Education and Career
Tuang Za Khai began his education in Pakzaang, Tedim Township, and finished high school in Tedim in 2003. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Botany and a Master’s degree in Plant Science from Kalay University. Later, he received a Chinese Government Scholarship to study for a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Functional Genomics at Central China Normal University, completing his degree in 2020. He worked as a lecturer at Kalay University until May 2021, when his position was terminated due to challenges in Myanmar’s higher education system following the political crisis.
Tuang Za Khai serves as a teaching fellow at the Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) and the Zomi Education Working Group (ZEWG), where he contributes to online education for students from Myanmar affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the political situation, which disrupted formal education. He is also a postdoctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, supported by the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust.
Works and Publications
Tuang Za Khai’s work has appeared in journals including The Plant Journal and Plant, Cell & Environment, marking him as the first Kalay University lecturer with publications in these venues for four consecutive years. He has authored, co-authored, and edited multiple works on topics including the political impact of Myanmar’s military coup, the origins of COVID-19, environmental issues, self-help, and biblical narratives; among them is A Hizolo Omlo, which is mentioned by ZCLS as a best-selling book.
