This presentation explores how a Palestinian-Dutch virtual exchange course reframes North-South academic partnerships through a justice-oriented, decolonial lens. The “From Palestine to the Netherlands: Global Challenges, Local Voices” course, co-developed by An-Najah National University and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), offers a compelling case study of how virtual exchange (VE) - Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) can resist extractive academic models and foreground Southern epistemologies.

This session examines VE-COIL as a pedagogical space that, when intentionally designed, can challenge entrenched power asymmetries and foster reciprocal, student-centered collaboration. Drawing on student reflections, the educator’s anecdotal experiences, and key informant interviews, the session will illustrate concrete strategies such as curriculum co-creation, shared facilitation, and the centering of local realities that actively disrupt hierarchical dynamics and promote equitable, student-centered collaboration.

The presentation will be interactive in format. In addition to a short overview of the project’s context, design, and outcomes, participants will be invited to engage in a facilitated discussion and brainstorming session focused on how similar VE-COIL or intercultural initiatives could be adapted to their own contexts—particularly across Africa and other regions navigating epistemic injustice. Together, we will reflect on how VE-COIL and related forms of digital collaboration might be reimagined not simply as intercultural tools, but as decolonial practices rooted in solidarity, co-creation, and locally grounded knowledge.

Conference Title

UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences Conference

Conference Country

Morocco

Conference Date

Sept. 29, 2025 - Oct. 2, 2025

Conference Sponsor

UNESCO Chair

Additional Info

Conference Website