USJ Vice-Rector Prof. Alexandre Lobo Shares Vision for COIL and AI in International Education at Guangdong Forum
USJ Vice-Rector Prof. Alexandre Lobo Shares Vision for COIL and AI in International Education at Guangdong Forum
01
Dec
01/12/2025
Professor Alexandre Lobo, Vice-Rector for Academic Research and Innovation delivered a keynote address at the “International Forum on International Education and Intercultural Communication in the Era of Digital Intelligence”.
Professor Alexandre Lobo, Vice-Rector for Academic Research and Innovation at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) Macao, delivered a keynote address at the “International Forum on International Education and Intercultural Communication in the Era of Digital Intelligence” in Guangzhou on 22 – 23 November, 2025. The event was organised by Guangdong Technology University (GDTU) and co-organised by USJ Macao.
Prof. Lobo’s presentation titled “Bridging Borders Without Boarding Passes: COIL and AI Agents for International Education” explored innovative models for fostering global learning experiences. He detailed the concept of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), which connects students and faculty from different countries for collaborative projects and cross-cultural dialogue, effectively promoting “internationalization at home”.
Highlighting a successful case study of a USJ partnership with University of Applied Sciences Mainz, Prof. Lobo demonstrated COIL’s effectiveness in enhancing intercultural awareness, teamwork confidence, and digital literacy.
Looking to the future, Prof. Lobo proposed an integrated “COIL + AI” model. He explained how AI agents can provide personalized learning support, adaptive content, and automated administrative tasks within COIL frameworks, addressing challenges like varying student paces and language skills. He showcased potential technological solutions, including open-source platforms like n8n, while cautioning about AI limitations such as “hallucinations” and emphasizing the irreplaceable role of human educators.
The forum gathered renowned scholars to discuss trends and challenges in international education and cross-cultural communication. Prof. Lobo’s insights underscored USJ’s commitment to pioneering accessible, scalable, and technology-enhanced global education solutions.
