According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities, “Virtual exchange (VE), including one of its most comprehensive forms, collaborative online international learning (COIL), provides students with affordable opportunities to gain global competencies within their coursework wherever they are.” (AAC&U). Virtual exchange can connect students around the world despite distance and time difference. It provides students opportunities to learn from other cultures without adding financial cost.
International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC), hosted by Modern University for Business & Science in Lebanon, will take place Oct 26-29, 2026 online. Seven UW faculty and staff will present at this upcoming conference, which is the highest number of UW presenters we’ve ever had at this conference. UW presenters will cover diverse topics in Virtual Exchange, COIL, and Community-Engaged Learning.
“I am so excited to be a part of this conference for the first time,” said Dr. Wei Zuo, UW Global Learning Specialist and Center for Teaching and Learning Instructional Consultant. “This increased participation shows our UW faculty’s willingness to learn from and share with the world. It also demonstrates the increasing interest and need for global learning. Moving forward, we can learn from educators from different universities and disciplines, exchange our ideas and experiences, and bring new strategies and knowledge back. No one needs to build things from scratch or do everything alone in darkness.”