Year 2025
Collaborative Online International Learning and Biodiversity Education across the Arctic Circle (COIL@UArctic)
Year 2025 saw an expansion of COIL@UArctic Thematic Network, reaching from across the Arctic and the circumpolar North over to Nepal and the wider Global South. The Network has created a wealth of resources to promote and facilitate inclusive approaches to COIL focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and emphasising reciprocity and cultural humility in working with the Indigenous partners and each other.
Key activities:
Launch of the new Yellow Tulip Project cohort
This year, the Yellow Tulip Project - a US based nonprofit organization with a mission to smash the stigma associated with mental illness, build community and spread hope – has joined COIL@UArctic Thematic Network as a member, and launched its new cohort who will engage in a COIL activity within their project.
Participants in this innovative project have the opportunity to truly make a difference in our understanding of global mental health. Working collectively, the cohort will explore stigma, self-care and other critical issues together. This COIL project provides an opportunity to connect with other graduate students from across the Arctic and across the globe to explore innovative solutions to mental health issues. Participants can collectively share their findings with the COIL@UArctic Thematic Network and will have opportunities to publish articles and blog posts.
Minute of Understanding with UNITAR
Ambassador Marco Suazo, Head of UNITAR, and Dr Jo Royle, Dean of Aberdeen Business School, participated in an online signing ceremony to formalise the partnership and mark a significant step forward in fostering collaboration between UNITAR and RGU. As part of the UNITAR Global Diplomacy Fellowship Programme, this agreement will create opportunities for joint learning, research, and global engagement initiatives, including Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) through COIL@RGU and COIL@UArctic, with a specific focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The agreement was developed by Dr Izzy Crawford, Associate Dean for Economic, Social and Cultural Development, Aberdeen Business School, in partnership with Larisa Schelkin, Faculty, UNITAR Global Diplomacy Fellowship Program. Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) funding will allow Izzy and Larisa to meet in person at the UN’s Headquarters in New York in December to progress the partnership.
From the Arctic to Nepal
It was a great honour for the thematic network to be invited to run a master class and workshop on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at the Kathmandu University School of Education in April. The participants shared their perspectives on COIL and how it might benefit students across the Hindu Kush region, which has much in common with the Arctic. This visit challenged some of the underlying assumptions of COIL and opened critical discussion about globalisation, dominant knowledge systems, and digital inclusion within emerging experiential pedagogy.
Congratulations to Dr Izzy Crawford for completing her PhD!
Thematic Network Co-Lead, Dr Izzy Crawford from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, completed a PhD titled “Preparing students for the global virtual workplace: examining student, faculty, and employer perceptions of collaborative online international learning (COIL)”. Izzy believes it is more important than ever for universities to create opportunities for students to share different perspectives, and work collaboratively to improve the quality of problem-solving and decision-making in relation to the Arctic.
Other activities per category
Education:
- International Graduate Student Research Cohort 2025
- The Yellow Tulip COIL Project
- COIL Training Webinars
- COIL Information Session at University of the Faroe Islands
- COIL Master Class at the University of Pannonia, Hungary
- Learn to run a COIL project - COIL@UArctic Thematic Network’s Masterclass Series
- COIL@UArctic Thematic Network’s Masterclass
Mobility:
- UArctic noth2north mobility funding secured
- RGU and COIL@UArctic welcomes Dr Heather Sauyaq Gordon through RGU Global Scholar programme
- The Yellow Tulip Project returns for its second COIL project
- COIL@UArctic goes to USA
Outreach:
- Putting Students at the Center: Formalizing COIL Leadership to Support Global Learning for All
- Building COIL Capacity in the UK and Ireland
- General Assembly Meeting of the Himalayan University Consortium
- Presentation at the International Virtual Exchange Conference
- COIL Master Class at the Norwegian COIL forum
- Panel on integrating the SDGs into COIL projects
- COIL Master Class at Kathmandu University in Nepal
- COIL@UArctic features on UNICollaboration podcast series
- Arctic Indigenous Voices in Virtual Exchange
- Interactive Stand at RGU Curious Minds Research Festival
- Challenges of COIL Webinar
- Moving COIL to the centre of HE internationalisation strategies
- COIL@UArctic goes to the Arctic Circle Assembly
- Presentation at the Swedish Biodiversity Symposium
- COIL Match-Maker software - Ideation Session at AAC&U Conference
- COIL@UArctic presentation to Network of International Business and Economics Schools (NIBES)
- COIL@UArctic lead partner Robert Gordon University signs a Minute of Understanding with UNITAR
- UNICollaboration in conversation with COIL@UArctic
Research
- Impact Accelerator Grant secured
Looking ahead to 2026:
The network is looking at a busy year ahead, with some activities already underway. The key project for this year, funded by Robert Gordon University’s Impact Accelerator Fund, looks at evaluating the usefulness of COIL@UArctic resources for Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Higher Education practices, communities, knowledge holders and students’ outcomes, and intercultural engagement with Indigenous Knowledge. The project is led by Dr Izzy Crawford, in collaboration with Dr Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon. The main activity in this project is planned to be conducted in partnership with members of the Indigenous communities in Greenland and Norway, COIL practitioners and COIL students.
