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-developedby An-Najah National University and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), offers a compelling case study of how virtual exchange (VE) -Collaborative OnlineInternational Learning (COIL) can resist extractive academic models and foreground Southern epistemologies.

Instead of approaching VE-COIL as a neutral tool, this session examines it as a pedagogical space that—when intentionally designed—can challenge entrenched power asymmetries and foster reciprocal, student-centered collaboration. Drawing on student reflections, partnership design analysis, and key informant interviews, the session will showcase how curriculum co-creation, shared facilitation, and the elevation of local realities transformed the learning experience into one of mutual agency and relational accountability.

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 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 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.

This session aims to contribute to broader conference dialogues on building just futures by beginning from the lived realities of Global South institutions—and using them as a starting point to co-construct more ethical and equitable models of international academic engagement.

Conference Title

UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences Conference 2025

Conference Country

Morocco

Conference Date

Sept. 29, 2025 - Oct. 2, 2025

Conference Sponsor

UNESCO/ Stellenbosch university

Additional Info

Conference Website