Partner: University of Monterrey, Mexico

Course: SOC 1301 – Introduction to Sociology, Spring 2024

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are often the topic of VE/COIL projects since they cut across borders. Students enrolled in Lanham’s Introduction to Sociology course were tasked with exploring SDG Number 5 on gender equality in collaboration with students from the University of Monterrey, Mexico. The SDG notes that “providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.”

As part of the assignment, UT Dallas students participated in a Gender 101 workshop offered by the Galerstein Community Center. They then were tasked with considering how the definition of gender has expanded since the SDGs were first drafted in 2015. The result was public awareness campaigns, produced by both the American and Mexican students, that highlighted the many ways that gender equality would benefit the world as a whole.

Partner: Sheffield Hallam University, England  

Course:  BPS 4395.008 – Capstone Senior Project in Accounting, Fall 2023, Spring 2024 

Naveen Jindal School of Management

Mary Beth Goodrich and her faculty partner Michael Benson at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) are the recipients of an inaugural Texas International Education Fund COIL Grant. The two professors collaborated for the first time in Spring 2023, with U.S. graduate students serving as “consultants to the consultants.” That is, UT Dallas students consulted with U.K. students who were already serving as consultants to British companies. In Fall 2023, they extended the collaboration to a second course where students engaged in a hands-on consultancy capstone experience with real-life projects sourced from both U.S.- and U.K.-based companies. 

They have extended the collaboration to a second course in which students engage in a hands-on consultancy capstone experience with real-life projects sourced from both U.S.- and U.K.-based companies and nonprofits, such as Girl Scouts, Avam-Astu Foundation and Tempus Novo.

Divided into 12 teams with five or six students per team, participants collaborated to produce final project reports and presentations containing recommendations for the clients. Additionally, students serve as “Pond Partners” to their international student partners, fostering cross-border connections with international counterparts and extended their collaborative reach.  

Partner: Kansai University, Japan and University of Oslo, Norway

Course: CGS 4386 – Adult Development and Aging, Fall 2023

School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Dr. Chandramallika Basak’s multilateral VE/COIL project with faculty in Japan and Norway comes with a seal of approval from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Basak’s course was selected to be part of the Norwegian Panorama initiative, which seeks to bring together faculty and students from three continents and includes an in-person workshop in Bergan, Norway, sponsored by the AAC&U.

Students in Dr. Basak’s course, Adult Development and Aging, collaborated on a project with students enrolled in a Sociology of Japan course at Kansai University in Japan. In the future, the two partners are expected to collaborate with the University of Oslo and a Biology of Aging course. All three institutions are receiving training in the pedagogy through the 2023 AAC&U Institute on VE/COIL.

UT Dallas is one of seven U.S. universities selected to be part of the initiative, which included a rigorous proposal process and required participation from administrators as well as faculty. Read more about the collaboration. 

Partners:

• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland
• SENAI CIMATEC, Brazil
• University of Florida, USA 

Course: PA/SOC 3382 – Sustainable Communities, Fall 2023 

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences 

One of the best ways for students to learn about a subject is to focus on real-world applications. In a multilateral VE/COIL between UT Dallas, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, SENAI CIMATIC in Brazil and the University of Florida, UT Dallas students studying sustainable communities with Dr. John McCaskill joined forces with Swiss students studying Building Integrated Photo Voltaic (BIPV) as well as students at the other two partner universities.

Together, they worked in teams to analyze different aspects of the four universities’ sustainability plans. Students kicked off their collaboration by hearing presentations from the director of sustainability at UT Dallas as well as the lead architect for the Lucerne campus. UT Dallas students evaluated the social impact of the plans, while their Swiss counterparts assessed the technical and environmental aspects from an engineering perspective.

This collaboration allowed students to get hands-on experience in sustainability on a global scale and work together with their international counterparts to make a positive difference.  

Partner: Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Course: PA 3310 – Managing Government Organizations, Spring 2023 

McCaskill’s decision to globalize his course by incorporating a VE/COIL was designed to expose students to multiple perspectives on managing government organizations. As it turned out, the student experience was even richer than he imagined. Not only does his partner university, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, have a multinational study body like UT Dallas, but it is located in a country with four official languages.

