About UNICOIL

Head of Global Partnerships and Mobility

John Joe has nearly 20 years’ experience across Ireland’s private and public tertiary education sectors and leads international partnerships, mobility and COIL initiatives at Atlantic Technological University. His doctoral research examines COIL within Internationalisation at Home across Irish Technological Universities and U.S. Community Colleges.

Head of Global Opportunities

Rose leads Cardiff University’s Global Opportunities team, developing and promoting a wide range of international opportunities for students. With more than 20 years’ experience in international higher education, she is passionate about making global engagement inclusive and accessible.

Professor of Intercultural Management, Co-founder of the Global Case Study Challenge

Eithne is Professor of Intercultural Management at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, an International Virtual Exchange Consortium Board member and co-founder of the Global Case Study Challenge. Her work focuses on intercultural learning and the relational dynamics of teams.

Lecturer and Researcher

Mark is a Berlin-based lecturer and researcher whose doctoral research focused on COIL. His research interests include learning science, artificial intelligence in education, collaborative learning pedagogy and the experiences of international students in higher education.

Outgoing Student Officer

Lauren facilitates semester, year-long, short-term, blended and COIL mobility opportunities for students at Mary Immaculate College. She holds a PhD in English Literature focusing on disability representation and is also an award-winning writer and performer.

Associate Dean for International Mobility and Student Experience

Philip is Professor of American Literature and Associate Dean for International Mobility and Student Experience at Queen’s University Belfast. In 2024, he received a Fulbright Global Challenge Teaching Award to deliver a COIL project with Ohio University exploring inequality.

Associate Dean for Research, Aberdeen Business School

Izzy is Associate Dean for Research at Aberdeen Business School and has worked at Robert Gordon University for more than 20 years. Her PhD, teaching and ongoing research focus on Collaborative Online International Learning, and she is a Fellow of Advance HE.

Associate Director of Global Engagement

Bee leads strategic initiatives to embed Virtual Exchange and COIL across the curriculum at Sheffield Hallam University. She works with academic colleagues and international partners to create inclusive global learning opportunities that develop intercultural competence and cross-border collaboration.

Senior Lecturer and Researcher

Simone specialises in internationalisation in higher education, with particular expertise in the design, implementation and evaluation of COIL. A former Head of Internationalisation and Institutional COIL Lead, she researches and publishes on internationalisation, virtual exchange and collaborative global learning.

Global Mobility Manager

Heather oversees the Erasmus and International Exchange programmes at Trinity College Dublin. With a background in study abroad and English language teaching, she is passionate about making international education more accessible and sustainable.

International Partnerships Officer

Diana supports the development of international partnerships and Erasmus projects at Trinity College Dublin, including KA2, KA3 and staff mobility initiatives.

Executive Assistant, Global Engagement Strategy

Aideen works on global engagement and Internationalisation at Home at University College Dublin, where she plays a key role in supporting the expansion of COIL. She co-authored UCD Internationalisation at Home: Expanding Horizons and has supported UNICOIL since its inaugural gathering in 2025.

Assistant Professor, Educational Development

Sheena is Assistant Professor in Educational Development at UCD Teaching and Learning. Her research and teaching interests include intercultural and global learning, inclusion, equity and diversity, and the philosophy of higher education.

Global and Cultural Leadership Development Adviser

Emma has more than 16 years’ experience in international higher education, with particular expertise in Internationalisation at Home, COIL and experiential global learning. A certified Cultural Intelligence Facilitator and co-author of the UUKi Internationalisation at Home Handbook, she focuses on developing students’ global skills and employability through intercultural learning.

Professor of Chinese and Japanese Translation, University COIL Lead

Martin leads institutional work on COIL at the University of Leeds and is the founder and chair of UNICOIL. Having lived and worked in Asia for 16 years, he is passionate about creating transformative and globally engaged learning opportunities for all students.