Virtual Exchange in a Changing World: Innovation and Inclusion
UNICollaboration invites researchers, educators, teacher trainers, policy makers, and students to join our international conference exploring the role of virtual exchange (VE) in shaping inclusive and innovative education. As the world faces rapid technological, environmental, and socio-political changes, VE offers powerful opportunities for intercultural dialogue, global collaboration, and equitable access to learning. The conference welcomes all models of VE, including COIL and telecollaboration, and will address a wide range of related topics.
Hosting Institution
UNICollaboration Conference 2026 will take place at the Cyprus University of Technology. Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is a leading academic and research institution in Cyprus, emphasizing innovative education and international collaboration. Located in the heart of Limassol, CUT provides state-of-the-art facilities and a vibrant academic environment, promoting virtual exchange and telecollaboration. CUT is part of the European University of Technology (EUt+), a university alliance of 9 European partner institutions aiming at creating a sustainable, inclusive, and multidisciplinary European technological university that fosters innovation, intercultural collaboration, multilingualism, and excellence in education, research, and societal engagement. The Language Centre of the CUT, founded in 2007, provides high-quality, student-focused language education with an emphasis on Language Learning for Specific Purposes, CALL, and teacher training. Its mission is to promote multilingualism and intercultural understanding through modern, technology-enhanced teaching aligned with the needs of today’s globalized society.
About UNICollaboration
UNICollaboration is a non-profit, cross-disciplinary professional organisation committed to promoting the development and integration of Virtual Exchange (VE) across all disciplines and interest areas in both formal and non-formal educational settings, including Higher Education. It also actively engages in raising awareness of VE at institutional and policy-making levels. Launched in 2016, UNICollaboration shares the vision that meaningful interaction between people from different backgrounds fosters self-awareness, empathy, and intercultural understanding, which are essential for individual development and the well-being of humanity. VE can facilitate such interaction across socio-economic, geographic, and political boundaries. To pursue this mission, UNICollaboration offers professional development in VE practice and research, co-organises conferences on VE in all educational contexts, leverages social media to promote VE and the organisation’s activities, supports research in VE, publishes the Journal of Virtual Exchange, maintains and promotes an online platform as a central hub for VE practice and research, and coordinates Special Interest Groups (currently four) related to specific topics in VE/COIL.
