Jon Rubin

Independent Producer and Director, COIL Consulting and COIL Connect for Virtual Exchange

From 1970-2005, Jon Rubin was known as a filmmaker, a media artist, and as the creator of the Floating Cinema (https://floatingcinema.org). His media work was presented at many sites internationally including at the Whitney and Guggenheim museums in NYC and floating down the canals of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Rubin was simultaneously an Associate Professor of Film and New Media at SUNY Purchase College from 1978 – 2012. During this time, he received Guggenheim, Ford, and Jerome Foundation grants for his media work. 

The COIL concept grew from the Cross-Cultural Video Production (XCult) course that Rubin developed after completing a Fulbright in Belarus in 1999. Between 2002-11 he implemented XCult at SUNY Purchase where his students collaboratively co-produced videos with students in Turkey, Mexico, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia, and Germany. 

Jon Rubin was founder and served as director of the State University of New York’s COIL Center from 2006-2017. He directed the National Endowment for the Humanities funded: COIL Institute for Globally Networked Learning in the Humanities (2010-13), which engaged 47 U.S. and international universities in COIL course development. In 2015, he launched the State Department funded US-Mexico Multistate COIL project which linked 18 Mexican higher education institutions with 14 US campuses. He also wrote and directed a Stevens Initiative grant project, linking SUNY classes and students with those at universities in the Mideast and North Africa. 

In 2017, he created COIL Consulting (coilconsult.com) to support universities developing COIL initiatives. He organized COIL virtual exchange workshops and panels at the annual conferences of NAFSA, FAUBAI, AMPEI, AIEA, ICDE and EAIE. He designed and co-facilitated five iterations of the COIL Leadership Institute between 2017 and 2023, cosponsored by the American Council on Education and later by Florida International University. 

He has written many articles on COIL practice, and he co-edited the Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange, which was published by Stylus Publishers in October 2022. In 2021, he launched the website COILConnect.org, a directory and workspace for international institutions that are committed to COIL Virtual Exchange. COIL Connect now has 250 institutional members based in 36 countries, in addition to 1400 individual members.   

Varkey George

Varkey George is a social entrepreneur and educator based in Cape Town, South Africa. With a passion for addressing social challenges, Varkey has founded both non-profit and for-profit organisations to make a positive impact in his community and beyond. He also shares his expertise as a lecturer on global citizenship and social entrepreneurship in schools across Europe and South Africa and serves as an external evaluator for various projects. Varkey is also actively involved in a think tank focused on the internationalisation of higher education.

With extensive experience in evaluating organisations and university programmes in South Africa, Varkey has successfully completed numerous projects over the past decade. His current areas of interest and expertise include lecturing on global citizenship, mentoring aspiring social entrepreneurs, and establishing social enterprises.

Varkey's dedication and contributions to his field have been recognised with awards and acknowledgements, including a certificate from the Bushbuckridge Nature Conservation Project as the best community developer of the year in 1999, and a runner-up certificate for the SCHWAB Foundation's Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for South Africa at the World Economic Forum Conference in 2005.

Varkey is passionate about starting up and establishing social enterprises that bring about positive change in communities.

Liza-Mari Mitchell

Lize-Mari Mitchell is an education innovation specialist at Tilburg University, affiliated with the School of Law. She specialises in hybrid and flexible education models. She has a master’s degree in law within the field of international human rights and an honours degree in Psychology and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht. She is also a research fellow at the University of the Free State, South Africa. Her research is focused on meaningful education, specifically intercultural competence development within virtual exchange programmes. Prior to this, she was a lecturer at the University of Limpopo, South Africa, affiliated with the School of Law. She has been part of the steering committee of the iKudu project – an Erasmus+-funded collaborative online international learning programme – since its inception in 2019 and continues to play an active role in the project as an academic, trainer, and researcher. 

Merle Hodges

Merle made a lasting impact on iKudu through her dedication to women's empowerment, train-the-trainer initiatives, and mentorship. Despite her sudden passing, her contributions became deeply embedded in the project's essence and are expected to endure far into the future. Her influence will likely continue to shape and inspire those involved in iKudu.

In loving memory of Merle McOmbring-Hodges

You were more than just a presence; you were the heartbeat of every gathering, the spark of joy in every moment. Your positivity was infectious, your strength a pillar of support for all who knew you. With wisdom beyond measure, you guided us through challenges and celebrated our triumphs with unwavering care. Your life was a testament to the power of joy and the beauty of caring deeply. You illuminated every room with your laughter and kindness, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing you. Though you are no longer with us, your spirit lives on in the countless lives you touched and the memories we cherish. You will forever remain the life of our party, a beacon of light and warmth in our hearts. Rest in peace, knowing that your legacy of positivity, strength, wisdom, and care will continue to inspire us all.

With deepest gratitude and love,
iKudu Family