Visit of Anne Seshadri, SCA Public Diplomacy Office Director

October 27, 2023

On October 24, Anne Seshadri, the Public Diplomacy Office Director of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), visited the AUCA campus. During her visit, she met with Dr. Timothy O'Connor, AUCA President, and discussed the value of educating young leaders of the region and the world for AUCA remaining on the Top universities in Central Asia. After a pleasant talk with the President, Mrs. Seshadri met with a group of active young leaders to explore AUCA and student life activities and exchange knowledge and experiences.

Anne Seshadri and Timothy O'Connor's meeting primarily focused on AUCA's commitment to civic engagement, as well as AUCA's outstanding contribution to helping students from Afghanistan. One significant topic discussed during the meeting was the progress of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) students at AUCA. NSLI-Y is a program that offers scholarships to American high school students to study critical languages abroad. Seshadri was pleased to learn about the positive experiences of these students at AUCA and their dedication to learning about Kyrgyz and Russian culture.

Anne Seshadri had a productive meeting with AUCA's Center for Civic Engagement, which oversees the C5+1 Youth Council program, as part of her visit. During this session, students had the opportunity to present their projects promoting women's empowerment, entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and cybersecurity within the Central Asian community. The C5+1 Youth Council program is administered by the American University of Central Asia with a grant from the U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic.The exchange allowed Seshadri to witness firsthand how young leaders actively work toward bringing positive change to Central Asia.

In the final part of her visit, Anne Seshadri met with American students participating in the NSLI-Y program who were studying Russian at AUCA. The students shared their experiences living in Kyrgyzstan and explained why they chose this country to learn Russian. Their stories highlighted their language acquisition, cultural immersion, and personal growth during their time in Kyrgyzstan.

American University of Central Asia is grateful to the U.S. Embassy to the Kyrgyz Republic for providing us the opportunity to meet with more colleagues from the U.S. Department of State visiting Bishkek. The visit of Anne Seshadri at AUCA provides excellent opportunities for AUCA to promote local and international collaboration with various organizations to level up higher education in the Kyrgyz Republic and outside. This visit is a chance for the AUCA administration to discuss various aspects of student experiences and cultural exchange initiatives. It also helps to see the ways for future collaborations in student-centered teaching, learning, and research. The engagement between Seshadri and AUCA showcased both institutions' commitment to fostering educational opportunities and promoting cross-cultural understanding between Kyrgyzstan and the United States.

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