Crossing the ocean virtually: a pilot exchange between universities in the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Purpose This article examines the use of collaborative online international learning to support educator and educational leadership preparation. As part of a university partnership, the authors piloted virtual exchanges in 2021 and 2022 between university students in the United States (U.S.) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B.H.). The pilot included 18 U.S. doctoral leadership students and 22 B.H. bachelor's, master's and doctoral students in religious pedagogy and theology. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative case study methods were used to examine two COILs. The authors analyzed curricular and instructional materials, student reflections, faculty notes and correspondence and publicly available B.H. media accounts. Findings Reported learning emphasized reflection focused on cultural attitudes, knowledge and skills; intercultural and interlinguistic awareness; intercultural team functioning and educational leadership, system and policy comparisons. Supports for and challenges to reported learning were structural, curricular and instructional in nature. Originality/value Little research exists on the use of virtual exchange for educational leadership preparation. This study offers early lessons for using virtual technologies to incorporate an international and intercultural dimension into educational leadership preparation.