COIL Program

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Initiative at Chanakya University

COIL

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an innovative teaching and learning approach that connects classrooms across countries through virtual collaboration. At Chanakya University, COIL enables faculty and students to engage in jointly designed academic modules or course components, where student teams (from Chanakya and partner universities) collaborate online on shared assignments, projects, and discussions.

COIL integrates academic content with intercultural communication, digital collaboration, and global teamwork, offering students an international learning experience without the cost or logistical challenges of physical mobility. Through intentional design, COIL prepares learners for global careers and cross-border professional environments.

COIL plays a strategic role in advancing Chanakya University’s vision for global engagement, curriculum internationalization, and inclusive internationalization at home.

Benefits of COIL

For Students

• Access global learning experiences without the need for physical travel
• Engage meaningfully with international peers through structured academic collaboration
• Develop strong intercultural communication skills and global perspectives
• Gain hands-on experience working in diverse, virtual, and international teams
• Strengthen problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork capabilities
• Build digital fluency through technology-enabled, project-based learning
• Enhance overall personality development and employability through global competencies

For Faculty Members

• Gain international teaching and co-teaching experience
• Co-design internationalized, comparative, and interdisciplinary curricula
• Innovate pedagogy through technology-enabled and experiential learning approaches
• Engage in joint research initiatives and co-publication opportunities
• Experiment with collaborative teaching models across borders
• Build sustainable academic and research partnerships
• Create new pathways for long-term global engagement and collaboration

How COIL Works at Chanakya University

COIL initiatives at Chanakya University typically include the following components:

1. Joint Course or Module Design

Faculty collaborators jointly define:

• Learning objectives and outcomes
• Shared assignments and comparative activities
• Duration (typically 2-6 weeks or full semester)
• Alignment with existing courses (COIL is embedded, not a standalone course)

2. Virtual Collaboration

Students collaborate using digital platforms such as:

• Video conferencing tools
• Shared documents and project platforms
• Learning management systems and discussion forums

Collaboration may be synchronous, asynchronous, or blended, depending on course design.

3. Intercultural Exchange

Structured activities encourage:

• Cross-cultural dialogue
• Reflection on diverse perspectives
• Team building through icebreakers and collaborative tasks

4. Assessment and Reflection

Assessment focuses on:

• Academic learning outcomes
• Quality of collaboration and teamwork
• Intercultural communication skills
• Individual and group reflections

Faculty typically assess their own students to align grading with institutional standards.

Designing and Implementation Process

COIL Formats

Chanakya University offers multiple COIL formats, Faculty should choose based on experience with COIL, course complexity, and time-zone compatibility with international partners. All courses are taught in English, except language-specific courses.

Embedded COIL Modules within Existing Courses

• Recommended for first-time COIL implementers
• Most common and easiest COIL format to adopt
• Short, well-defined COIL components (typically 2–6 weeks) embedded within an existing course
• Requires only a limited number of joint sessions, even when partners are in different time zones
• Lower academic and administrative complexity, enabling smoother coordination
• Ideal for introductory collaborations, pilot initiatives, and testing new partnerships

Full COIL Courses

• Recommended for experienced COIL practitioners
• Entire course jointly designed and delivered by collaborating faculty
• Suitable for moderate to high levels of academic and instructional complexity
• Effective across distant time zones through blended delivery (synchronous and asynchronous formats)
• Requires advanced planning, clear alignment of learning outcomes, and strong faculty coordination

Faculty Co-Teaching and Virtual Guest Lectures
It serves as a flexible and low-risk entry point for initiating new international academic collaborations. These engagements may be short-term or recurring and allow faculty members to jointly deliver selected lectures, modules, or thematic sessions within an existing course. This format works effectively across all time zones and requires minimal structural changes, making it ideal for testing academic compatibility, pedagogical alignment, and collaboration dynamics before committing to a full COIL module or course.

COIL-Linked Internships and Experiential Projects
These are best suited for advanced learners and applied or practice-oriented disciplines. This format emphasizes project-based collaboration with clearly defined objectives, deliverables, and timelines. Students work in international teams on real-world challenges, often in interdisciplinary contexts. Asynchronous collaboration allows these projects to function smoothly across global time zones, making them particularly effective for experiential learning, industry-linked initiatives, and problem-solving in complex, real-life scenarios.

