Preface
Mehrnaz Ahmadian
If you are interested in stepping beyond geographical boundaries to explore new learning opportunities, this book will be a compelling example for you.
In this Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), students from different universities in seven countries practiced for six weeks to address cultural differences and enjoyed the experience. Each team conducted weekly meetings, brainstormed new ideas, and collected the results of their research on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an inseparable part of people’s lives worldwide.
The main aim of the project was to bring together students from various societies to examine stories of corporations that surpassed their social responsibility by establishing their businesses to meet one or more SDGs. During this collaborative effort, the students had the chance to connect theories with practical learning and enhance their creativity and critical thinking skills by actively tackling real-world business challenges and opportunities. They not only proposed ideas on the linkage between businesses’ innovations to SDGs but also explored their applicability in their own countries based on the social and economic contexts.
This book is designed to provide individual and group reflections from students on business innovations tied to relevant SDGs in each chapter. Every section invites you to explore a diverse array of perspectives and concepts, all interconnected by the SDGs and the shared goal of creating a more sustainable world.
For me as a co-coach in this COIL project, it was full of joy and interest to read the students’ reports and reflections each week. As time passed, it was obvious that they were increasingly eager to do heir best in researching about business innovations and related SDGs. Also, their enthusiasm in providing the creative posters surprised me. In my opinion, the most valuable aspect of this project was the synergy among the international teams. They worked diligently to complement each other’s strengths and cover their weaknesses. The collaborative effort and teamwork were evident throughout the project, making it a truly enriching experience.
Mehrnaz Ahmadian, Co-Coach, University of Guelph, Canada