We are also looking forward to engaging with the UArctic and wider community at a variety of international events, including the Arctic Science Summit Week in Aarhus, Denmark, the UArctic Congress in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, and the Arctic Circle Assembly.
Throughout the year, we are planning to run a series of online events, webinars and workshops to encourage wider participation in COIL as a tool for global learning.
Impact:
Our work through the COIL@UArctic Thematic Network has made an impact on bringing scholars, educators and practitioners from across the North and beyond, with shared interest and conviction that global education is ever more important in the current geopolitical, environmental and increasingly challenging climate.
Online and in-person, we connected with colleagues to raise awareness of and develop COIL projects, where students can meet their peers and work with each other on issues commonly faced by many across the globe. As a result, several COIL projects have been established, and more are in the process of development.
Our future work on challenging some underlying assumptions of COIL and making it more inclusive and empathetic of different perspectives, knowledge systems and needs, will deliver richer and more meaningful resources, aligned with the UArctic values.
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2025
- Putting Students at the Center: Formalizing COIL Leadership to Support Global Learning for Al - Session at European Association for International Education 2025, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- COIL virtual exchange can democratize access to international engagement opportunities and their benefits—if these are equitably available to all. COIL access varies significantly within and between institutions. Chaired by a student, this session will ask leaders to re-examine the enablers and blockers to providing COIL access for all. It also considers strategies to move COIL from internationalization’s periphery to the center by placing students at the heart of the decision-making process.
- Building COIL Capacity in the UK and Ireland
- The thematic network lead, Izzy Crawford, has been invited to present about COIL@UArctic at the University of Leeds, UK in April 2025: Ward, M., Dawson. M., Satar, M., Hauck, M., Crawford, I. (2025). Building COIL Capacity in the UK and Ireland. University of Leeds: Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures Event. Thursday 24th April 2025. [International symposium]. Available from: Building COIL capability in the UK and Ireland | Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures | University of Leeds
- General Assembly Meeting of the Himalayan University Consortium
- The thematic network lead, Izzy Crawford, has been invited to serve as a speaker at the HUC Summit 2025, 16-17 April, 2025, on the work of Thematic Network on Collaborative Online International Learning and Biodiversity Education across the Arctic Circle.
- International Graduate Student Research Cohort 2025 - Virtual Student Mobility
- The International Graduate Student Research Cohort represents a partnership between the New England Ocean Cluster (NEOC), the University of Tromsø (UiT) – The Arctic University of Norway, and the Maine North Atlantic Institute (MNAI) at the University of Southern Maine (USM). The 2025 Cohort will also include students and faculty from Robert Gordon University (RGU) and Reykjavik University (RU). The International Graduate Student Research Cohort is an annual organized effort that brings together international students and faculty to collaborate on a research project resulting in a publishable paper and presentation at the Arctic Circle Assembly (ACA) in Reykjavik, Iceland in October 2025.
- The Yellow Tulip COIL Project
- The Yellow Tulip COIL Project is a voluntary, collaborative, online, international, learning opportunity (COIL). It is an innovative approach to addressing mental health stigma whereby students connect online from around the world to discuss strength-based approaches to addressing mental health; what self-care look like on their university of college campus; how mental health is addressed in their community; and to plant a Hope Garden on their campus or in their community.
