Internationalising the curriculum through an Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project

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by Dr Wangwei Lin

This term, Reading Law School successfully ran its first COIL project with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Japan, and Coventry University on a student-led ESG COIL research project, based on its International Corporate Governance and the Law module.

The Internet serves as a crucial platform for Internationalisation at Home (Crowther et al, 2001; Leask, Beelen, and Kaunda 2013) through the establishment of virtual classrooms, accommodating participants from various countries. The concept of virtual mobility then quickly became recognised as a descriptor for cross-border educational exchanges that are realised through engagement in technology-enabled networks (Sweeney, 2014).

The virtual mobility projects, commonly known as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), facilitate online engagements between students in the UK and their counterparts at universities outside the UK. This allows them to collaborate on tasks or activities specific to their subject area while cultivating essential employment qualities such as digital skills and intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2006). Initiatives involving virtual mobility stand out as some of the most adaptable and inclusive strategies for offering opportunities for international experiences. Through the COIL programme, universities and broader educational entities can serve as vital contributors to enhancing students’ intercultural competence (Bergan, Restoueix, and Council of Europe, 2009; Higher Education Academy, 2014).

In this first COIL project of the University of Reading, the students of the three international institutions play a central role. The academic staff, including Dr Wangwei Lin of Reading Law School, Professor Rebecca Chunghee Kim of Ritsumeikan Asian Pacific University, and Dr Neshat Safari of Coventry Law School, contributed to the design and facilitation of the COIL project. Instructors from all collaborating universities shape the learning activities.

In the UK-Japan COIL project, the selection and application of technologies and other arrangements such as setting the right class time to accommodate time zone differences are fundamentally guided by pedagogical factors. Such choices consistently have to harmonise with the design of cooperative engagements, all of which are rooted in the anticipated learning outcomes students aim to achieve after participating in the International Corporate Governance and the Law module.

Reading LLM law students participating in digital discussions are facilitated by Zoom and Open Moodle with MBA students in APU in Japan. Students engage in in-depth discussion and collaborative tasks that result in the creation of analytical and critical ESG reports on major corporations in various industries in the West and East.

As the first COIL project in Reading Law School, the ESG COIL project International Corporate Governance and the Law module provides critical pedagogical feedback guiding in the direction of improvement. The primary driving forces for students to participate in the COIL project are the set learning objectives and the chance to engage with individuals from different countries. Yet, it’s crucial to note that in an environment where students juggle numerous responsibilities, the absence of formal recognition or credit can result in losing interest after the initial enthusiasm. It became evident that when COIL tasks were integrated into the module’s curriculum activities, students treated them as standard seminar or workshop assignments, ensuring sustained involvement. Conversely, when COIL tasks were not aligned with the subject matter and appeared to be mere add-ons, students saw them as unrelated to module evaluations. To improve the quality and frequency of participation, we will be seeking to align the activities with the module’s overall assessment where possible in the next COIL project.

The integration of COIL projects into the curriculum at Reading Law School demonstrates the transformative potential of virtual mobility at the University of Reading. By bridging geographical divides, COIL equips students with both academic insights and invaluable global competencies. The success of the inaugural COIL project, in collaboration with esteemed international institutions, is a testament to the commitment of Reading Law School to pioneering innovative pedagogical approaches. However, as with any new initiative, there are lessons to be learned. The feedback from this project demonstrates the importance of aligning COIL activities with core curricular objectives to ensure sustained student engagement. As we move forward, the emphasis will be on refining these virtual exchanges, ensuring they are not only academically rigorous but also align with the educational aspirations of law students. In an increasingly interconnected world, initiatives like COIL are becoming imperative. Reading Law School remains at the forefront of this educational evolution.

Bergan, S., J. P. Restoueix, and Council of Europe (2009) Intercultural dialogue on Campus. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

Crowther, P., Joris, M., Otten, M., Nilsson, B., Teekens, H., & Wächter, B. (2001) Internationalisation at home: A position paper. Amsterdam: EAIE.

Deardorff, D. K. (2006) Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10 (3): pp 241–266.

