This collaborative education program offers a step-by-step learning path to systematically acquire skills necessary for agile professionals working in international settings. The program consists of four steps or phases: 1. COIL-type collaborative learning, 2. student-led workshops, 3. semester abroad, and 4. internships. In each step, participating students form teams with their peers from the partnering universities and learn to work accross geographical and cultural boundaries. The teams repeat periods of learning theory and implementing in practice to best ground the new skills offered throughout the program.

Phase 1：COIL-Type Collaborative Education (Introductory course)　

This course is offered as an introduction to the overall program and the gradual, step-up type education utilized throughout the program. Multi-cultural student teams from the five participating universities gather online to learn the basics about skills and their applications on topics such as carbon neutrality, SDGs, and disaster prevention and mitigation. The course aims to provide a wide range of opportunities for students from each university to collaborate and learn without being affected by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, as well as to acquire new intercultural skills and qualities required from future high skilled professionals in the resurfacing global, post-coronavirus era. Finally, this course focuses on increasing interest toward international exchange and long-term study abroad.

Phase 2：Short Term Exchange (Face-to-Face Learning)

Students from all four countries gather in Japan or India, alternating annually, for short term exchange program as follows:

• 2023 Hiroshima University, Japan
• 2024 Birla University of Technology, Pilani, India
• 2025 Hiroshima University, Japan …

In addition to lectures and field work, students will participate in student-lead workshops and seminars, discussing with peers from diverse backgrounds and taking part in idea mining exercises designed to enhance the students’ creativity and idea generation skills.

Phase 3：Medium Term Exchange (Specialized Course)

Sheffield University (UK), Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani campus (India), and The University of New South Wales (Australia) each accept two students from within the program for semester exchange. One student from the program is accepted for a semester exchange at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore campus (India). Participating students take specialized courses at their exchange university that foster agile entrepreneurship within the student’s field of expertise.

Phase 4：Internship

During their study abroad semester, students may participate in an internship program managed by their host university, as corresponds to each student’s career plan. The global work experiences through these internships act as real-life practice for implementing the skills and tools that form agile entrepreneurship.