BCCIE is excited to share the success of University Mobility Asia Pacific and Kansai University Institute for Innovative Global Education’s (IIGE) 2021 Collaborative Online International Learning program. The program provided 83 students from 42 institutions the opportunity to explore the concept of global citizenship and how global human resources play a crucial role in a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

This year’s program was done completely online as international travel and in-person learning were disrupted due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Leveraging online platforms, students collaborated with their peers across the globe to gain international experience and share their unique perspectives.

“It’s a great program,” said Syed Hussain, UMAP/Kansai University IIGE COIL participant and Hospitality Management student at Vancouver Community College. “My team worked on a project that focused on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 3. I had an amazing experience interacting with students from other parts of the world while staying home. This UMAP-COIL joint program gave me the insight into what it’s like to work with international students.”

“This is the third year of the UMAP Kansai University IIGE COIL program,” said Chelsey Laird, Director, UMAP International Secretariat at UMAP. “We are proud of how the program has evolved and grown despite the current global situation. If this pandemic has shown us anything it is that we are all connected. And programs such as this give students an opportunity to gain intercultural experience and understanding they need to become engaged global citizens.”

“The UMAP-COIL Program and virtual exchange methods are a great opportunity to connect with global peers, allowing them to work and learn together,” said Dr. Keiko Ikeda, Vice-Director, IIGE and Professor, Division of International Affairs, Kansai University COIL. “I am very proud of our team for working hard to make virtual exchange and COIL opportunities a reality for hundreds of students around the world.”

For more information on the UMAP/Kansai University IIGE COIL program, visit the website.