
Why I joined: Joined to contribute to friendship between Japan and Myanmar after a memorable first visit to Myanmar.

2027 brochure, p.12 →

Accounting

Reitomikan

The University of Tokyo

MBTI：ENFJ
A little about me: Once scored zero on a high-school mathematics practice exam, despite being a science student.
Why I joined: Friendships with Myanmar students during an exchange in Thailand inspired an interest in working with Myanmar.

IDFC2027

IDFC2027 Main Conference Plans

THEME

TARGET

BRIEF PURPOSE AND INTENSION

Planned participants by country

Vision / Mission / Value

Achievements (2014–2026)

IDFC Through the Years

Activities and members for 2027

Year-round activities

One year of activities at IDFC

Workshops in schools

Public lectures and study sessions

Sharing information

Organizing Events

Annual schedule

IDFC main conference

Social gathering

Leadership

Kazuki / Message from the IDFC Japan President

Aleo / Message from the IDFC Myanmar President

2027 Leadership Structure

Aleo

Win War

Pyae Phyo Kyaw

Hemmi Kazuki

Ueno Hanna

Kokubu Yuka

Japan Executive Committee

Committee Profiles

Kazuki

Reitomikan

Hanna

Yuka

Waka

HLA (La)

Chaw Kalyar

SAI

Kazuya

kana

Yu

Koji

Honoka

Manari

Rika

Khin

Ayui

Ayane

Statistics / Committee Diversity

Gender ratio

Humanities and sciences

Regions

Areas of Expertise

Myanmar Executive Committee

Leadership

Aleo

Win War

Pyae Phyo Kyaw

Academic & Program Department

Myat Su Wai

May

Lu Htoi

Operation Department

Phone Min Khant

Yu Ko

External Affairs Department

Nay Thu Ta

Zung Bawm

Public Relations Department

Saw Chit Tun

Catherine

Kaung Khant Zaw

Hsaw Reh

Materials

Read the 2027 materials

Organization Overview

IDFC 2027 Brand Proposal

IDFC2027 organization brochure for new members

Contacts listed in the documents