Creating US–MENA Centers of Excellence

Overview

The Institute for Virtual Exchange and COIL Centers of Excellence is implemented by AAC&U and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute. 

JCSVEI honors the legacy of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens by preparing rising generations of global citizens through meaningful, technology-enabled international exchange.

What the Institute Does 

The institute builds on Virtual Exchange (VE), an umbrella term for technology-enabled, people-to-people learning experiences across borders. Within this broader field, AAC&U applies the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model, which engages faculty and students in sustained, project-based collaboration as part of coursework.

• Centers of Excellence – Institutions with established VE/COIL capacity that deepen practice, design multiple modules, mentor Emerging Leaders, and contribute to sustainability strategies.
• Emerging Leaders – Institutions newer to VE/COIL that build foundational capacity, pilot a module, and receive structured mentorship.

Through mentored clinics, role-based assignments, and collaborative cohort activities, participating teams of instructors, instructional designers, and administrators will

• co-create and implement credit-bearing VE/COIL modules (the Institute’s projects) with international partners;
• align VE/COIL with institutional goals and strategic plans;
• explore VE/COIL’s role in advancing student employability, institutional sustainability, and cross-border collaboration; and
• build enduring partnerships between U.S. and MENA institutions.

For participants, this means tailored mentorship, role-specific assignments, and structured collaboration designed to embed VE/COIL into curricula and make it sustainable at the institutional level.

Learn More

To learn more, please see the press release issued by AAC&U or click above to explore details about the Institute's faculty, curriculum, and goals.