Virtual Research Collaboration and Service Learning
These are designed for advanced students and faculty-led initiatives that involve high levels of academic rigor and social engagement. These collaborations may focus on joint research, policy analysis, community-based projects, or service-learning activities with measurable impact. Given their complexity and longer duration, this format relies on structured milestones, clear roles, and robust digital coordination. It is especially effective for partnerships spanning global time zones and for institutions seeking to build long-term, research-driven or community-oriented global engagement.

Institutional Support for COIL

Chanakya University provides structured support to ensure successful COIL implementation, including:

• Guidance on pedagogy and instructional design
• Assistance with partner identification and collaboration
• Support in COIL course design and coordination
• Ongoing handholding throughout the implementation process

COIL Collaborations | Invitation to International Partners

Chanakya University warmly invites higher education institutions worldwide to collaborate on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives. Our COIL model fosters meaningful virtual engagement and globally connected learning experiences for students and faculty through flexible, academically rigorous partnerships.

Areas of Collaboration

• Co-developing online collaborative courses
• Faculty co-teaching and joint curriculum design
• COIL-linked research collaboration
• Blended virtual and mobility-based programs
• Virtual internships and international service learning

To ensure effective and sustainable collaborations, discussions may include academic alignment and thematic fit, course structure and credit recognition (where applicable), technology integration, and student learning outcomes and assessment practices.

Whether your institution is experienced in COIL or exploring virtual internationalization for the first time, Chanakya University looks forward to building meaningful, inclusive, and long-term global partnerships.

COIL at Chanakya University

COIL at Chanakya University is a flexible and scalable model that connects students and faculty through virtual academic collaboration, embedded within existing undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Partner with Chanakya University?

• Flexible COIL formats, ranging from short modules to full courses
• Experience collaborating across global time zones
• Strong institutional support for course design and delivery
• Emphasis on interdisciplinary and culturally grounded learning

How to Begin

1. Explore Chanakya University’s academic programs
2. Identify thematic alignment and collaboration interests
3. Contact the Global Engagement Office for faculty matchmaking and planning support

COIL Opportunities Across Academic Programs

COIL initiatives at Chanakya University span a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs, reflecting the University’s interdisciplinary, Indian Knowledge–rooted, and globally engaged academic philosophy. Faculty are encouraged to integrate COIL into existing courses, while international partners may explore academic offerings and connect with the Global Engagement Office to identify suitable collaboration opportunities.

Key Academic Domains

• Management, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship (business studies, leadership, economics, organizational studies)
• International Relations, Geopolitics, and Strategic Studies
• Public Policy, Governance, and Development Studies
• Social Sciences and Humanities (sociology, political science, history, philosophy, psychology, cultural studies)
• Sustainability, Environment, and Development Studies
• Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) (Yoga, Indian philosophy, traditional sciences, indigenous knowledge traditions)
• Languages and Linguistic Studies (Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, and other classical and modern languages)
• Science, Technology, and Interdisciplinary Programs, including data-driven and cross-disciplinary STEM applications

Given Chanakya University’s emphasis on multidisciplinary learning, COIL initiatives are especially encouraged at the intersection of disciplines—for example, public policy and sustainability, management and ethics, or Indian Knowledge Systems and contemporary global challenges.

Partnering with Chanakya University

Potential partners are invited to:

• Review Chanakya University’s undergraduate and postgraduate programs
• Identify thematic alignment with their academic interests
• Contact the Global Engagement Office for faculty matchmaking and COIL design support

This structured approach ensures that COIL collaborations are academically meaningful, pedagogically sound, and aligned with program-level learning outcomes.

Contact for COIL Partnerships

Dr. Ravikant Ranjan
Associate Director, Global Engagement
Chanakya University, Bangalore (INDIA)

Email: 

ravikant.r@chanakyauniversity.edu.in

GlobalEngagement@chanakyauniversity.edu.in

Kindly include in your inquiry:

• Institution name
• Proposed COIL topic or course
• Preferred academic semester
• Contact faculty member

Our Global Engagement team will respond with a partnership roadmap and planning support.