A recent article in the New York Times discusses a shortfall in higher education in Myanmar after decades of isolation and repression. Daniel Obst, IIE Deputy Vice President for International Partnerships, is quoted speaking on the importance of higher education in the economic development of the country, "You have all these companies swooping in and investing, but if you do not have the courses that can teach the right things—and professors who do not have the knowledge to teach them—it is very challenging." To help fill this gap, IIE piloted a 20-week course in November aimed at helping universities in Myanmar set up links with schools around the globe.