From exchange to collaborative inquiry: the evolution of a university partnership between Northern Illinois University and the University of Tetova

Purpose This article explores the development and sustainability of a twelve-year partnership between Northern Illinois University and the University of Tetova (North Macedonia), highlighting the processes by which this partnership has been initiated, sustained and expanded over time in a multiethnic and post-conflict education context. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing a process-oriented analytic approach, the authors collaboratively reviewed documentary materials from 2014 to the present to construct a partnership timeline and identify critical events and recurring processes across phases of collaboration. Findings Findings from the analysis of the partnership show that this collaboration developed through several phases, beginning with the establishment of relationships between the universities, expanding through joint activities and evolving through flexibility and responsiveness to changing priorities. Across these phases, relationship building, reciprocity and responsiveness emerged as recurring processes supporting the partnership's development and sustainability. The latest cycle of collaboration has set the stage for reciprocal research and teacher development related to social and emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed practices. Originality/value This paper identifies how international school-university partnerships can develop through intentional relationship building, reciprocity, collaborative inquiry and responsiveness to international problems of practice within post-conflict educational settings.