Virtual Internationalization Practicioners
About the session
Associate Professor Konstantinos Petridis, Vice Rector of Internationalization and Extroversion of the Hellenic Mediterranean University in Greece, will moderate this session: Academics, Administrators and Students will share with us their experience in coordination, participation in any type of virtual exchange: Virtual Exchange, BIP, COIL, following a MOOC. The session includes short presentations (10 minutes for each presentation) by participants and a round table discussion with the panelists will follow.
Collaboration on all Levels: COILs and Co-Teaching as Novel Approaches to Internationalization, Subject-Specific Teaching and Learning, as well as Future Skills
Mr. Hubertus Weyer, Wiesbaden University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Coordinator of the Business English and Communications Section at Wiesbaden Business School. Previous work experience as a spokesperson in the German steel industry and teaching experience at several universities. My research interests include Innovative Constructivist Teaching and Learning Methods, COILs, the Intersection between Communication and teaching and Learning Methods, Motivation and Leadership, Applied Linguistics and Technology, and Optimized Communication in Industrial Settings.
"Virtual Bridges: Empowering Education and Resilience in Times of Crisis."
Dr. Yuliana Lavrysh, Head of the Department of English for Engineering at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine, will discuss the challenges for her to teach and her students to learn under war circumstances. We will discuss this with Yuliana and how the universities and international partnerships should collaborate to promote an Education for Peace in the future.
How Virtual Exchanges Transform Youth Experiences Beyond Borders.
Naim Obeid, Executive Director Naim Obeid is an Arab Christian born and raised in Akko, who believes (according to the Post-Gazette) in building bridges to help allay hatred from taking root. For more info about Naim, please check it here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naim-obeid-1b91a32b3/
Virtual Exchange and Teacher Education
Luciana Cabrini Simoes Calvo, is a professor in the Language Arts Undergraduate and Graduate Programs at the State University of Maringá (UEM), Brazil, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Brazil, with a scholarship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq. She has developed Virtual Exchange Projects in partnership with professors from the United States, Honduras, Algeria, Israel and Germany. Her research interests include Internationalization at Home, Virtual Exchange, English as a Medium of Instruction, English as a lingua Franca, Language Teaching and Learning; and Teacher Education.
In her presentation, she will share her experience with Virtual Exchange (VE) in the teacher education curriculum, reporting some of the results of VE she developed with prof. Lynn Hartle, from Penn State University.
Isolated is not a synonym of rural area. How VE's bring social isolated students to a more inclusive learning environment - a personal experience
Ana Magano, is a teacher in Agrupamento de Escolas da Damaia - Amadora, Portugal.
In her presentation, she will share her experience on how Virtual Exchange has impacted the underprivileged children.
Intercultural Dialogue: COIL Fostering Intercultural Exchange
Between Japan and Germany
This presentation explores the use of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to facilitate cross-cultural exchange between undergraduate students in Japan and Germany. The study examines how COIL-based projects can promote mutual understanding, challenge stereotypes, and develop intercultural competencies. Findings highlight the benefits of virtual international collaboration in preparing students for an increasingly globalized world.
My name is Kristin Ziegner-Llewellin, and I have been with Mittweida University of Applied Sciences since 2019, holding various roles, including International Student Advisor and German Language Lecturer. I am an Academic Researcher and Programme Coordinator for the “Global Communication in Business and Culture” program. In this capacity, I teach courses such as “Intercultural Training” and “Self-directed Language Learning.” Before my tenure in Germany, I gained valuable international experience working in China and New Zealand.
Intercultural Dialogue: COIL Fostering Intercultural Exchange
Between Japan and Germany
This presentation explores the use of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to facilitate cross-cultural exchange between undergraduate students in Japan and Germany. The study examines how COIL-based projects can promote mutual understanding, challenge stereotypes, and develop intercultural competencies. Findings highlight the benefits of virtual international collaboration in preparing students for an increasingly globalized world.
I am Mahboubeh Rakhshandehroo, Ph.D., a Lecturer at the Center for Multilingual Education (CME), Osaka University, Japan. I am also the Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education (ICLHE) Association’s RG&SIG Coordinator and East Asia Coordinator. My research interests include English-medium instruction (EMI) support, English native speakerism, multiculturalism, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and sustainable internationalization. I have implemented COIL in teaching since 2019, first as a professional development (PD) trainer for instructors who are preparing to implement COIL in teaching, and next by employing COIL in teaching with different universities in the US, Germany, Mexico, and Türkiye.
Virtual exchange and internationalization of the curriculum
This presentation focuses on the experience of professors from different contexts (Federal University of Espirito Santo (Brazil), State University of Maringá (Brazil), Bahia State University (Brazil), and Bern University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland)) with Virtual Exchange (VE), exploring its potential to internationalize the curriculum (IoC) of undergraduate and graduate programs as well as co-curricular projects. The presentation will discuss VE and IoC, considering the professors' reflections and considerations as VE practitioners and researchers.
Kyria Finardi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages, Culture and Education (DLCE) and post-graduate program of Education (PPGE) of the Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES), in Vitória, Brazil. President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA) 2024-2027 and co-creator, co-coordinator of the Iberoamerican Association of Applied Linguistics (AIALA).
Juliana Slvadori: Ph.D. (2013) at Pontifícia Universidade de Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) funded by Brazilian scholarship ( CNPq). Senior Lecturer at the Department of Human Sciences (DCH) and researcher in the professional graduate programs of Education and Diversity (PPED) at the State University of Bahia (UNEB).
Andrea Wehrli is a professor of law and languages and a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert group at the New Work Institute in the Department of Economics at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Switzerland. From 2018 to 2024, Andrea was part of the Language and Culture steering group of the European Association for International Education (EAIE). Together with Prof. Kyria Finardi and Prof. Juliana Salvadori she leads an innovative VE between Brazil and Switzerland.
Luciana Cabrini S. Calvo is a professor in the Language Arts Undergraduate and Graduate Programs at the State University of Maringá (UEM), Brazil, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Brazil, with a scholarship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq. She has developed Virtual Exchange Projects in partnership with professors from the United States, Honduras, Algeria, Israel and Germany.