What Parami University does

Parami University is a private online liberal arts higher education institution serving displaced and refugee youth, primarily from Myanmar and the broader Southeast Asia region. Originally founded in 2017 as the Parami Institute in Myanmar, it was reincorporated in Washington, DC in June 2022 and holds licensure from the DC Higher Education Licensure Commission; it is also pursuing Middle States accreditation. The institution delivers instruction through a fully online model built on Canvas (LMS) and Populi (SIS), with supplementary in-person programming via seven hubs and facilities and 16 international program trips spanning 11 countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, the United States, Kenya, and Colombia.

The academic offering includes an Associate of Arts pathway and Bachelor of Arts majors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE); Statistics and Data Science (SDS); and Environmental and Social Sciences (ESS), with the first graduating cohort scheduled for 2026. Curriculum delivery is reinforced by an ecosystem of institutional partnerships, including an MoU with Bard College, membership in OSUN and GHEA21, and collaborations with Grow with Google, DataCamp Donate, CITI Program, BRAC University, and International Christian University (Japan). A separate PICE Professional Development course line extends the curriculum beyond degree programs. Enrollment stands at 301 students with a 94% first-year retention rate, including 20+ formally enrolled refugee students.

The business model is tuition-based and supported by philanthropic contributions: $1.73 million in scholarships has been awarded to date, implying either modest tuition levels, deep need-based discounting, or a non-profit revenue mix dominated by donations and grants rather than tuition alone. Pricing, revenue figures, and capital structure are not publicly disclosed. The institution operates with a small staff (5 open positions as of the available data, including a Dean of Academic Affairs and STEM/Humanities faculty) and is led by President Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun.

Name

Parami University

Legal name

Parami University

Website

https://parami.edu.mm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parami University is a US-licensed, fully online liberal arts institution serving displaced and refugee youth from Myanmar and Southeast Asia, delivering AA and BA programs via Canvas LMS and Populi SIS with a small 301-student cohort.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yangon

HQ country

Myanmar (Burma)

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Degree program tuition fees for Associate in Arts (AA) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees in liberal arts disciplines.
2. Professional Development Courses: 10-week professional development courses offered through Parami Institute for Continuing Education (PICE), including Research Fundamentals and Data Science Essentials.
3. Google Career Certificate Programs: Partnership with Grow with Google providing free career certificate programs; no cost to participants, funded through partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Parami University delivers fully online undergraduate liberal arts education, awarding Associate in Arts (AA) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees in interdisciplinary majors including Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), Statistics and Data Science (SDS), and Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS). The institution also runs the Parami Institute for Continuing Education (PICE), which offers 10-week Professional Development Courses along with access to Google Career Certificate Programs, DataCamp Donate courses, and CITI Program research ethics training. All instruction, application processing, and student services are delivered online, allowing access for displaced, refugee, and remote learners across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Product overview

