Technical University of Košice (TUKE) hosted in February 2025 an inspiring workshop on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)—an innovative teaching methodology designed to foster global engagement in education. Organised as an activity of the INTEREST project, the event aimed to enhance the internationalisation of TUKE academic staff. The activity was organised with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic.
The workshop was opened with remarks by prof. Ján Piteľ, Vice-rector for International Relations and Mobility, and Natália Vašková, Ph.D., INTEREST Project Manager. As part of TUKE involvement in the Ulysseus European University, the university’s mission and activities were introduced to our guest and the participants by Viliam Fedák, TUKE Project Manager for Ulysseus.
Delivered by prof. Robert O’Dowd of the University of León (Spain), a leading expert in virtual exchanges, the workshop formed part of TUKE ongoing intercultural communication training—one of the key activities of the INTEREST project. The workshop was designed specifically for TUKE educators, and it provided valuable insights on implementing the COIL methodology into university curricula. Participants explored strategies for fostering global collaboration in education and gained practical tools to engage students in international learning. A total of 23 teachers successfully completed the training.
The interactive format and hands-on approach showcased the transformative potential of COIL, reinforcing its role in incorporating international cooperation into higher education. By implementing COIL, TUKE is taking a significant step toward strengthening global academic partnerships and providing its students with enriched, cross-cultural learning opportunities.
Building on this initiative, TUKE remains committed to supporting teachers in bringing COIL into their teaching. This effort is further reinforced through the Ulysseus European University Seed Fund for Teachers Call 2025. This funding opportunity enables teachers to co-design and deliver courses with an international partner, offering financial support for projects across all disciplines until March 2026.
About the INTEREST Project
The INTEREST project, managed by Division of International Relations and Mobility at TUKE, is a strategic initiative designed to enhance the internationalisation of TUKE staff. It is supported by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic within the initiative aimed at supporting Slovak universities in meeting the goals and objectives arising from the Strategy for the Internationalisation of Higher Education, the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic, and their strategic goals and objectives. Project activities have a direct link to the vision, mission and specific objectives set out in the Long-term Strategy of the Technical University of Košice as well as in the new Internationalisation Strategy of TUKE.
The INTEREST project aims to (A) increase the readiness of teachers to engage in teaching in English, (B) prepare staff for the specifics of communicating with foreign students coming from different cultural backgrounds, and (C) strengthen the integration of foreign researchers, university lecturers and students.
By investing in its educators and fostering a globally connected academic environment, TUKE is reinforcing its commitment to internationalization.
We look forward to seeing the impact of the COIL initiative as our educators begin applying their newly acquired skills in practice.
Natália Vašková, PhD.
