Learning across borders has been at the heart of this project from the start. Now entering its fifth year, the undergraduate collaboration between the Graduate School of Economics and Management at Université Côte d’Azur, and the Technical University of Košice (TUKE), Faculty of Economics centres on a joint start-up competition, where international student teams work remotely to develop ideas to make university life more sustainable.

Recently awarded a “Grand Prix de l’Innovation Pédagogique” by Université Côte d’Azur, the project follows a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) approach, with teachers from participating universities integrating international remote teamwork into their curricula. Previously involving the University of Montenegro and now welcoming MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®, the initiative helps students develop multilingual and intercultural competence alongside digital and entrepreneurial skills. Teams assess their skills, develop a start-up idea and pitch it to teachers and entrepreneurial experts at UniCA Entreprendre, Université Côte d’Azur’s centre dedicated to entrepreneurship education and support.

Since launching in 2022 with just 20 teams, the project has grown rapidly: so far 448 international teams, representing almost 1,800 students, have pitched sustainable ideas for university life and gained concrete international teamwork experience. With MCI joining this year, more than 100 teams and seven teachers will take part in the latest edition.

This project is an excellent example of the successful internationalization of education at TUKE, enabling students to gain international experience through virtual mobility. At the same time, it demonstrates the potential of the alliance to introduce innovative pedagogical approaches into study programs and to gradually scale them across partner universities.

Further information: https://ulysseus.eu/news/universite-cote-dazur-and-tuke-collaboration-celebrates-a-pedagogical-innovation-award-and-welcomes-mci/