Written by Colin McEvoy | November 2, 2026 | SHARE
Eight educators from Uzbekistan visited Lehigh University for a two-week exchange focused on innovative teaching practices, cultural understanding and building connections across borders.
When Yuzhen Danzeng attended a presentation at Lehigh University by visiting educators from Uzbekistan about cultural perspectives on education and society, the last thing she expected was to find herself dancing in front of the entire audience.
But that's exactly what happened when the 21-year-old student at Lehigh University's International Center for Academic & Professional English (ICAPE) volunteered to participate in a demonstration of the Andijan Polka, a traditional Uzbek dance celebrating friendship.
“To be invited to take part in that was an honor,” said Danzeng, who is from Tibet. “It was a good way to show how much I appreciated their visit and my interest in their presentation. And it was fun!”
Danzeng's experience was one of many opportunities for cultural exchange during a two-week visit by eight English-language educators and administrators from Kokand University Andijan Branch in Uzbekistan.
The visitors came to Lehigh to strengthen their academic and professional English skills while exchanging teaching practices and exploring different educational approaches. The Oct. 12–24 visit was facilitated by ICAPE, which helps multilingual speakers of English at intermediate to advanced proficiency levels improve their communication skills.
Mark Ouellette, Director of ICAPE, said navigating modern global politics, AI integration, and student well-being demands innovative approaches to international education.
“To meet these challenges, educators must build cross-border partnerships that enhance teaching and learning,” Ouellette said. “The ICAPE Visiting Scholar Exchange with our colleagues from Uzbekistan achieves precisely this goal: cultivating global dialogue, professional community, and effective instruction across cultural, linguistic, and geographic lines.”
During the program, the visiting educators observed ICAPE classes, interacted with Lehigh students and faculty, and participated in professional development activities. They also attended workshops and seminars exploring American educational practices, including universal design, experiential and service learning, collaborative learning, and community engagement.
Among the visiting educators was Jahongir Mahkamov, who previously graduated from Chungnam National University in South Korea. His experience studying and teaching in different countries offered him a unique perspective on how Lehigh's educational approaches compare with those in Uzbekistan and South Korea.
He also praised the interactive teaching techniques he observed, including the use of music during a listening and speaking class. The experience reinforced his belief that effective teaching involves adapting to students’ needs and making them feel comfortable participating in class.
“Students should feel themselves very free during the classes,” Mahkamov said. “They should feel themselves very confident.”
Mahkamov said he hopes to incorporate some of the approaches he observed at Lehigh into his own teaching, particularly methods that encourage participation, build confidence, and help students see their instructors as approachable sources of support.
The exchange was not limited to the visiting educators learning from their Lehigh counterparts. The Uzbek educators also shared their own teaching practices and cultural perspectives, creating opportunities for mutual learning and professional collaboration.
One such opportunity came during a Friday afternoon presentation hosted at the Global Union of Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), where the visiting educators introduced ICAPE teachers, students, and other attendees to Uzbekistan's history, geography, architecture, and cultural traditions.
They also discussed their country's educational system and the development of Kokand University, which was established in 2019 and opened its Andijan Branch in 2023. The presentation culminated in the interactive dance demonstration that brought Danzeng and other audience members to their feet.
For the visiting educators, experiences like these reflected a broader goal of building relationships and fostering understanding between people from different parts of the world.
“We believe that cultural exchange is simply not about learning about another country,” said Durdona Egamnazarova, Associate Professor of English & Philology at Kokand University Andijan Branch. “It's about building friendships and finding values that bring us together.”