TheHILLS Myanmar ETS

The Chin State Academic Research Network (CSAR) was founded on 28 December 2017 by local and international researchers to promote locally rooted knowledge production and access to education in Chin State, Myanmar. CSARN was publicly launched at ICBMS 2 at Mandalay University in February 2018. Following the military coup amid ongoing conflict and displacement CSARN came to operate within TheHILLS Myanmar (THM) as THM was registered as an association in Italy in 2022 and it could host CSARN institutionally, providing financial, administrative, and legal support while the network retains its own research identity and community mandate. CSARN operates today as an active research network of local and international researchers focused on Chin State and its borderland. CSARN's research programmes engage universities, research organisations, communities, and policy actors, with outputs spanning academic publication, policy processes, and advocacy work. CSARN has produced 14 research reports on topics including judicial systems in conflict, health access, border geopolitics, income generation, gendered impacts of explosive ordnance, and conflict-related mental health, supported by 10+ local and international thematic specialists. CSARN Expert Associates are drawn from across Chin State, bringing specialist knowledge across a range of disciplines and thematic areas. A dedicated group of CSARN pro-bono Mentors works alongside Fellows to support both their research and their broader formation as researchers. CSARN also runs a research capacity building programme for Chin women. Under the project, so far 22 women research Fellows completed diverse thematic reports across Cohorts 1–3, with Cohort 4 (8 women) ongoing, supported by the above mentioned mentors.