Tribute to the Founding Members of FoSTA (2013)

Behind every success of an organization are those who were able to foresee the future, those who bravely took the very first step, and those who firmly laid the foundational cornerstones.

According to the original record dated 11 October 2013, the founding members who took part in establishing FoSTA are:

• 1. Daw Win Win Kyi (Chairperson) — B.E. (Chemical), M.Sc. (Food Science & Technology) (USA)
• 2. U Nhin Oo (Vice Chairperson – 1)
• 3. U Sein Thaung Oo (Vice Chairperson – 2) — Vice Chairperson, Myanmar Foodstuffs Producers & Exporters Association
• 4. Dr Kyaw Nyain Aye (General Secretary) — D.Eng, M.Eng (Bioprocess Technology)
• 5. Daw Theint Theint Hlaing (Joint General Secretary) — Visiting Lecturer, B.E. (Chemical), D.F.T. M.F.T. Diploma in Global English
• 6. U Than Htay (Treasurer / Finance Secretary) — B.E. (Chemical), Diploma in Food Technology (UK)
• 7. Daw Si Si Win (Executive Member) — Visiting Lecturer, M.Sc. (Organic Chem), H.G.P., D.F.T., M.F.T.
• 8. U Aye Win (Executive Member)
• 9. U Nyan Linn (Executive Member)
• 10. U Than Oo (Executive Member)

The founding members first took action with the aim of creating an association in Myanmar’s food science and technology sector where experts, researchers, educational institutions, and food industries could collaborate and work together.

Their professional vision, collective sense of responsibility, and the initial steps they took for the advancement of food science, technology, and the food sector have become the vital foundations that allow FoSTA to stand strong today.

As the current generations of FoSTA, we will continue to cherish and preserve the legacy created by the founding members and further strengthen our work in the areas of Food Safety, Food Science, Food Technology, Future Food, Functional Food & Ingredient, Research, Education, and Industry Collaboration.

We respectfully record and honor the ten founding members of 2013 who created the very beginning of FoSTA’s history.

May the seeds sown by our esteemed teachers and mentors lead to a stronger and more advanced future for Myanmar’s food science and technology sector.

A Tribute to Two International Experts Who Pioneered the Establishment of FoSTA Myanmar in 2013

In 2013, two foreign experts who worked hard to establish FoSTA Myanmar were honored and commemorated.

(1) Dr. Peter Alastair Hicks
Senior Agro-Industry and Post Harvest Officer
FAO Regional Officer For Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok, Thailand

Dr. Peter Alastair Hicks is a food science and technology expert with extensive international experience in food industry development, Agroindustry, Postharvest Management, Food Process Engineering, and rural-based food processing sectors.

He joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1984 and served for three years as a Food Industries Officer at the FAO Headquarters in Rome. After that, he worked for about 20 years as Senior Regional Agroindustry and Postharvest Officer at the FAO Asia and the Pacific Regional Office in Thailand. During this period, he provided policy and technical advisory support on Agroindustry and Postharvest Management to the governments of 47 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

For FAO/UN, he undertook more than 150 official country missions worldwide and provided technical support to projects worth more than 20 million US dollars. He has also authored and published more than 200 technical papers and articles on Food Industry, Agroindustry, and Postharvest Management.

After retirement, he continued to engage in international food-related consultancy work and served as an Adjunct Professor and Visiting Academic in higher education institutions within the ASEAN region. Previously, he served as a Visiting Fellow at the University of the South Pacific, Samoa, an Expert Food Engineer at Kasetsart University, Thailand, and a Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney. In addition, he worked in international food companies such as H.J. Heinz (London) and Unilever (Sydney) on Food Industry Management, Food Process Engineering, and Edible Oils Product and Process Development.

One of Dr. Hicks’s most notable development achievements was the implementation of the Village Level Food Processing Concept in the Mekong region. By training grassroots groups in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, he helped establish networks that included more than 1,600 community-level trainers.

He is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology, and he has served two terms on the Academy Executive Committee. He was recognized in the 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneers list.

(2) Dr. Darunee Edwards
Former President of FoSTAT (Food Science and Technology Association, Thailand)

Dr. Darunee Edwards is a senior expert with extensive experience in food science, corporate management, intellectual property rights, and international trade.

She is currently serving as Independent Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Audit Committee Director of Nutrition SC Public Company Limited, and she has been appointed as a director since 18 October 2022.

Prior to that, from 2013 to 2022, she served as an Associate Judge at the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court.

Dr. Edwards is also a distinguished scholar in the field of food science and technology and, since 2014, has been recognized as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST).

She received her Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from Kasetsart University and obtained her Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and Food Chemistry from the University of Rhode Island, USA. She also completed the Executive Development Program at the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines.

The career path of Dr. Darunee Edwards is a remarkable record that combines scientific expertise, organizational leadership, corporate management, and strong engagement in international professional networks.