This article examines practices for engaging diverse participants in a virtual exchange (VE) program. Facilitators underwent comprehensive cross-cultural training to lead VE sessions between Moroccan, Iraqi, and American students. The VE focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and bi-national teams addressed local issues related to responsible consumption, climate action, and more.

This article delves into best practices for effectively engaging diverse participants in virtual exchange programming. While global learning experiences are essential for student development, in-person exchanges often face barriers limiting access for underrepresented minority students. Drawing from Soliya’s extensive 20-year experience in impactful program design, this article highlights strategies to expand access and foster inclusion for youth in underserved communities.

Adult learners bring years of experience—professional and personal—that influence how they learn and engage with others. Virtual exchanges hold potential for adult learners to challenge and reexamine their ways of knowing, and promote and expand the inclusion of diverse and underrepresented learners.

The Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI) exemplifies a shift toward inclusionary, co-created pedagogy in virtual exchange contexts by embedding students as facilitators and co-designers in the educational process. This approach challenges extractive models of knowledge transfer and aligns with design justice principles to foster equitable, cross-cultural collaboration (Constanza-Chock, 2020; Baran & Correia, 2009).

This opinion piece discusses the benefits and barriers of virtual exchange programs (VEPs) in Libya. The Business & Culture (B&C) VEP, facilitated by the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, has provided improved educational access and cross-cultural competencies for students in Libya. However, barriers such as limited access to technology and challenges in cross-cultural collaboration exist. The program has addressed these barriers by providing meeting spaces and partnering with co-working spaces in different regions of Libya. The article emphasizes the need to continue expanding VEPs to ensure accessibility for students from diverse backgrounds in Libya and beyond

This opinion piece explores the transformative impact of virtual exchange programs on the author’s journey of self-acceptance as a queer individual. They highlight the supportive and inclusive spaces created through virtual exchange, enabling them to freely express themselves, discuss diversity and inclusion topics, and connect with queer communities and allies. However, the author acknowledges the language barrier and limited accessibility to these programs, suggesting the need for language-inclusive frameworks and regional programs to reach a wider audience and foster lasting impact in marginalized communities.

The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racialized trauma in 2020-2021 have had profound impacts on U.S. Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) students, manifesting as racial battle fatigue. Critical Race Theory (CRT) provides a vital framework to understand how racism affects BIPOC students in higher education, particularly in the context of international education.

This article describes Georgia State University’s (GSU) effective strategies for expanding virtual exchange (VE), an initiative that provides global education for a large group of students and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

This article provides personal narratives from two global educators from Ukraine and the UnitedStates on facilitating equity and inclusion (EI) in business education.

The article discusses Critical Virtual Exchange (CVE) as a framework for inclusive and equitable student exchanges in higher education. CVE combines low-bandwidth technologies, focuses on underrepresented students, integrates Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promotes translanguaging approaches.