Bridging Borders, Building Futures: Celebrating the Transformative Power of COIL Partnerships in Global South Universities

On Wednesday, 12 February 2025, the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Quality Review & Celebration event marked a significant milestone for five COIL projects – see table below - involving Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), the Durban University of Technology (DUT), and Okinawa International University.

The event brought together COILers—educators who co-designed and implemented these projects—to celebrate their successful partnerships and the culmination of a semester-long planning process (Academic Year 2023/24) that led to the smooth execution of COIL projects in Semester 1 of the 2024/25 Academic Year.

COILers highlighted the transformative impact of these projects, not only on their students but also on their own professional growth. They emphasized how navigating geographically and culturally diverse programs enriched their pedagogical perspectives, exposing them to innovative approaches such as story boards, contribution reports, and collaborative assessments. Beyond academics, the partnership fostered global friendships, encouraged creative problem-solving, and promoted equitable education across borders—especially pertinent in today’s dynamic geopolitical landscape.

A key takeaway from the experience was the adaptability and resilience of students. XJTLU COILers particularly noted the resourcefulness of DUT students, who initially felt hesitant due to the differing academic levels, for example, between DUT’s Advanced Diploma students and XJTLU’s Master's students. However, through sustained collaboration, students not only acquired discipline-specific knowledge aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also developed essential soft skills while operating within an evolving digital learning ecosystem. Furthermore, for some COILers, partnering with industry-experienced collaborators significantly enriched their academic agendas, particularly within the context of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Left to Right: Rebecca Wakelin, Quichen Dong, Anisa Vahed, Yiran Zhao, and Mustafa Ozguven

at the COIL Celebration Event

The success of these COIL projects was driven by the dedicated efforts of Dr. Anisa Vahed (COIL project leader, manager, and facilitator, XJTLU), Dr. Divinia Jithoo (COIL project leader, DUT), and Ms. Lindelwa Mkhize (COIL coordinator, DUT), whose unwavering enthusiasm, optimism, and expertise in COIL played a pivotal role in guiding the projects to completion. From a pedagogical research standpoint, a remarkable achievement was the resilience demonstrated by COILers throughout the process, which resulted in various scholarly contributions, including journal articles, book chapters, peer-reviewed conference papers, and presentations at both local and global levels.

This event not only celebrated past successes but also reinforced the ongoing commitment to fostering global, interdisciplinary, and innovative educational collaborations through COIL.

Top Left to bottom Right: Lana-Ann Brady, Kuiyen Chen, Xiaoxue Zhao, Lindelwa Mkhize, Thandi Gumbi, Divinia Jithoo who virtually joined the COIL Celebration Event

By Dr Anisa Vahed