Identifying and finding collaborators abroad can be challenging, but we hope that the resources below will help generate some ideas. Think of this as an exercise in networking and resourcefulness: we recommend creatively working any networks you might have until the pieces come together.

  • Talk with faculty colleagues at UW (Tacoma) and at other universities. Do they have any collaborators overseas? Do they know anyone who is doing work in your area in the country/ies that you are interested in, and to whom they might be willing to introduce you? 

     
  • Ask the Office of Global Affairs for suggestions. We have a number of international contacts and often know of our own faculty’s international expertise as well. We can also connect you with visiting scholars, and international student alumni who are back in their home countries and may be able to facilitate introductions.

     
  • As part of our strategic plan and in support of UW Tacoma’s urban-serving mission, the Office of Global Affairs is developing a Sister Cities Initiative, prioritizing partnerships with institutions of higher education in Tacoma sister cities. The City of Tacoma can often help facilitate introductions to universities in those cities. If that's of interest, please reach out to us for assistance. 

     
  • Network at Conferences. Many of the conferences you attend include scholars from foreign countries. Try to connect with at least one or two international scholars whenever you are at a conference.

     
  • Professional Organizations. Does your professional association have an international division? If so, they may be able to facilitate introductions or help you navigate the higher education landscape in your country/ies of interest. You can also use listservs to inquire about contacts abroad.

     
  • Professional journals in your field. When you’re reading journal articles, look for authors from the country/ies you are interested in and reach out to them for possible collaborations.

     
  • Reach out to former Fulbright Scholars. Fulbright keeps an online directory, where you can look for U.S. scholars who went abroad with a Fulbright grant, or you can look for foreign scholars who have had Fulbrights to the U.S. These are faculty with a strong interest in international exchange, and they might be possible partners or may be willing to introduce you to colleagues.

     
  • UNICollaboration is a platform that aims to support faculty who are planning Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses: COIL is a pedagogical approach that connects faculty and their classes in two countries and has students collaborate on projects with the help of technology. After creating a free account on UNICollaboration, instructors can post a brief overview of their course to seek a partner.

     
  • Virtual Exchange Network. A Facebook group for collaborative online teaching. If you are looking for a COIL partner, post here to find like-minded faculty all over the world. 

     
  • Stevens Initiative. Resource for identifying international collaborators for collaborative online teaching.