Civic Engagement
Collaborative projects that connect students with communities and organizations to address shared challenges while strengthening problem-solving and leadership skills.
Virtual Exchange/ Collaborative Online International Learning
Creating US–MENA Centers of Excellence in VE/COIL
The Institute for VE/COIL: Creating US–MENA Centers of Excellence strengthens institutional capacity for global learning by supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between accredited higher education institutions in the United States and Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and the Palestinian Territories.
Institutions come together to design and implement high-quality virtual exchange/collaborative online international learning (VE/COIL) modules that expand access to global learning and strengthen student success. The institute prepares faculty, instructional designers, and administrators to embed well-designed VE/COIL modules into courses for cross-border collaboration among students.
A yearlong professional learning experience
Participating institutions engage in the following collaborative activities:
- co-designing academic modules that connect students across borders through structured, course-embedded VE/COIL projects
- aligning virtual exchange with institutional priorities such as civic engagement, employability, digital innovation, and community partnership
- developing action plans to sustain and scale VE/COIL integration through long-term institutional adoption
- coordinating module design and implementation with U.S. and MENA partner institutions, including bi- or multilateral collaborations.
Thematic Curriculum
Institutions will create meaningful and relevant learning experiences connected to the following thematic areas to support student success, practical skill development, and long-term academic innovation:
Language Learning and Practice
Course-embedded activities that develop communication skills, strengthen language proficiency, and prepare students to work effectively across cultures.
Digital Literacy Skill Development
Technology-enabled collaboration that deepens digital fluency, enhances information analysis, and supports full participation in online learning environments.
US–MENA Cohort at a Glance
The cohort represents:
- Regional Representation: 15 institutions across 6 countries
- Two participation pathways: Centers of Excellence and Emerging Leaders
- Broad disciplinary representation: including business, health sciences, engineering, humanities, education, and social sciences
- Student impact: hundreds of students engaged in VE/COIL modules during the Spring and Fall 2026
- A growing professional network: faculty, instructional designers, and administratorscollaborating tostrengthen academic innovation and long-term program resilience
Institute Pathways
Institutions participate through one of two structured pathways tailored to their level of VE/COIL experience. Both pathways emphasize quality, adaptability, and sustainability, contributing to a shared US–MENA community of practice.
Centers of Excellence have an established record of implementing VE/COIL. They will:
- mentor one or more Emerging Leaders institutions;
- co-design and implement two VE/COIL modules with partner institutions;
- offer at least one module in both the Spring and Fall 2026 semesters; and
- develop strategies for long-term sustainability, including curriculum integration and ongoing partnerships.
Institutions with demonstrated leadership in VE/COIL, positioned to mentor others in the 2025–26 cohort:
Emerging Leaders are newer to VE/COIL but demonstrate strong commitment and institutional support. They will:
- collaborate with mentor institutions to build foundational VE/COIL capacity;
- design and pilot at least one VE/COIL module in Spring or Fall 2026; and
- develop institutional action plans to support scaling, faculty development, and partnership growth.
Institutions building foundational capacity and piloting new VE/COIL modules in the 2025–26 cohort:
Participating Institutions
Fifteen institutions across six countries form the inaugural cohort:
- Yarmouk University
- Al Akhawayan University
- Florida International University
- University of Montana
- Shenandoah University
- SUNY Oneonta
- Sulaimani Polytechnic University
- New Mansoura University
- Helwan University
- Morgan State University
- University of San Diego
- Georgia State University
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- An-Najah National University
- University of South Florida
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.
The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, bringing young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative advances global citizenship, empowers future leaders, and strengthens the field of virtual exchange.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) designs and implements educational, professional, and cultural exchange and other programs that create and sustain the mutual understanding with other countries necessary to advancing United States foreign policy goals. ECA programs cultivate people-to-people ties among current and future global leaders that build enduring networks and personal relationships and promote U.S. national security and values.
