Building Sustainable Academic Partnerships Across Borders: A Faculty Reflection

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course, which I co-taught with Dr. Esther-Maria Guggenmos of Lund University in Sweden, was a rewarding and eye-opening experience that demonstrated the power of international collaboration. The course included my Buddhism and Social Justice (RLGS 3893) at the University of Denver and Dr. Guggenmos' Engaged Buddhism (RHID86) at Lund. We investigated how Buddhists, notably in Asia, have engaged in social justice, politics, and environmental action during the last century and a half. We met for five weeks via Zoom, beginning in the early mornings in Denver and ending in the afternoons in Lund, teaching in real time and integrating our areas of expertise into a collaborative learning experience.

My connection with Dr. Guggenmos began in 2003 during a DU delegation trip to Lund University. We immediately saw a unique opportunity to work together, fusing my interest in social justice movements with her research on contemporary religion in China.  We carefully designed the course syllabus over the next year, balancing cultural perspectives, academic rigor, and the logistical challenges of working across an eight-hour time difference. As the course unfolded, the beauty of COIL became clear. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, our students, from two institutions and two continents, were deeply engaged in rich discussions. Small group breakout sessions allowed them to exchange ideas and explore how Buddhist thought intersects with global issues like race, caste, gender, and the environment.

What stood out were the divergent perspectives our students brought to the table around the intersection of religion and politics that forced us all to re-examine our assumptions about these complex issues. Our students’ different cultural contexts illuminated the ways that religion and politics shape social movements in distinct ways, pushing all of us to think critically about our own perspectives. It was both humbling and inspiring to witness the students' intellectual growth as they grappled with these questions together. For me, the value of COIL is clear. It offers international experience without the need for travel, making global learning accessible and impactful. The course allowed me to engage with a peer from another country, leverage her expertise, and create a learning experience that was dynamic, intellectually rigorous, and deeply collaborative. But perhaps more importantly, it also helped students build connections across culture, demonstrating that despite time zones and geographical distances, we share more in common than we realize.

I encourage my fellow faculty to consider participating in COIL courses as It’s an extraordinary opportunity to broaden your teaching horizons, create a more globally aware classroom, and cultivate a deeper sense of connection with peers and students around the world. By offering a COIL course, you open the door to an enriching and truly collaborative international experience, right from the comfort of your own campus. The world is more connected than ever before, and COIL allows us to embrace this reality and harness it for transformative learning. I can’t wait to offer this course again, refine it based on what we’ve learned, and continue building cross-cultural connections with faculty and students from around the globe.

Benjamin Nourse
Assistant Professor, Buddhist Studies, University of Denver.