EFOS International Cooperation: Students develop innovative projects through virtual exchanges (COIL)

During the current academic year, students of the undergraduate study program Economics and Business Economics at the Faculty of Economics in Osijek (EFOS) participated in two international virtual exchanges according to the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) methodology, led by Dr. Mija Cirkveni, senior lecturer at EFOS.

As part of these exchanges, EFOS students collaborated with:

• with students from the University of Paris (Université Paris-Est Créteil, France) under the mentorship of Emilie Vilmen,
• and with students of geodesy and cartography from the Silesian University of Technology (Poland), led by Iwona Rocznik from the Center for Foreign Languages.

During virtual collaboration, students:

• developed a business plan for the innovative product "Eco Home Decor" - decorative items made with a 3D printer from sustainable materials,
• developed a regional development plan with the aim of optimizing the use of resources, land and infrastructure, encouraging sustainable economic activity and attracting investments in selected regions of Croatia and Poland.

Both projects contributed to the strengthening of awareness of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), the development of intercultural competences, the improvement of communication skills in English, the acquisition of digital competences, and the strengthening of teamwork in an international online environment through a task-based learning approach.

These activities are fully aligned with the strategic guidelines of the Faculty of Economics in Osijek.

In addition to satisfied students, new contacts and raising awareness about the importance of internationalization, the project also resulted in a scientific paper by Dr. Mia Cirkveni and Emilie Vilmen entitled "Developing Global Competencies and Foreign Language Emotions: The Case of an ESP Virtual Exchange". The paper was presented at the third international conference on Digital Linguistics, held on 26 and 27 June 2025 at the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.

EFOS continues to encourage international cooperation, innovation, and the development of global competencies in its students, preparing them for the challenges of the modern business environment.