Nwankpa Lilian Ugomma

Nwankpa Lilian Ugomma, a Nigerian educationist based in Japan, used her session at the third Global Education Forum to draw a sharp, useful distinction that many international partnerships overlook.

"Connection should not be mistaken for collaboration."

Two schools exchanging a friendly message, or two educators following one another online, is a connection — but it isn't yet collaboration, Lilian explained. She walked through what separates the two in practice: a shared goal, defined roles, and follow-through that outlasts the first introduction.

For organisations working across borders, her session was a practical reminder that building a network is only the first step — turning that network into real, working collaboration takes deliberate effort on both sides.