Parami University is an online liberal arts higher education institution licensed by the District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission, offering undergraduate degree programs including Associate in Arts (AA) under General Education, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in three interdisciplinary majors: Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), Statistics and Data Science (SDS), and Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS). The university delivers education through the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) as its core educational platform. In addition to degree programs, Parami offers continuing education through add-on programs including Google Career Certificate Programs, DataCamp Donate courses, CITI Program research ethics courses, and 10-week Professional Development Courses under PICE (Parami Institute for Continuing Education).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate in Arts (AA) Degree Program Two-year undergraduate liberal arts degree under the General Education program providing foundational liberal arts education for prospective bachelor's-degree candidates and stand-alone credential seekers.
• Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Interdisciplinary undergraduate major combining philosophy, politics, and economics to deliver a broad liberal arts education with a civic engagement focus.
• Bachelor of Arts in Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Interdisciplinary undergraduate major focused on statistics and data science disciplines with liberal arts integration.
• Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS) Interdisciplinary undergraduate major addressing environmental and sustainability topics within a liberal arts framework.
• Professional Development Courses (PICE) 10-week career-focused continuing-education courses under the Parami Institute for Continuing Education (PICE), including Research Fundamentals and Data Science Essentials, designed for skill advancement among beginners and professionals.
• Google Career Certificate Programs Free entry-level career certificate training in Data Analytics, IT Support, Cybersecurity, Project Management, UX Design, Digital Marketing, and Business Intelligence offered to learners via Parami's partnership with Grow with Google.
• DataCamp Donate Courses Access to 500+ DataCamp courses covering Python, R, SQL, Power BI, Docker, and other data-science skills, offered free to learners via the Parami Liberal Arts & Sciences Fund (PLASF) and DataCamp Donate partnership.
• CITI Program Courses Online research ethics and compliance education through official affiliation with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program), providing globally recognized curriculum access to Parami students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% first-year student retention rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Bard College, New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution with signed MoU for value-added educational opportunities including dual degree programs, subject to approval by Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Bard College is the institutional accreditor of Bard College.
• Global Higher Education Alliance for the 21st Century (GHEA21)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution providing access to network-wide resources, micro-grant programs for student civic engagement projects, and collaborative educational opportunities.
• Open Society University Network (OSUN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork engagement through collaborative courses with other universities, programs, and fellowships. OSUN Student Leadership Fellows program for student development.
• Grow with GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Google Career Certificate Programs free of charge to learners, offering job-ready skills in high-growth careers including data analytics, IT support, cybersecurity, and project management.
• DataCamp DonatesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Parami Liberal Arts & Sciences Fund (PLASF) to offer 500+ free DataCamp courses in data science, statistics, AI, and machine learning. 311 active users enrolled since October 2024.
• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationOfficial affiliation providing premium access to online research ethics and compliance education programs through the CITI Program's globally recognized curriculum.
• International Christian University (ICU), JapancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program. Students participate in lectures, workshops, and cultural immersion activities at ICU campus in Tokyo.
• JICUF Foundation (Japan ICU Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program supporting cross-cultural learning experiences between Japanese and Parami University students.
• Volunteers in Asia (VIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner for Dwight Clark Cross-Cultural Program. VIA Executive Director Kazutoh Ishida leads program coordination.
• Central European University (CEU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSUN-affiliated institution hosting Civic Engagement: Student as Citizen summer program and Get Engaged conferences in Budapest, Hungary.
• BRAC University, BangladeshsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Get Engaged 2026 Student Action and Youth Leadership Conference held at BRAC University's School of General Education in Dhaka.
• NAFSA: Association of International EducatorssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for Parami student internship program in Washington, D.C. Students intern as knowledge development and communications support.
• C4ADS (Center for Advanced Defense Studies)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for Parami student internship program in Washington, D.C. Students work on Human Security & Organized Crimes research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• BRAC University: Bangladesh-based private university affiliated with the BRAC development network. Comparable in mission-driven higher education for development contexts and is an active Parami conference partner (hosted Get Engaged 2026 in Dhaka).

Broad incumbents

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large, established U.S. nonprofit university with one of the biggest online degree programs in the world. Comparable to Parami in online delivery at scale and access-oriented mission for non-traditional and Pell-eligible learners.
• Coursera: Global online learning platform that hosts degree programs, certificates (including Google Career Certificates delivered via Parami), and professional credentials. Comparable as a delivery and credentialing channel that Parami integrates with for its add-on programs.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit, competency-based online university serving adult and workforce-focused learners. Comparable in fully online degree delivery and in extending access to populations underserved by traditional higher education.

Direct peers

• Kiron Open Higher Education: Online higher-education provider specifically built for refugees and displaced populations. Directly comparable to Parami in target learner segment, online delivery, and partnership-driven academic pathway model.
• Central European University: OSUN-affiliated graduate and undergraduate institution with a strong civic engagement and open society mission. Comparable to Parami in liberal arts/civic education focus, OSUN network integration, and hosting of Get Engaged conferences.
• University of the People: Tuition-free, accredited online university serving underserved and displaced learners globally. Closely comparable to Parami in mission (access-focused higher education for non-traditional populations), fully online delivery model, and need-blind/donation-funded tuition philosophy.
• Bard College: Parami's MoU partner and accreditation anchor; Bard operates a liberal arts model with global civic engagement programs (Bard Prison Initiative, OSUN co-founding role) that closely mirrors Parami's interdisciplinary liberal arts and civic mission.

Emerging players

• Kepler (Kigali): Rwanda-based nonprofit delivering accredited online degrees and workforce programs to underserved East African learners. Comparable to Parami in mission (access to accredited credentials for disadvantaged learners), online model, and partnership-driven delivery.
• Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Global higher-education program for refugees and displaced persons delivered via blended online and learning-hub models. Directly comparable to Parami in serving refugee learners, hub-based support, and faith/mission-driven educational access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ParamiUni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7YAQ90JcvUIQhbFO5TngfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/paramiuniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paramiuniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/parami_university

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parami University