Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași (TUIASI) has been actively involved in developing and implementing the COIL course “Tackle Real Work Life Challenges”, created in collaboration with four strategic INGENIUM partners: TUIASI (Romania), MTU (Ireland), URN (France) și XAMK (Finland). The initiative took place between August 2025 – January 2026 and represents a strong step forward for international virtual collaboration in higher education.
What is COIL?
COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) brings students together in mixed, multicultural teams to collaborate in a virtual international setting. Its purpose is to help students discuss, analyze, and solve tasks relevant to real professional contexts, offering an efficient alternative to physical mobility and an authentic international learning experience.
A truly international and interdisciplinary INGENIUM initiative
This innovative INGENIUM COIL project provided an interdisciplinary and inclusive space for both students and academic staff. A total of 56 students from partner universities in Romania, Finland, Ireland, and France participated, working entirely online in intercultural teams.
The academic coaching team consisted of six experts representing the four universities. TUIASI was represented by lecturer Marius Telișca (PhD Eng.) and lecturer Ana-Maria Loghin (PhD Eng.), who contributed with technical and linguistic expertise essential to the project’s success.
Project foundations and structure
The collaboration began with a workshop at the University of Rouen in August 2025. During this meeting, partners aligned their expectations, designed the course structure, and created a shared code of conduct grounded in trust, inclusiveness, and effective intercultural communication.
Project cooperation took place on three levels:
- coach-to-coach
- coach-to-student
- student-to-student
A key component of the COIL course was the involvement of companies, which provided real business challenges. This gave students the opportunity to gain international experience through virtual collaboration, especially valuable for those who cannot participate in physical mobility programs.
Course activities coordinated by TUIASI
The COIL course featured seven online work sessions, three of which were organized by TUIASI:
- opening session
- mid‑project progress review
- closing session
TUIASI coordinated several important components:
- Student selection and management, ensuring balanced representation from various faculties
- Industry engagement, involving Romanian company CONEST, which added practical relevance and strengthened academia–business collaboration
- Facilitating online teamwork, by using the Padlet platform and organizing weekly mentoring sessions to support intercultural collaboration
Real work-life challenges from European companies
The project addressed business cases proposed by companies from Romania, Finland, and France, including:
Conest, Eagle Rocket, Norelco, și Metatavu.
Multicultural student teams worked together to develop solutions to these real-world cases. This practical approach helped students enhance their:
- managerial skills
- problem‑solving abilities
- intercultural communication competencies
Course impact and future perspectives
Through this project, TUIASI strengthened its collaboration with INGENIUM partners and promoted internationalization at home. Students gained international experience by working online with peers from other European universities, an invaluable alternative for those unable to join mobility programs abroad.
Students also received INGENIUM‑recognized certificates worth 2 ECTS, together with the opportunity to develop crucial skills for a globalized labor market, especially in engineering and technical fields.
Future directions inspired by the project’s success
The positive outcomes of the “Tackle Real Work Life Challenges” COIL initiative highlight its potential as a scalable model for future activities:
- Curriculum integration: embedding COIL modules into more degree programs
- Expanding partnerships: attracting additional companies to offer real-world case studies
- Strengthening virtual collaboration: continuing to provide accessible, high‑quality international education while supporting sustainability goals
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