Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations at Khmelnytskyi National University, Ilona Dumanska, took part in a series of COIL training webinars organized and conducted by The Hague University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with Cormack Consultancy Group as part of the Twinning initiative.
The training lasted four weeks (plus one optional session), was conducted in English, and held every Tuesday via Zoom, with each session lasting 120 minutes. Sessions 1–4 were open exclusively to registered and confirmed participants, and covered the following topics:
Session 1: Demystifying COIL and its relations to internationalization
Zoom, 27.02.2024
Session 2: Intended Internationalised Learning Outcomes & the intercultural perspective
Zoom, 05.03.2024
Session 3: Collaboration and Technology
Zoom, 12.03.2024
Session 4: Reflection, Evaluation and next steps
Zoom, 26.03.2024
All sessions focused on sharing knowledge about the preparation and development of COIL projects, as well as completing weekly practical assignments on the Padlet platform.
Session 4 featured a networking event with potential COIL project partners from higher education institutions in the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, and other countries. The aim was to exchange contacts and demonstrate openness to future collaboration. Among the participating institutions were:
Coventry University (UK)
Bordeaux University (France)
University of São Paulo (Brazil)
Session 5 was optional and open to a broader audience, including university rectors, vice-rectors, and heads of international offices.
The COIL project, designed by Ilona Dumanska during the training course, received positive feedback and was recognised as ready for implementation by renowned expert Reinout Kleimeer (The Hague University).
Only full completion of the course requirements — including participation in a sufficient number of sessions and active collaboration with a mentor — qualified participants for certification. All requirements were met, and Ilona Dumanska was awarded the official certificate of completion.
COIL projects represent a unique opportunity to internationalize education despite the challenges of war. They offer valuable cultural exchanges, exposure to diverse academic practices, and an ambitious vision of providing students with more from higher education — grounded in European values rather than a Soviet legacy.
Once you join one COIL project, you can’t stop. That’s why the Department of International Economic Relations at KNU, with the support of Vice-Rector Kateryna Skyba, proudly passes the COIL leadership baton to an equally progressive and ambitious colleague, Associate Professor Yulia Davyduk from the Department of German Philology and Translation Studies.
Let’s hope the baton is accepted!
We’re looking forward to more exciting COIL updates.