The partner course, entitled “Swissness,” draws from the rich spectrum of Swiss politics, economy, society, language and culture. Students in both countries completed the “Four Ways of Seeing” exercise together, which challenged students to reflect on how they see themselves and others.

Upon completing the assignment, they met to discuss the role of government in their respective societies and later reflected on what they had learned.

Partner: Centro Paula Souza (CESU), Brazil  

Course:  IMS 3310 International Business

Naveen Jindal School of Management

Tom Henderson grew up in Brazil, which makes his ongoing collaborations with colleagues at Centro Paula Souza, especially gratifying. In Fall 2023, students worked together on a market analysis of the milk industry in both countries, delving into consumer preferences and the positioning of the product in each respective market. As part of the collaboration, they had weekly synchronous meetings on Teams, where students engaged in real-time discussions while gathered around their screens. When not in class, WhatsApp provided a platform for students to share various aspects of their lives, including pictures of their pets, communities, workplace and more. The social dimension brought an additional element of engagement to the project.

Partner: Institute-Mines Telecom Nord Europe, France 

Course: EE 4301 – Electromagnetic Engineering – Fall 2023, 2022, 2021 

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

Dr. Matthew Heins is an associate professor of instructor in electrical engineering at UT Dallas. IMT Nord Europe, a university in Lille, France, has an apprenticeship/master’s program for students studying engineering. Through collaborative online international learning, students from both institutions create interdisciplinary research posters related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Working in teams, students selected a specific goal of interest, conducted research on that goal, and explored solutions that utilized their respective knowledge and skills. Topics are focused on global challenges, such as clean energy, gender equality, environmental preservation, and more.

Throughout the collaboration, students engage in discussions and share their ideas and insights related to these goals while receiving feedback from their respective professors.

Heins notes that the international collaboration highlights the potential for multidisciplinary approaches to address global challenges. 

Partner: University of Monterrey (UDEM), Mexico 

Course: ECON 3312 – Money and Banking – Fall 2023 and Fall 2021  

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

What better way to learn about money and banking than to participate in a policy debate during a simulated meeting of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Mexico?

In the collaborative online international learning project with the University of Monterrey, UT Dallas students paired up with students taking the same course in Mexico. Dr. Vic Valcarcel, associate professor of economics, worked with his faculty partner in Mexico to develop learning objectives and provide resources for students to work in teams.

Over the course of the semester, students took on the roles of actual members of the central banks and were tasked with analyzing economic data and formulating policy recommendations. During the simulation, each student team presented its findings, predictions and policy recommendations as if they were actual committee members. The students then engaged in debates, defending their positions and providing insights to the data presented by their peers.

The goal of this simulation is to provide students with a practical and engaging way to apply their economic knowledge, understand the complexities of real-world central bank decision-making and experience the collaborative nature of policy discussions. It also allows them to develop skills in public speaking, critical thinking and teamwork while deepening their understanding of macroeconomics and monetary policy.

Partner: Universidad de Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO), Colombia

Course: ATCM 4319 – Experimental Animation – Fall 2023 

Bass School of Arts, Humanities and Technology  (BAHT)

One of the marvels of animation is its ability to illustrate complex concepts in a way that makes them easier to understand. That’s why students studying experimental animation with Dr. Christine Veras at UT Dallas paired up for a VE/COIL with students at Universidad de Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO) in Colombia who are enrolled in a course on agronomy and environmental engineering.

Together, they utilized animation to explain topics related to biodiversity – photosynthesis and how plants make food, the role of women in agriculture, and the impact of technology on farming. The UNIMINUTO professors along with their students created instructional videos in English to provide brief overviews of the subject and then point the U.S. students to related content online.

This collaboration offers a unique opportunity for students from different backgrounds to learn from each other and contribute valuable insights to their understanding of these important subjects.

