Global Virtual Exchange as a Sustainable Higher Education Practice: Developing Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies Using Online Collaboration among Four International Universities

Abstract

In the international higher education context, there have been several challenges as well as opportunities arising due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Covid crisis has adversely impacted almost all the spheres of academic life. The international academia also suffered due to the entire teaching-learning system coming under pressure. Consequently, some path-breaking international collaborations have been started for developing sustainable teaching and learning practices using online resources. This paper presents one such innovative collaboration by the ILDP programme of the Hiroshima University, Japan and the Global Virtual Exchange initiative by the University of Texas at Austin, USA along with the BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus and the Tribhuvan University of Nepal. The insights discussed in this paper are directly drawn from my experiences as a lead professor in the ongoing international collaboration for promoting high-quality research and academic work across the four universities mentioned above. A total of 28 students (postgraduate level), 5 TAs and a group of 6 professors, along with several external resource persons have collaborated in delivering and co-creating content on selected themes around Agriculture and Climate Change adaptations by small farm families across all the 4 countries. In this original research paper, I will be highlighting the teaching and learning practices that were used by the international team for enhancing the efficacy and effectiveness of such global level virtual collaborations as well as for promoting their sustainable practice in the foreseeable future.