Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv has completed a comprehensive educational programme Global Synergy through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) within the framework of the Alliance of Ukrainian Universities (AUU). The programme took place from 28 April to 2 May and was intended to provide Alliance participants and their teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary for the effective use of COIL. The experience gained will contribute to the development of intercultural cooperation, the enrichment of educational content, the strengthening of long-term international partnerships and the improvement of the educational environment of Ukrainian HEIs.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an innovative online education methodology that brings together students and lecturers from different countries in a shared academic space. By using digital technologies, COIL enables the creation of the international educational projects without the necessity of physical mobility, expanding opportunities for academic cooperation and intercultural dialogue.
The launch of the AUU Global Synergy through COIL initiative was held in January 2024 at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv has taken up the baton in a worthy manner. The ceremonial opening of the one-week-long programme occurred on 28 April. Vice-Rectors for International Cooperation from AUU Member Universities congratulated the participants.
Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at KNU Kseniia Smyrnova, solemnly opening the educational programme, noted that it is the‘evidence of the Alliance’s evolution as it expands and gains associated partners’. The Vice-Rector stressed the wide range of ‘the educational programme demonstrating all the synergy, networks and exchange of experience inherent to COIL. For this reason, participation is a responsibility and means sharing the knowledge gained here’. Kseniia Smyrnova encouraged to fully utilise this form of cooperation, communication and potential scientific collaborations.
The other Vice-Rectors agreed with the first speaker: Dmytro Sherengovsky, Vice-Rector for Outreach and Social Engagement at the Ukrainian Catholic University, Kostyantyn Kyrychenko, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at Kyiv School of Economics, Andrii Podlevskyi, Vice-Rector for Development and Communications at the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Daria Bukreeva, Vice-Rector for Prospective Development at the National Technical University ‘Dnipro Polytechnic’, Inna Shkolnyk, First Vice-Rector of Sumy State University, Iryna Osovska, Vice-Rector for International Relations at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. The speakers emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas and practices and the value of any experience; innovative methods and approaches; cross-cultural communication and the development of soft skills, as well as openness to acquire new knowledge and make new acquaintances as a guarantee of the effectiveness of the Global Synergy COIL educational programme.
Throughout the course of the week, participants had the opportunity to discover Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, its history and modernity, visit University museums, the virtual memorial exhibition dedicated to the fallen Shevchenko students, the spaces dedicated to memory of students and cadets of KNU who died for Ukraine, explored the work of student folklorists and the activities of the Department of Folklore Studies at the KNU Institute of Philology, and worked in modern coworking spaces and hubs at the KNU Faculty of Economics. It was a week of heritage appreciation, new horizons discovery, and lively intercultural dialogue!
Participants enjoyed a comprehensive programme including dozens of foreign and Ukrainian speakers, intensive lectures, discussions, reflections, and interactive sessions. ‘The highlight of the programme was the fact that the speakers were teachers representing the Alliance, as well as graduates of the first school held by UCU,’ noted Roman Petyur, Head of the International Relations Office at KNU, who coordinated the organisation and implementation of the COIL school.
Within the framework of a set of presentations, various aspects of the Collaborative Online International Learning model as an innovative approach to the internationalisation of education were comprehensively examined. Participants explored the basic principles of COIL, its advantages for students and teachers, as well as practical examples of its implementation in educational programmes. Considerable attention was paid to the topics of developing intercultural competence, digital literacy, global citizenship, and overcoming educational inequality. The approach to COIL as a tool for social justice and implementation in the field of IT and business education was revealed, and the experience of international cooperation between universities in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and India was discussed.
The presentations provided participants with valuable tools and methodological recommendations for implementing COIL in various educational contexts. The possibilities of using the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), were also discussed. Speakers shared their experience of creating institutional support for COIL. The presentations also focused on the practical aspects of implementing COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) and COUL (Collaborative Online Ukrainian Learning), which promote the internationalisation of education, the development of global citizenship and intercultural competence. Issues related to COIL project management, organisational interaction between universities, and the gradual implementation of COUL elements into the educational process were discussed.
The educational programme ended with the development of a personal action plan for integrating COIL/COUL into pedagogical practice and an individual presentation of the COIL profile.
Summarizing the educational week, the participants reflected on the implementation and more effective functioning of COIL at their Universities, shared their experience of joint teaching and completing tasks with students from different Universities working on the same topic or course. The participants of the educational programme unanimously agreed that this approach contributes to deepening partnerships between universities, strengthening the academic potential of teachers, and developing global competencies, communication skills, and critical thinking among students.
Participants gave positive feedback on the programme, describing it as informative, professionally organised and highly motivational in nature. Presentations by speakers with practical experience in implementing COIL projects were particularly valuable, providing participants with a clear understanding of the structure, opportunities and challenges of this format of international academic cooperation. Participants noted the content-rich programme, the content’s relevance, and the importance of the opportunities created for networking and sharing experiences. As the participants said, the COIL school at KNU provided enough knowledge and resources to start their own COIL initiatives and was also an important step towards forming an active community of teachers interested in international virtual cooperation.
During the solemn award ceremony, Kseniia Smyrnova emphasised: “This school has changed you. Now it is up to you to further implement its results. It will depend on you how your students will learn about the world – it is important that this happens not through assimilation, but through integration. Your students will become ambassadors of Ukraine in the world. And they will once again confirm that Ukrainian education and science are valuable!
Thank you for being with us throughout this programme, for studying and sharing your experiences with us, and for honouring our places of remembrance. The pain and memory of those who have died unite us, as does our boundless gratitude to the defenders who allow us to live and work!”
Therefore, to conclude, we would like to note that the KNU team, led by Vice-Rector Kseniia Smyrnova and the International Relations Office, managed to:
- hold 5 intensive training days;
- bring together 8 HEIs from the Alliance of Ukrainian Universities;
- attract 30 participants;
- bring together 37 speakers from around the world;
- engage various locations of the University – from historical to modern;
- create a world of impressions, experiences and insights!
This is how the programme at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv will be remembered. We are grateful to everyone involved and pass on the COIL school baton!
