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
Izzy delivered a COIL Master Class at Kathmandu University in Nepal at the request of the Himalayan Universities Consortium (HUC) on 16th, 15th April 2025. This included an overview of the work of UArctic and how learning from COIL@UArctic might usefully be applied to the Himalayan context. Read more about the experience at the Himalayan Universities Consortium (HUC) General Assembly.
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.
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.
