Staff profile

Aung Hein is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs. His research examines informal organisational dynamics and their impact on the performance of public institutions in developing countries. His current work explores two key areas: the role of direct supervisors in the socialisation of newly recruited civil servants and the broader implications of this process, as well as the influence of office politics on the effectiveness of public organisations.

He holds a DPhil in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Before joining academia, he led policy research and advocacy initiatives in Myanmar, advising two successive civilian governments during the country’s decade-long period of democratisation.

Dr Hein collaborates closely with policymakers and reformers within and beyond government who are actively engaged in civil service reforms. His research has informed policy developments, including the introduction of a new Onboarding and Orientation Policy for Ghana’s Civil Service.

My personal website is www.aung-hein.com.

• State capacity
• Bureaucracy
• Civil Service reforms
• Organisational socialisation
• Offiice politics

Chapter in book

• Myanmar: On a Bumpy Road of Transition
  
  Bernhardt, T., & Hein, A. (2019). Myanmar: On a Bumpy Road of Transition. In Southeast Asia and the ASEAN Economic Community (pp. 351-377). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19722-3_11

Journal Article

• Balancing speed and coordination: Senior leaders’ perspectives on civil service transformation during and after the pandemic
  
  Ali, A. J., Álvarez Calderón, L. Á., Arcain Riccetto, P., del Carpio, P., El Nouchi, E., Fuenzalida, J., Gómez, M., Hein, A., Molina, O., & Williams, M. J. (2025). Balancing speed and coordination: Senior leaders’ perspectives on civil service transformation during and after the pandemic. International Public Management Journal, 28(2), 179-198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2024.2406430
• Emigration and Rising Wages in Myanmar: Evidence from Mon State
  
  Filipski, M., Lee, H. L., Hein, A., & Nischan, U. (2020). Emigration and Rising Wages in Myanmar: Evidence from Mon State. The Journal of Development Studies, 56(5), 946-963. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2019.1626834
• Measuring Hope: A Quantitative Approach with Validation in Rural Myanmar
  
  Bloem, J. R., Boughton, D., Htoo, K., Hein, A., & Payongayong, E. (2018). Measuring Hope: A Quantitative Approach with Validation in Rural Myanmar. The Journal of Development Studies, 54(11), 2078-2094. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.1385764

Report

• Coronavirus policy response needs and options for Myanmar
  
  Hein, A., & Minoletti, P. (2020). Coronavirus policy response needs and options for Myanmar. International Growth Centre.
• MYANMAR’S PROSPECT FOR DEEPENING GVC PARTICIPATION
  
  Hein, A. (2019). MYANMAR’S PROSPECT FOR DEEPENING GVC PARTICIPATION. Myanmar Development Institute.
• Agricultural land in Myanmar’s dry zone
  
  Hein, A., Lambrecht, I., Lwin, K., & Belton, B. (2017). Agricultural land in Myanmar’s dry zone. Feed the Future.
• Revitalized agriculture for balanced growth and resilient livelihoods: Toward a rural development strategy for Mon State
  
  Hein, A., Filipski, M. J., Nischan, U., van Asselt, J., Belton, B., Kennedy, A., Dorosh, P. A., & Boughton, D. (2017). Revitalized agriculture for balanced growth and resilient livelihoods: Toward a rural development strategy for Mon State. International Food Policy Research Institute.
• Rural Livelihoods In Mon State, Myanmar: Evidence From A Representative Household Survey
  
  Hein, A., Htoo, K., Kham, L. S., Win, M. T., Thinzar, A. M., Naing, Z. M., Thida, M. W., Lei, N., Min, L., Mwee, N. E., Oo, Z., Filipski, M., Nischan, U., Van Asselt, J., Holtemeyer, B., Schmidt, E., Kedir, M., Kennedy, A., Zhang, X., … Boughton, D. (2016). Rural Livelihoods In Mon State, Myanmar: Evidence From A Representative Household Survey. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy.
• Aquaculture In Transition: Value Chain Transformation, Fish And Food Security In Myanmar
  
  Hein, A., Belton, B., Htoo, K., Kham, L. S., Nischan, U., Reardon, T., & Boughton, D. (2015). Aquaculture In Transition: Value Chain Transformation, Fish And Food Security In Myanmar. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy.
• Safe migration knowledge, attitudes and practices in Myanmar / Tripartite Action to Protect the Rights of Migrant Workers within and from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS TRIANGLE project)
  
  Hein, A., Minoletti, P., Paing, A. T., Lei, N., & Harkins, B. (2015). Safe migration knowledge, attitudes and practices in Myanmar / Tripartite Action to Protect the Rights of Migrant Workers within and from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS TRIANGLE project). International Labour Organization.