May 12, 2026

OSU and Izmir University of Economics: Students in Columbus and Izmir Collaborate

Students at the Ohio State University (OSU) are discovering possibilities for teamwork and collaboration across cultural differences as they work with peers at Izmir University of Economics (IEÜ) in Türkiye. OSU students reported that, although they faced challenges due to the 7-hour time difference and differing communication styles, they succeeded by adopting a learning mindset. One participant said, “This project challenged my preconceived notion of success and made me reconsider how communication and expectations are different in different cultures.”

As they worked across cultures, students adjusted their expectations, developed greater intercultural awareness, and reflected more critically on their own assumptions. Assignments and conversations in class allowed them to recognize their own cultural worldviews and integrate their learning. One student reflected:

“At the beginning I viewed a successful project as producing a clean, clear final report . . . .[but] success is not always defined that way, and the goal . . . is not necessarily purely the report but the experience of the project. . . remaining flexible throughout the interactions actually taught me how to better approach teamwork."

Their professor, Dr. Danielle Schoon, has been an advocate of collaborative online international learning (COIL) at OSU for the past four years and recently led a COIL Learning Community of faculty, supported by the Office of International Affairs and the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. COIL is an important first step for many students looking for an international experience and gains in intercultural competence, and can prepare students or enhance education abroad. She is grateful for the support of the Department of Sociology and excited to provide this opportunity to students again in Spring 2027.

Faculty members at both institutions are committed to providing their students with these types of opportunities. This partnership, solidified by a recently signed agreement, emphasizes student experiential learning and supports faculty in expanding collaborative activities across both institutions. Over the past year, two courses facilitated COIL experiences connecting OSU students to Izmir, Turkey, and a global perspective on their topics: Sociology of Immigration, and Global Citizenship: Turkey.

Sociology of Immigration

In Spring 2026, Danielle Schoon, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Sociology, taught a 4-credit High Impact Practice section of SOC3200 Sociology of Immigration using COIL. SOC3200 provides a sociological understanding of contemporary migration both globally and with a particular focus on the U.S. The course examines why migration occurs, how it is sustained over time, and how immigrants are incorporated into the receiving society. The COIL component of this course provided Dr. Schoon and her students with the opportunity to collaborate online with peers at an international university, Izmir University of Economics (IEÜ).

In partnership with Prof. Dr. Hatice Deniz Yükseker Tekin (Professor, Sociology), 25 Ohio State students and 30 IEÜ students met six times in Zoom during the second half of the semester. They formed small groups that also met on their own time outside of class. Each group chose a topic related to immigration from a list of options and collaborated on the research, final report, and presentation.

Student group research projects made comparisons between the United States and Turkey, or more specifically Columbus and Izmir. For example, one group conducted a comparative analysis of Afghan immigrant businesses on Bethel Rd in northwest Columbus and Syrian immigrant businesses in the neighborhood of Basmane in Izmir. The students found that in both contexts, migrants engage in placemaking by using affordable spaces to create support networks. By the end of the project, the students concluded,

"In both places (Columbus and Izmir), immigrant communities play a deeply visible and transformative role, turning underused or neglected urban spaces into lively, active neighborhoods filled with economic and social energy."

Other group research projects included topics of global relevance such as migration trends among women, the mental health of immigrant youth, refugee policies, border security, media representations of immigrants, and the impact of political narratives on public perception.

Global Intercultural Citizenship in the Middle East: Turkey

In Autumn 2025, Nathan Young (Lecturer, Near Eastern and South Asian Languages & Cultures; Instructor, GenEd “Bookends”) taught TURK3793, "Global Intercultural Citizenship in the Middle East: Turkey." As a four-unit COIL "High Impact Practice" (HIP) class, TURK3793 afforded students the opportunity to work with Turkish counterparts in a course taught by Dr. Serhun Al at the Izmir University of Economics. The COIL experience sought to employ key HIP features including, undergraduate research, engagement in global learning, and collaborative assignments and projects. In addition to traditional learning modalities such as lectures, readings, and research papers, the class toured historical sites of Istanbul through a 360-degree virtual video tour and created "Ebru" portraits, a traditional Turkish art form recognized by UNESCO. Most notably, OSU students had opportunity to engage with Turkish university students in real-time and in digital spaces.

Throughout the semester, the class examined a wide range of topics relevant to contemporary Turkey, including: To what extent are Ottoman notions of belonging and citizenship manifested in Turkey today? How do geopolitical alliances such as NATO and the European Union influence Turkish approaches to diversity and inclusion? How has citizenship been contested in the nation via music, architecture, visual arts, fashion, food, or other social justice interventions? How is power sought, wielded, perpetuated, and contested in a variety of Turkish contexts?

One student from the class reflected on his experience: “When comparing our experiences in Columbus to what we learned about Izmir, Turkey, I noticed how concepts of citizenship can feel very different depending on history and political context. In Columbus, citizenship often feels tied to individual rights and personal identity. In Turkey, especially for the Kurds, citizenship can be shaped much more by ethnic belonging, national unity, and state power. From this comparison, I learned that citizenship is not a fixed idea, it changes based on culture, government, and people’s lived experiences. This project reminded me that understanding other cultures requires patience and openness. In the future, especially in my academic and professional work, I want to carry forward this ability to collaborate with people whose experiences differ from my own.”

Another added these comments regarding her intention to implement COIL in her future plans: “I learned so much about business in Türkiye, which is something I had yet to be able to do in my degree. This was valuable information to me because I would love to work in Türkiye. The company I was hired by has an office in Türkiye, so perhaps one day I will get to travel there in the future on a work assignment.”

Dr. Young concludes, “Given the expense, time commitment, and impact on academic schedule, study abroad programs are unfortunately not tenable for some of our students. Enter the university's COIL program. Simply put, COIL offers students the ‘next-best-thing.’ As a university with an international profile, COIL is a significant avenue by which Ohio State fulfills its mission to prepare Buckeyes for global impact, participation, and contribution.”

Are you a student considering one of these courses? Schoon’s SOC3200 Sociology of Immigration and Young’s TURK3797 Global Intercultural Citizenship in the Middle East both count towards OSU’s Intercultural Competence Certificate. The Intercultural Competence for Global Citizenship certificate provides a pathway for students to engage in deep intercultural learning and develop intercultural competence through experiential learning.

Faculty, please check out the support Ohio State offers for COIL, and if you teach about the Middle East consider applying to the Middle East Studies Center for a grant to support your course revision and development efforts. Read more about it and apply at go.osu.edu/cg