The 10th Virtual Discussion Report, Spring 2024

April 23, 2024

#gened

On April 20, 2024, students from American Universities of Nigeria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Central Asia met via Zoom to discuss the topic devoted to Social Media as a Weapon of Destruction. The 10th Virtual Inter-University Discussion was conducted within the framework of the Civic Engagement Project called Crossing Borders Through Social Media and Dialogue, initiated by Professor Ekaterina Galimova (AUCA) and Professor Emilienne Akpan (AUN) in 2019. 

`The primary objective of this international online event was to develop students' leadership, critical thinking, and communication skills. There were around 40 participants. As the Virtual Discussion is a completely student-centered event, it has been conducted by Hassani Mohammad Farid (SFW-123) and Mai Mon and Steven as hosts, who demonstrated their professionalism right at the beginning. They showed their preparedness, openness, confidence, and professionalism. For instance, Farid - the AUCA host - dealt with logistical issues, updated the presentation, and delivered the introductory speech on the General Discussion topic. He also encouraged shy students to participate in the discussion at a high professional level. This year, the organizers had to offer some students to be timekeepers as there were complaints that some students spoke too much and not all participants could express their opinions. Students from Parami University volunteered to be timekeepers and fulfilled their jobs successfully. 

Although the topic of the General Discussion was somewhat challenging and vulnerable for the students, they did manage to express their opinions on it, provide evidence from the previously shared sources, give comments to each other, ask reasonable questions, and use the studied vocabulary introduced in FYS/SYS classes. The students demonstrated a mature awareness of contemporary issues and identified their positions.

 1. Limiting fundamental freedoms endangers affected societies

2. Who should be granted citizenship in any given country?

3. Is hiring someone based on being a native speaker of English learning an issue of racism?

4. Appearance and its importance in today's world?

5. What might be the consequences of suppressing human freedom in society, and what measures can be taken to protect individual freedoms?

6. All leaders (kings) should be philosophers.

  Besides the General Discussion, which was the first part of the virtual discussion, there were six BreakoutRoom Discussions where students had a chance to talk about the measures to protect individual freedoms, limiting fundamental freedoms, consequences of the suppression of human freedom in society, citizenship in any given country, appearance, and its importance in today's world, etc. It is worth mentioning that students from all the universities offered all the topics.

As follow-up activities, students were encouraged to use the data they got in their essays, research papers/projects, or video projects. 

Professor Ekaterina Galimova expresses her special thanks to the most active participants: Ahmad Zai Ahmad (SFW-121), Kanyshai Sulaimanova (ECO-123) Begaiym Mirlan kyzy (IBL-123), Behruz Pimamadov (BA-121), Rizwanullah Khan (SFW-121), Ofarid Azimshoev (ICP-123), Kasiet Suleimanova (ECO-122), Erzhan Niiazov (ECO-122), Sino Qadamaliev (LAS-SE-123), Jonon Berdov (BA-122), and Isabek Sultan Kylychbek (IBL-120). Students were active and polite to each other and free to ask questions and clarify or paraphrase the points expressed by either AUN or Parami University students who did have a slight accent. 

In their turn, students expressed their gratitude to the professors for facilitating the online event and the opportunity to meet their peers from various countries. They expressed their keen interest in participating in future discussions as well. 

If you missed the chance to join this time, you are warmly invited to participate in the next session, which will be held in the fall semester of 2024!

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