What is COIL

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) connects classrooms across borders, fostering global engagement through shared virtual learning experiences. By partnering with institutions around the world, COIL enables students and faculty to collaborate on meaningful projects and explore diverse perspectives.  It cultivates intercultural competence, critical thinking, and mutual respect, all without leaving their home campus.

Why COIL Matters at Lehman College

At Lehman, a public college in the Bronx, many students face systemic barriers—economic hardship, limited access to global opportunities, and underrepresentation in international education. The COIL program breaks down those barriers by bringing the world into the classroom.

COIL empowers our students to:

• Access Global Learning Without Travel International experiences are often out of reach for students facing financial constraints. COIL offers a cost-free gateway to global collaboration, allowing students to engage with peers and professors abroad from their own campus.
• Build Intercultural Skills for the Workforce In today’s job market, intercultural competence is a key asset. COIL helps students develop communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills across cultures—skills that employers increasingly value.
• Amplify Their Voices in Global Conversations COIL gives students a platform to share their perspectives, rooted in lived experience, with international peers. It affirms that their insights matter and belong in global dialogues.
• Expand Aspirations and Networks Exposure to international partners can spark new academic interests, career goals, and confidence. COIL often leads students to pursue further opportunities—study abroad, internships, or graduate programs—that once felt out of reach.
• Navigate a Complex World with Empathy and Agency In a time of global uncertainty, COIL helps students see beyond borders, understand diverse viewpoints, and become informed, compassionate citizens of the world.

Join us in shaping a more informed, compassionate, and globally engaged future - one classroom at a time.

Student Experience

"One of the most memorable experiences I had in JAL 301 with Asako-sensei was the COIL project, where we collaborated with university students in Japan to explore topics related to family dynamics and relationships in both countries. My group focused on surrogacy, comparing how it's viewed and handled in the United States and Japan. We researched the legal processes, cultural perspectives, and how society talks about the topic. It was eye-opening to see the similarities and differences and discussing it with Japanese students gave us a deeper, more personal understanding. The best part was hearing different viewpoints and learning to navigate cross-cultural communication. It was challenging at times, especially with time zones and language differences—but it helped me grow academically and personally. The project really brought the course to life and made our learning feel globally relevant."
(Rachael Richardson, Class of 2024, Participated in COIL in JAL 301, Fall 2023)