- COIL Training Webinars
- Between November 2024 and April 2025, Steve Harbert from Robert Gordon University has delivered a series of webinars focusing on each stage in the process of developing a COIL project including: Introduction to COIL; Project Planning and Finding a COIL Partner; and Running a COIL Project.. The webinars include examples from COIL@UArctic and explain how to complete a COIL profile to share with prospective COIL partners on the website. For more information please contact the thematic network lead, Izzy Crawford i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk.
- COIL@UArctic Thematic Network Meetings
- COIL@UArctic Thematic Network Partner Meetings took place on 22nd January, 12th February, 12th March, and 9th April 2025. At each meeting the partners discussed how to increase engagement with COIL@UArctic activity, ideas for future training webinars, and how to improve the network's resources. If you would like to get involved, become a partner, or make suggestions for the network please contact the thematic lead, Izzy Crawford i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk
- UArctic noth2north mobility funding secured
- Two members of the team at Robert Gordon University have recently been awarded funds from UArctic north2north mobility programme, to visit the University of the Faroe Islands in May.
- COIL Master Class at Kathmandu University in Nepal
- COIL Information Session at University of the Faroe Islands
- As part of the UArctic N2N visit, Steve Harbert delivered a COIL information session to University of the Faroe Islands staff on 13th May 2025, introducing the concept and pedagogy, practical information on project set-up, and past examples. Existing examples of research activity and potential future research opportunities were also highlighted. Details of the COIL@UArctic thematic network and its resources were shared along with information about RGU academic staff currently seeking COIL partners across a range of disciplines.
- COIL Master Class at the University of Pannonia, Hungary
- Izzy Crawford delivered on 26th May 2025, an online COIL Master Class to faculty from the University of Pannonia, Hungary, and invited participants to share their COIL profiles with COIL@UArctic
- COIL@UArctic features on UNICollaboration podcast series
- Izzy was interviewed by Lorenza Bacino for the UNICollaboration blog series about COIL@UArctic on 12th June 2025, speaking about the benefits of COIL for the Arctic and its global outlook, inclusion of Indigenous voices in shaping critical COIL pedagogy and new developments in this area. Read more here.
- Arctic Indigenous Voices in Virtual Exchange
- Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, COIL@UArctic Indigenous partner, was interviewed by Lorenza Bacino for the UNICollaboration blog series about Indigenous inclusion in COIL on 17th June 2025. Heather spoke about resources available on COIL@UArctic website, her experience of COIL and the role COIL can play in facilitating learning from, with, and about Indigenous Peoples. Read more here.
- Interactive Stand at RGU Curious Minds Research Festival
- Izzy hosted an interactive stand at the Robert Gordon University Curious Minds Research Festival on 19th, 20th June 2025, where participants were invited to watch a video about the COIL Matchmaker prototype and complete a survey about it. The findings will be used to develop a funding proposal to take the project to completion and make it available to all UArctic members.
- The lead of the COIL Network, Izzy Crawford, passed her PhD
- On 24th June 2025, Izzy passed her PhD viva with a thesis titled: Preparing students for the global virtual workplace: examining student, faculty, and employer perceptions of collaborative online international learning (COIL).
- Challenges of COIL Webinar
- The COIL@UArctic team delivered a webinar about the challenges of running a COIL programme. This included contributions from leading COIL developers Mariam Raza from Conestoga College, Canada and Dan Nolan from the University of Minnesota, USA.
- Moving COIL to the centre of HE internationalisation strategies
- From 9th to 20th September 2025, Izzy delivered a session at the European Association of International Education conference in Gothenburg about moving COIL to the centre of HE internationalisation strategies and placing students at the centre. This session was delivered in partnership with global COIL expert, Dr Stephanie Doscher. Read more about European Association of International Education conference.
- RGU and COIL@UArctic welcomes Dr Heather Sauyaq Gordon through RGU Global Scholar programme
- COIL@UArctic Indigenous Consultant, Dr Heather Sauyaq Gordon, visited RGU from 15th to 26th September 2025, as part of the RGU Global Scholar programme to support the development of a COIL@UArctic impact case study for UK's Research Excellence Framework 2029.
- COIL@UArctic goes to the Arctic Circle Assembly
- From 16th to 18th October 2025, Izzy will attend the UArctic Thematic Network Leads meeting in Iceland and will convene this year's International Graduate Student Research Cohort session at the Arctic Circle Assembly.
