This cooperation came to be after a few meetings involving lecturers from both partners and coordinated by CUAS’ European Universities Office and Polytech’s International Relations Office.

50 CUAS students from five English for Engineering & IT groups and 69 Polytech students from four English from Science & Technology groups participated in this virtual student exchange as part of their English courses. After a kick-off meeting with all participants, Austrian and French students were divided into small groups and met four times to talk about cultural topics and work on a collaborative project. The goal was for students to:

• effectively apply language and communication skills,
• broaden their horizon in terms of lifestyles, study life, and technology in other countries,
• engage in project work on culture and technology.

Reflections following the exchange revealed that this project was a great opportunity for students to practice their English skills, experience teamwork across cultures and countries, and learn how team work in real-life online settings can work.  However, the students also had to overcome challenges related to technology, intercultural communication, and effectively organizing project work in diverse teams, which enriched their learning outcomes further.