New Jersey City University (NJCU) and Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) in Mexico have launched a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project, uniting undergraduate business students from both institutions in a hands-on, cross-border learning experience.
COIL is a pedagogical model that connects students in different countries through sustained, project-based collaboration embedded directly within their coursework — moving global business education from theory into practice.
The project grew out of years of online collaboration between Professor John Donnellan of NJCU, a Distinguished Fulbright Scholar and co-chair of NJCU’s Department of Management, and Dr. Martin Larsson of UDLAP.
This semester, NJCU students enrolled in Dr. Yi-Yu Chen’s undergraduate course, Global Business, are working alongside UDLAP students from Dr. Larsson’s course, Talent Management in Multinational Companies.
Together, the students will develop collaborative projects centered on the real-world challenge of internationalizing a company operating in the United States or Mexico.
The projects require students to conduct rigorous analysis of the business environment using established analytical frameworks, including Michael Porter’s foundational work on national competitiveness and business systems.
Then, students apply those insights to develop strategic recommendations for the internationalization of their chosen company — an exercise that bridges conceptual understanding with practical decision-making.
“COIL transforms the classroom into a global learning community — one where students don’t just study international business, they live it alongside peers from another culture and economy,” said Donnellan, who is also president of the NJCU University Senate.
The COIL model is increasingly recognized in higher education as an effective and accessible vehicle for internationalizing the curriculum without requiring students to travel abroad.
By embedding cross-cultural collaboration within existing courses, NJCU and UDLAP are expanding access to meaningful global learning experiences for students of all backgrounds.