- Presentation at the Swedish Biodiversity Symposium
- From 21st to 23rd October, 2025COIL@UArctic Co-Lead, Professor Elina Oksanen from the University of Eastern Finland, will present at the Swedish Biodiversity Symposium in Gothenburg. The presentation will focus on the eNaBIS EU Horizon project, and include reference to UArctic and COIL@UArctic. Read more about Swedish Biodiversity Symposium.
- COIL Match-Maker software - Ideation Session at AAC&U Conference
- From 12th to 14th November 2025, Izzy will present an Ideation session about the prototype COIL Match-Maker software application at the online American Association of Colleges and Universities Conference on Global Learning. Feedback on the prototype is also sought from UArctic and ScAN members. Please contact Izzy for more information i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk.
- Read more about AAC&U 2025 Conference on Global Learning.
- COIL@UArctic goes to USA
- On 1st December 2025, Izzy has been invited to deliver a COIL Master Class at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. While in the USA, she will also sign an MoU with the United Nations Institute for Teaching and Research (UNITAR) in New York. This partnership will include opportunities to share COIL@UArctic and UNITAR resources with a focus on the UN SDGs. Activity also involves United Nations Institute for Teaching and Research (UNITAR)
- New book chapter
- Four COIL academics: Izzy Crawford, Steve Harbert, Heather Gordon, and Roy Jantzen, are collaborating on two book chapters scheduled for publication in April 2026. One will consider the impact of COIL on Blue Wildlife Tourism knowledge development, and the other will present a case study of COIL@UArctic focusing on Indigenous inclusion. The book will be published as a 2-volume set with 15 disciplinary sections, including over 100 chapters by 260 authors. The name of the book is - The Handbook of Virtual Exchange Across the Disciplines: Building Global Citizens at Home. The press is Springer Nature Press.
- The activity will involve Capilano University in Canada and an independent Indigenous scholar Dr Heather Sauyaq Gordon.
2024
- Partners Meeting - on Wednesday 21st August following a summer break, the COIL@UArctic partners reconvened to plan the year ahead with a focus on increasing engagement with the network and COIL projects. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 1st October.
- 32nd Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research - on Friday 20th September Alona Roitershtein and Steve Harbert spoke about COIL@UArctic to encourage more COIL projects across the North.
- Yellow Tulip Project - on Wednesday 11th September Izzy Crawford and Suzanne Fox co-hosted a webinar introducing a new COIL project for UArctic and non-UArctic members that is designed to address the stigma associated with mental ill health and suicide. A second webinar will be held on Thursday 25th September from 4pm to 5pm UTC. Please contact Izzy Crawford i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk for more information and how to join.
- EAIE Conference – on Thursday 19th September, Mariam Raza (Conestoga College, Canada) and Izzy Crawford (Robert Gordon University, Scotland) delivered a world cafe session on the development of COIL@UArctic and using COIL to promote sustainability, with biodiversity loss education content supplied by Elina Oksanen.
- Kick Start COIL Webinar – on Wednesday 16th October 2024 from 4pm to 5pm (UTC), COIL@UArctic will host the next webinar topic in the series looking at the challenges and support available when starting a COIL project – please contact Izzy Crawford i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk for more information and how to join.
- IVEC Conference - on Monday 21st October, Izzy Crawford and Pascal Ezenkwu from Robert Gordon University will present a proposal for a new COIL Matchmaker app that is designed to make the process of finding a suitable COIL partner quicker and easier.
- UArctic COIL profiles and examples – please get in touch with Izzy Crawford i.c.crawford@rgu.ac.uk if you would like to have your profile included on the thematic webpage to help you find a COIL partner, or if you have completed a COIL project and would like it to be featured on the thematic webpages.
- Presentation at the International Virtual Exchange Conference – Izzy Crawford delivered an online flash presentation at the International Virtual Exchange Conference from 21st to 24th October 2024 , where participants were invited to watch a video about the COIL Matchmaker prototype and complete a survey about it. The findings will be used to develop a funding proposal to take the project to completion and make it available to all UArctic members. Find the Book of Abstracts here.
- COIL Master Class at the Norwegian COIL forum – Izzy delivered an online COIL Master Class to the Norwegian COIL forum from 1st to 30th November 2024, to explore through discussion how COIL pedagogy can strengthen sustainability education and greater collaboration between colleges and universities within and beyond the Arctic region.
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