Key directions for global higher education in the post-Covid era

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the adaptation of the educational process to the changing conditions. Efforts to stop the spread of the disease, including social distancing and self-isolation, led to the need to implement a new education model and develop effective communications in higher education, with the online educational process from March to April 2020. Platforms such as Discord, Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, and others were used for distance learning. Training for future doctors working in hospitals repurposed to treat COVID-19 patients was organised, including remotely. This rapid transition to distance learning significantly transformed modern higher education. This article explores the features and necessity of internationalising the higher education system as an integral component of the innovative development strategy of higher education institutions in post-COVID conditions. The transition of education to a qualitatively new level – the international online space – requires implementing new strategies and forms of learning. One such form is Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programmes. The COIL model aims to integrate educational standards, structures, teaching styles, and academic calendars of different countries into the higher education system, thereby contributing to developing intercultural professional competencies. Collaborative international online learning programmes are designed to develop relationships between educational institutions and their partners within a comprehensive global engagement strategy. From the globalisation of the curriculum to building funding capacity and creating new projects in research, education, and experiential learning, these programmes engage students and faculty in international activities. The COIL model brings teachers and students worldwide to collaborate within academic disciplines and in an interdisciplinary field as part of a joint virtual project. To demonstrate the timeliness and adequacy of the higher education system's response in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, the article presents global experiences using the distance learning principle for teaching.