See the animations that resulted from the collaboration along with a few slides that will take you the behind the scenes

Partners:

Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay 

Colegio Bayard, Argentina 

Superior de Formación Docente César Avanza in Bahía Blanca, Argentina

Course: NATS 4341 – Project-Based Instruction – Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021  

School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The UTeach Dallas program in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics prepares students for math and science teaching careers in the K-12 setting. Knowing that students will be working with diverse populations once they graduate, UT Dallas Master Teacher Dr. Kate York and her colleagues Denise Gregory and Katie Donaldson have been incorporating collaborative online international learning into their curriculum for years. Their newest partners are Universidad Nacional de Asunción in Paraguay and Colegio Bayard in Argentina.

Through virtual teaching experiences and joint project activities centered on science, math, English language development, and education systems, students in all three countries gain valuable intercultural perspectives through the VE/COIL. Guided by their professors, students engaged in live teaching sessions, collaborated on projects, and shared reflections, fostering cross-cultural interactions and empathy.

The collaborations aim to bring international experiences into the classroom, especially for those who may not have the opportunity to travel abroad. It also empowers these future teachers to embrace diversity in their careers. 

Partner: University of Marburg, Germany

Course: ECON 4386 – Contemporary Economic Policy, Fall 2023

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences 

UT Dallas and the University of Marburg in Germany already have an established dual degree master’s program in International Political Economy. Up to 10 students are admitted both in Dallas and Marburg each year, where they study for one year before traveling abroad for their second year of study. Now students from the two institutions are embarking on a VE/COIL program that will enable them to learn about economic topics together without ever leaving home.

Since UT Dallas courses start earlier than courses in Marburg, students enrolled in Dr. Irina Panovska’s course are collecting economic data from a set of different countries in the first half of the semester. When their semester begins in October, Marburg students assisted in interpreted and assessed the data. Together, students crafted a joint presentation of their analysis and also learned about each other’s cultures and countries along the way.

Panovska and her faculty partner at the University of Marburg professor, Dr. Bernd Hayo, hosted an in-person meet and greet on the UT Dallas campus during International Education Week in November so that students can learn more about the dual degree and the opportunity to participate in future VE/COIL projects.

Partner: Sheffield Hallam University, England 

Course: BMEN 1100 – Introduction to Bioengineering, Fall 2023

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science 

In keeping with the UT Dallas strategic goal of engaging globally, professors who teach first-year seminars are increasingly incorporating VE/COIL projects into their curriculum.

First-year bioengineering students enrolled in the freshman seminar with Dr. Porter and Dr. Myers teamed up with social science majors from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom this semester to explore the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on society, specifically in health care.

The project builds on the mandatory Comets to the Core project, which is focused on AI in education. In the related VE/COIL, students teamed up with their British partners to explore how AI is used in medicine, such as helping doctors make diagnoses, assisting in surgeries, suggesting personalized treatments and even finding new medicines faster.

They are also looking into the important issue of keeping patients’ private information safe. They then will research the policy responses in the two countries, examining issues like how data is protected and the ethical implications of AI.

Partner: Polvia Formation, France

Course: JSOM 1300 – Introduction to Professionalism and Communication in Business, Fall, 2023 and Fall 2022 

Naveen Jindal School of Management 

Most Jindal School students will no doubt work as part of global teams once they graduate and enter the business world. In her introductory course for first-year freshmen, Dr. Victoria McCrady makes sure students get some hands-on experience in communicating with people from different countries by offering students the option of participating in a collaborative online international learning project.

McCrady pairs her first-year students with third-year apprentices from Polyvia Formation, a French university specializing in plastics engineering. The main focus of the exchange is improving the English conversational skills of the French students and enhance cross-cultural understanding for both sides. The exchange activities included three virtual meetings, two of which serve as icebreakers to get to know each other’s cultures and discuss various topics.

Since the UT Dallas students had just finished their Comets to the Core project centering on sustainable transportation when they participated in Fall 2022, the final meeting involved discussions and activities centered around sustainable transportation. By comparing cultures and transportation systems in France and the United States, students gained global perspectives on contemporary topics and also learned how to better communicate with people from different cultures.