Leask, B., J. Beelen, and L. Kaunda. (2013) Internationalisation of the curriculum: international approaches and perspectives In: H. de Wit, F. Hunter, L. Johnson, and H.G. Van Liempd, eds. Possible Futures: The Next 25 Years of the Internationalisaton of Higher Education. Amsterdam: European Association for International Education.

Sweeney, S. (2014) Going Mobile: Internationalisation, Mobility and the European Higher Education Area. York: The Higher Education Academy.

Higher Education Academy (2014) Internationalising Higher Education Framework. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/workstreams-research/themes/internationalisation/internationalisation-framework [Accessed 1 October 2023].

Global experts join the School of Law as Visiting Staff

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In recent months, the School of Law has appointed several members of Visiting Staff to strengthen our research groupings, international outlook, and contribute to our student experience. One recent appointment includes Justice Andrew Phang SC, Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Head of School, Professor James Devenney, commented “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Justice Andrew Phang, such a distinguished judge and academic, to the School as a Visiting Professor. This further strengthens our global faculty and research networks.”

Our new Visiting Staff will “provide invaluable expertise and networks to further enhance the School of Law’s international presence and capacity for generating world-leading research.”

You can read about our newest Visiting Staff below:

The Honourable Justice Andrew Phang SC joins us as Visiting Professor with undeniable strengths in contract law. Justice Phang has had a distinguished career as an academic and judge in Singapore culminating with his appointment as Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore from January 2023.

Professor Michael Addo has been appointed a Visiting Professor and will expand the international reach of Global Law at Reading (GLAR). He has held several leadership positions with the United Nations bringing outstanding experience in international law and human rights to the School.

Professor Paul Wragg is a leading expert on press regulation and free speech and joins us as a Visiting Professor.

Professor Allan Beever is an international authority on tort law and the theory of private law. As a Visiting Professor, Professor Beever will bring an excellent array of expertise to the School.

Professor Kenneth Christie has joined the School as a Visiting Professor and will also contribute to the activities of Global Law at Reading (GLAR). An experienced political scientist, Professor Christie is a recognised authority on human security, an area that overlaps with much of the research conducted in the School.

Professor Ademola Abass has been appointed Senior Visiting Research Fellow. With experience at the African Union, NATO, UNDP, and as a member of the Lagos State cabinet, Professor Abass brings both practical and academic knowledge of international law to the School.

Professor Tatjana Papić joins us as a Visiting Fellow. Professor Papić is Professor of Public International Law and International Human Rights Law at the Union University Belgrade bringing expertise on issues such as state responsibility and the European Court of Human Rights to Global Law at Reading (GLAR).

Dr Amy Maguire is a Visiting Research Fellow at the School. Dr Maguire is an expert on international human rights law and one of the co-founders of the University of Newcastle’s (Australia) Centre for Law and Social Justice.

Conor McEneaney joins us a Visiting Fellow. Mr McEneaney is a Legal Director in global law firm DLA Piper’s Dublin office. He has significant experience of advising clients on intellectual property and technology transfer which will greatly benefit our students and programmes.

Bracing Scarcity: Can NFTs Save Digital Art? with Dr Lital Helman

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Event details

20th June 2023, 12:00 – 13:00

Online via Teams – Book your free place here

Presentation Topic

This paper analyses the markets for digital artworks and shows that NFTs could potentially address the most pressing and long-lasting dilemma of art and the digital world: how to maintain the incentive to create digital art without overshadowing the big promise of the internet—to maximize access to content. This incentive-access friction was so far perceived as a necessary trade-off in copyright theory, and the internet presented a powerful manifestation of it. It has become a truism: the more enhanced the access to works has become online, the less likely artists were to benefit from their works. Everyone had to pick a side or draw the line somewhere on this incentive-access continuum.

Bio

Dr Lital Helman is a Senior Lecturer at the Ono Academic College Faculty of Law in Israel. Her research focuses on Intellectual Property Law and Law and Technology. Dr Helman holds an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, which she pursued as a J. William Fulbright scholar. She also served as a Fellow with the Kernochan Center at Columbia University Law School and with the Engelberg Center at New York University School of Law.  Dr Helman is also responsible for developing policies on IP and law and technology at the Israeli Ministry of Justice, and is co-founder and board member of GradTrain.com, an AI-driven platform for international students worldwide.