Academic Matchmaking: Co-Creating Joint Courses for Circle U.

An Academic match-making event brings together academics, educational developers, and internationalisation actors from across the Circle U. alliance to explore opportunities for co-creating international learning experiences and joint educational initiatives.

Through facilitated matchmaking, collaborative workshops, and pedagogical co-design activities, participants will have the opportunity to:

• connect with colleagues from partner universities sharing similar interests,
• explore different formats of international collaboration (COILs, hybrid courses, guest lectures, joint modules, etc.),
• exchange ideas and practices around international and interdisciplinary teaching,
• and begin developing concrete educational collaborations within Circle U..

The event is designed as a collaborative co-creation space, combining networking, pedagogical reflection, and hands-on ideation. Particular attention is given to supporting participants in identifying realistic, adaptable, and context-sensitive forms of collaboration.

The event unfolds in three phases:

1. Matchmaking : Structured networking activities help participants get acquainted, identify shared teaching interests, and form working groups around common themes. The focus is on pedagogical motivations, not academic CVs.
2. Pedagogical co-design : Facilitated by educational developers, groups work through a design-thinking process to sketch a course concept: topic, target audience, learning outcomes, format, and a first implementation scenario.
3. Implementation orientation : Participants receive guidance on funding opportunities, mobility frameworks, and relevant institutional contacts to support next steps.

By the end of the event, participants typically leave with a preliminary course concept, a network of potential collaborators across Circle U. universities, and a clearer sense of how to move their project forward.