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Hello – Dobrý deň (pronounced DOH-bree deñ)

I love Slovakia – Milujem Slovensko (pronounced mil-lu-yem SLO-vans-ko)

These are two of the phrases that the group of 15 Community and Social Psychology honours students in the Department of Psychology at the University of the Free State (UFS) learned over the past two months. During an eight-week project, they engaged with six undergraduate Marketing students from the Matej Bel University in Slovakia in the Connecting Minds, Enhancing Lives: A South Africa-Slovakia COIL Partnership project.

Although the photos from this experience do not feature bus rides, train trips, or iconic European landmarks in the background, the spirit of international connection was just as strong. Instead of travel snapshots, there were images of a lively class presentation with overseas peers joining via a screen in the background. The excitement was unmistakable, with South African and Slovak students cheering each other on as they successfully completed the eight-week programme. This initiative provided them with a meaningful international learning experience.

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project – a first for the Department of Psychology – is part of a growing global movement in higher education and offers a powerful strategy to internationalise the curriculum. By using online platforms to connect students across borders, COIL gives them the opportunity to learn from and with each other through shared academic projects. Through COIL, students develop global perspectives and intercultural communication skills from within their own classrooms. According to Dr Pravani Naidoo, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and coordinator of the project, few students are in a position to travel internationally, but through COIL as a form of virtual exchange, they can have the benefit of experiencing ‘internationalisation at home’. “We wanted our students to become ambassadors for our faculty, institution, and country, representing and promoting our values on a global stage,” she said.

Students received support from and engaged with local and international peers as well as UFS and Matej Bel University lecturers and facilitators, who helped them maximise their learning experiences. The COIL was conducted in collaboration with Prof Janka Táborecká, Dr Filip Smutný, and Dr Andrea Seberini from Matej Bel University in Slovakia.

Learning across borders

The project aims to improve students’ learning experiences and skills through international collaborations focused on student well-being. “We want to build graduate attributes and prepare students to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being, quality education, and partnerships for the goals. Through the COIL, they have found common ground in what they are invested in – themselves and their own well-being,” said Dr Naidoo.

Students were actively engaged in learning with and from each other about positive psychology and marketing principles, achieving specific measurable outcomes such as creating and distributing infographics to promote student well-being.

Dr Naidoo added that this initiative is an expression of the university’s commitment to internationalising the curriculum, with Vision 130 in mind. This project also received support from the Office for International Affairs, the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the Directorate: Community Engagement.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, said, “I’m extremely inspired by these developments, which give real meaning to internationalisation at the UFS. The initiative drives home the idea of real benefits for our students and staff. It enhances globally networked learning. It fosters an authentic learning experience when students and staff from diverse cultures meet in physical and virtual spaces. It is impactful as it connects people and classes across borders, regions, nations, and identities. In this exchange, there are greater benefits for the internationalisation of our curricula. There is better enhancement of cross-cultural awareness and collaboration to strengthen intercultural competence as a valuable graduate attribute. More than this, these learning interactions strengthen the global reach and potential of our students and staff for sustained networking and enhanced research prospects.”

As part of the initiative, students explored how human systems are interconnected and how quality of life can be improved across communities. Zandile Ngwenya, a UFS participant, found the process of creating culturally inclusive messaging particularly eye-opening. One of the greatest challenges, she said, was ensuring that the language and visuals used were respectful, understandable, and relevant in both cultural contexts. “Some South African expressions or symbols didn’t translate well into Slovak culture, and vice versa. We had to avoid assumptions and oversimplifications,” she explained.

These challenges, however, sparked meaningful collaboration. “We engaged with our Slovak peers, learning about their values and communication styles. A major lesson for me was learning how to take feedback constructively, as part of a learning journey, rather than as criticism.”

Zandile noted that embracing feedback became a powerful part of her growth. “I started to see it not as something negative, but as a tool for learning, trial, and continuous improvement,” she said.

Lulutho Mtimkulu, another UFS student, described the experience as transformative. “Intercultural collaboration changed me, not just academically, but also personally. I learned that meaningful collaboration is about shared humanity and empathy. It’s about adapting while staying grounded in your values.”

Despite coming from different backgrounds, she believes they discovered meaningful common ground. “There was a shared passion to create something purposeful. Even with different methods and styles, our commitment united us,” she said.

She also reflected on the cultural differences in communication. “In South Africa, we often communicate with emotional warmth and storytelling. My Slovak peers were more reserved and structured. What I first saw as disinterest was actually a different cultural rhythm, one that values thoughtfulness.”

Embracing challenges, celebrating growth

COIL facilitator and research master’s student, Ilzené Douglas, also highlighted some logistical challenges, such as language differences and shifting time zones due to seasonal changes. “We had to adjust our schedules and embrace flexibility,” she said.

However, facing challenges was part of their goal. “Our COIL project aimed to develop and improve students’ learning by providing them with opportunities to work outside of their comfort zones, across borders, with different cultures, people, and languages,” she added.

Douglas, who found the Slovak students open, respectful, and willing to engage with the South African students, said the initiative was everything they had hoped for. “I believe this COIL project was important in preparing students for their future careers by developing transferable skills, as students could improve their oral communication and intercultural competence. It also allowed students to consider their cultural contexts through the eyes of others. I hope that this experience will enrich students’ perspectives, improve their confidence in interacting with people from other cultures, and be seen as a mind-opening and valuable learning experience,” she remarked.

Ultimately, this project helped develop the global ambassadors envisioned in the UFS Vision 130 strategy – students who can navigate and contribute meaningfully to a connected world. As the first COIL initiative within the department, Dr Naidoo sees this as only the beginning. “We started by working across disciplines, pairing Psychology with Marketing, and postgraduate and undergraduate students. We look forward to enhancing our knowledge networks and building sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships that will address global issues and problems of importance through further COIL initiatives, she said.

• For information about COIL and other forms of virtual exchange, please contact Chevon Slambee in the Office for International Affairs at jacobscs@ufs.ac.za.