Coil Projects as a Strategy for the Internationalisation of Higher Education: Reflections From a Portuguese-Brazilian Experience

COIL (collaborative online international learning) projects offer an accessible pedagogical approach to internationalise higher education, particularly for students unable to participate in physical mobility programmes. By connecting students from diverse countries and cultures, COIL democratises internationalisation and prepares students for dynamic, intercultural job markets, fostering essential transversal skills. This article presents the COIL project, Environmental management and protection: analysis of initiatives adopted by Portuguese companies, a collaboration between the University of Aveiro in Portugal and São Paulo State University in Brazil. The project aimed to analyse the investments, costs, and benefits of environmental management measures in Portuguese companies, applying statistics, mathematics, and project management. The project structure involved binational teams, environmental data analysis, report preparation, and results presentation. The participants found the experience enriching, highlighting the development of international collaboration, teamwork, and intercultural communication skills. They noted that the exchange expanded their perception of cultural diversity and promoted intercultural collaboration. Challenges included uneven participation, unbalanced task distribution, and difficulties in time management and communication. Suggestions for improvement included increased teacher supervision, better time management, greater student commitment, and balanced task distribution. Student feedback was gathered through questionnaires from the University of Aveiro’s office and the project’s instructors. Article visualizations: