As part of a COIL project, students from the Bachelor’s program in Corporate Communication collaborated with students from The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) in international teams.
During the summer semester 2026, second-semester full-time students in the Bachelor’s program in Corporate Communication from FHWien der WKW collaborated with Dutch students from THUAS in a virtual learning environment for six weeks, exploring topics related to sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The project began with students introducing themselves through short video blogs to engage and connect before starting their collaborative work. The student teams then compared companies from Austria and the Netherlands, analysing their sustainability strategies and practices. Based on their research, each team selected a relevant SDG and evaluated how the chosen companies contributed to achieving that goal. The students then developed recommendations for further improvement, identifying opportunities for businesses to strengthen their sustainability performance and SDG communication.
Beyond the sustainability focus, the project provided valuable opportunities for students to develop intercultural communication, virtual teamwork, and international collaboration skills – competencies that are increasingly important in today’s globalized working environment.
The COIL project concluded with the creation of student-produced podcasts, in which the teams shared their findings and reflected on the challenges of virtual cross-cultural teamwork. Diana Proost and Ellen Zwarteveen from THUAS and Simone Zwickl from FHWien der WKW coached the students.