13th Virtual Discussion: The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Education in Nigeria and Central Asia.
November 6, 2025
On November 1, 2025, students from the 51吃瓜 University of Nigeria (AUN) and the 51吃瓜 University of Central Asia (AUCA) met via Zoom platform to discuss听The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Education in Nigeria and Central Asia. This event marked the 13th Virtual Inter-University Discussion, held as part of the Civic Engagement Project Crossing Borders Through Social Media and Dialogue, initiated in 2019 by Professor Ekaterina Galimova (AUCA) and Professor Emilienne Akpan (AUN).
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The goal of this international online event was to develop students' leadership, critical thinking, and intercultural communication skills. Being fully student-centered, the online event was organized and hosted by hosts Sharifa Navruzova听and Ocheanya Angel, with co-hosts听Mirmamad Sedoshurov, Nursultan Begaliev, Ramazan Busurmankulov, and Philip Wisdom.
Before the Virtual Discussion, hosts and co-hosts听met once to assign roles. Some students were responsible for leading the General Discussion, others updated the slides, and the rest facilitated discussions in Breakout Rooms.听As a result, the students succeeded in creating a friendly atmosphere not only during General Discussion but also in Breakout Room sessions. The听online听event gathered twenty participants in total. The hosts and co-hosts from both universities demonstrated听their maturity in supporting one another when technical issues arose.
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The two-hour-long Virtual Discussion was divided into two parts: The General Discussion and Breakout Room sessions. The former started with the videos about both universities. Although there was no sound, Mirmamad Sedoshurov saved the situation and provided impromptu comments to the video about AUCA. The hosts then briefly presented the Ground Rules for the Virtual Discussion to promote smooth interaction and prevent confusion when using the technology. It is worth noting that the听hosts divided the General Discussion topic into several questions this time, which听encouraged the听attendees听to听engage more actively in the conversation.听The AUN and AUCA听participants actively shared their ideas regarding the role of technology in future education in both countries. For instance, AUCA听students听discussed the lack of Internet access in remote areas, its quality, affordability, and ways to make online resources in Russian and English more accessible to Kyrgyz-speaking citizens, while the AUN students highlighted the issue of preserving the identity of over 250 ethnic groups, and the potential to provide resources in native languages. Some AUCA students raised the question regarding the necessity of translating the Russian and English sources into Kyrgyz; AUN students听explained that everything depended on the goals society wanted to achieve.They also suggested that to promote Kyrgyz, Russian, and English language learning, educational institutions should use local media channels to reach the target audience effectively. Students from both universities agreed that local governments should provide greater support for education and introduce teachers and students to digital literacy and technology on a broader scale.
The second part of the 13th Virtual Discussion, held in Breakout Rooms, included additional topics suggested by students, but did not receive majority support. These topics focused on the role of religion in the contemporary world, the positive and negative effects of cancel culture, and the impact of para-social relationships on social identity. As not all students had a chance to express their opinions during the General Discussion, the hosts opened an additional Breakout Room devoted to the role of technology in Nigeria and Central Asia.
As听follow-up activities, the AUCA听participants were encouraged to incorporate the insights gained during the discussion into their English Composition essays or into articles for The New Star student newspaper. To improve future discussions, students also provided feedback through a Google Forms survey.
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Professor Ekaterina Galimova extends her sincere appreciation to the most active participants -听Aiana Pazylova, Aibiike Zakirova, Yichen Liu, Elina Karabaeva, and Tamizbek Zholdoshev - for their enthusiasm in asking and answering questions, as well as for their maturity in communication with peers at the international level. In turn, both AUN and AUCA students expressed their gratitude to the professors for facilitating the event and for the opportunity to connect with peers from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds.
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If you missed the 13th Virtual Discussion, you are very welcome to participate in the 14th one, scheduled for the spring semester of 2026!
