BMCC International Students Engage in Global Conversations at Prestigious Conferences

November 13, 2024

Two Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) international students—Business Administration Saidamir Egamberdiev (Uzbekistan) and Computer Information Systems major Htet Thet (Myanmar)—were chosen to represent the College at a pair of prestigious conferences held this past September and October.

New York City based nonprofit organization One To World—which was founded in 1977 by a group of student advisors committed to building bridges between international students on campus and the broader New York community— and BMCC’s International Student Services office provided the opportunities to attend both conferences.

Thet participated in the Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA) held October 2-5 at West Point Academy, located in West Point, N.Y. along the Hudson river, where she got to exchange views on world affairs with a select delegation of international students.

Egamberdiev took part in the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit on September 23-24 in New York City where he had the chance to chance to network, meet and attend panels led by private and public sector leaders from the U.S. and around the world.

Students pose questions about human rights, politics and foreign policy

Saidamir Egamberdiev speaks at panel.
Saidamir Egamberdiev speaks at panel.

Egamberdiev says the Concordia summit featured current presidents and prime ministers from places such as Denmark, Paraguay and Taiwan as well as Qatar. He was also asked to write about an issue he is passionate about and was then chosen to join other international youth for the Libra Philanthropies discussion.

“I found answers to the pressing questions I’d shared in my Concordia essay that was focused on human rights, politics and foreign policy,” said Egamberdiev. “I loved Concordia’s commitment to bringing together diverse perspectives.”

He met young people from Colombia, Japan and Bangladesh as well as India, Nigeria and Albania, who are launching projects and startup businesses. Sessions he participated in took place at the Harvard Club, New York University and Columbia University.

“Our discussions on civic engagement were genuine, inspiring and unfiltered, it was the perfect space to network and connect,” said Egamberdiev.

Students step out of comfort zones and broaden their perspectives

.Freshman Htet Thet said her participation in SCUSA was both incredible and challenging.

“Engaging in discussions with outstanding students across the U.S. and worldwide pushed me out of my comfort zone and broadened my perspective,” said Thet. “The four-day conference at West Point provided a deeper understanding of U.S. policies and the vital role of the military in American society.”

Thet’s cohort at the conference was assigned to explore the U.S. political system and whether it can manage multipolarity. Her team spent many hours each day in roundtable debates, brainstorming and developing policy within the topic.

“We also explored the military campus, attended keynote sessions by distinguished U.S. military personnel and enjoyed activities and social events with delegates and cadets,” said Thet. “On the closing day, each group delivered its final presentation which contained suggested policy changes based on our roundtable discussions.”

She said the experience at SCUSA sharpened her critical thinking and community engagement skills, which she is certain will serve her in the future.

“As an international freshman student, I feel BMCC is always willing to provide students with great opportunities to step toward a bright future, living up to its slogan: ‘Start here, go anywhere,” said Thet. “I am deeply grateful to BMCC for their support in making this opportunity possible.”

International students can find out more about studying  at BMCC here.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • CIS major Htet Thet attended the Student Conference on U.S. Affairs at West Point Academy
  • Business Administration major Saidamir Egamberdiev participated in the Concordia Annual Summit
  • NYC nonprofit One To World invited students to apply to attend

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