Virtual Mobility: A Complementary Pathway to Equitable Internationalization in Swiss Higher Education
The evolving landscape of higher education, driven by the need for sustainability and broader access, calls for models of internationalization that are more adaptable, inclusive, equal, and sustainable. Research on Internationalisation at Home (IaH) and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted attention from purely physical mobility toward ensuring all students and staff acquire essential global competencies. In Switzerland, virtual mobility is gaining traction as a complementary pathway that broadens access to international learning and strengthens international engagement.
The notion of virtual mobility goes beyond the digitalization of lectures and the sharing of course materials online. It constitutes a structured, technology-mediated learning experience that allows students to participate in courses, study programs, or collaborative projects offered by partner universities abroad. Crucially, these activities count toward students’ degrees and involve regular interaction with international peers and instructors, without having to travel.
In the Swiss context, virtual mobility functions as an integral component of the broader concept of academic mobility that complements the well-established physical exchange programs supported by mechanisms such as the Swiss European Mobility Programme (SEMP). Its principal mission is to advance Internationalization at Home (IaH). The aim of IaH is to ensure that all students can acquire international and intercultural competencies, which are considered indispensable for both their studies and after graduation.
Movetia, the Swiss national agency for the promotion of exchange and mobility in the education sector, has played a central role in recognizing and supporting these new forms of exchange. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced this need by showing that mobility could be sustainable and accessible. In line with this, Movetia’s 2021 framework explicitly positions virtual mobility as both an alternative and a complement to traditional mobility, strengthening its position within Switzerland’s broader internationalization agenda.
Although the Swiss federal government’s long-term goal is for all students to complete at least one meaningful mobility experience during their studies, financial constraints can make extended stays abroad unrealistic for many. Virtual mobility addresses this challenge by decoupling international learning from geographic and financial barriers. It enables students to engage in meaningful and credit-recognized exchange without leaving their home institutions, which significantly improves accessibility in terms of financial constraints.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Virtual mobility also has a very important pedagogical function, as it helps develop intercultural awareness and digital collaboration skills. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an interesting example of how virtual mobility works in the Swiss higher education system. First developed by the State University of New York (SUNY) and now supported by Movetia, COIL brings together students and faculty across borders to work on shared academic tasks while navigating different time zones, learning cultures, and communication styles. This experience builds strong cross-cultural communication skills and digital literacy. Virtual mobility is, therefore, not just an “online substitute,” but a teaching approach that supports 21st-century skills and aligns with Switzerland’s knowledge-based economy.
When we consider sustainability, it becomes clear that environmental responsibility is a central policy concern for Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this regard, virtual mobility offers a credible way to foster international engagement, while reducing the environmental footprint of academic travel. For example, the University of Bern frames its Virtual Exchange Seminars as a way to balance the value of international mobility with its commitment to climate neutrality. Through these seminars, lecturers and students can experiment with new forms of digital collaboration and co-create learning experiences that are globally connected yet environmentally sustainable.
Across Swiss universities and universities of applied sciences, virtual mobility is being integrated through diverse models that reflect both local priorities and international partnerships. The University of Geneva, for example, offers students access to a broad catalog of online courses from partner institutions that include Sorbonne Université and the University of Heidelberg through alliances like 4EU+.
Other institutions, such as the FHNW School of Business and the University of Bern, run collaborative virtual seminars that are often co-taught with international partners. FHNW’s “Eight Insights into China” is one such course, providing students with intercultural learning opportunities anchored in real-world collaboration. These virtual courses are embedded within existing curricula, ensuring straightforward European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit recognition.
Challenges and Possibilities
Despite notable progress, several structural challenges remain before virtual mobility can be fully mainstreamed at Swiss HEIs. The diversity of recognition procedures across cantonal systems, for example, might complicate consistent ECTS credit validation. While alliances help this process, a more unified framework for cross-institutional credit transfer would ensure reliability and also scalability. In addition, virtual mobility requires a shift toward collaborative and student-centered learning. This brings the need to develop sustained investment in faculty training, particularly in COIL design, intercultural engagement, and online assessment. Without this support, virtual mobility risks becoming a form of “virtual tourism” and lacking the depth that intercultural engagement requires.
Implications for the Future of Mobility in Swiss Higher Education
To sum up, virtual mobility is not only an emergency response or an experiment, but it has also become a defining element of how Swiss Higher Education Institutions engage globally. Through expanding access, strengthening sustainability, and fostering intercultural digital literacy, virtual mobility is redefining what meaningful participation in a global academic community can look like. As Switzerland navigates its evolving relationship with European mobility frameworks such as Erasmus+, developing virtual and blended mobility models will be crucial, not as a substitute for physical exchange, but as a complementary pathway that ensures every student, regardless of circumstance, can access a transformative, internationally oriented education.
The experience of institutions such as UNIGE, UniBE, FHNW, and EPFL demonstrates that Switzerland is well-positioned to lead in designing high-quality, equitable, and sustainable mobility formats. The continued refinement of ECTS recognition mechanisms and faculty support structures will be decisive for scaling these practices across the system. Crucially, this expanded vision for mobility also includes staff and faculty in addition to mobility of programs, ensuring they receive targeted professional development in co-designing and delivering globally connected online learning experiences. Strengthening these capacities will help embed virtual mobility within long-term institutional internationalization strategies.
Pınar Eldemir is a PhD student at Università della Svizzera italiana, conducting research on internationalization and local rooting in the recruitment of academic staff in the context of Switzerland.
References:
–FHNW School of Business. (n.d.). Virtual Exchange. FHNW Website.
–University of Bern. (n.d.). Virtual Exchange Seminar and International Course Funding. University of Bern Website.
–University of Geneva. (n.d.). Virtual Exchange. University of Geneva Website.
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