The invitation to conduct the workshops of 25 teaching hours followed a collaboration between students from India and Croatia through COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), an innovative teaching method that brings students together in virtual teams. The collaboration with Indian students was established in cooperation with Prof. Vinay Kumar, PhD, during the winter semester of 2025/2026 and will continue in the winter semester of 2026/2027 as part of the course Human Resource Management Strategy in the graduate programme in Entrepreneurship Economics.
The workshops held at Thapar University aimed to develop students’ communication skills for effective interaction in international settings. They incorporated a variety of methods and techniques, including role-playing, the COIL method, Persona communication cards, sociogram development, mind mapping, discussion techniques and the use of an assessment matrix to explore potential applications of artificial intelligence in clinical psychology and psychotherapy.
The five-day workshop programme concluded with presentations of students’ team assignments, an evaluation of the workshops and the awarding of certificates of participation. Student feedback was positive.
Several working meetings were also held with Prof. Padmakumar Nair, PhD, Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Vinay Kumar, PhD, Dean; Prof. Santha Kumari, PhD, Head of the Department of Psychology; and Dr. Ipshita Chowdhury, an academic and psychologist from the same department.
The meetings focused on opportunities for further cooperation and a possible visit by a delegation from Thapar University to the University of Zagreb and its Faculty of Organization and Informatics. Potential areas of collaboration included joint research, academic staff and student mobility, and participation in doctoral dissertation examinations. Prof. Santha Kumari and Dr. Ipshita Chowdhury also provided valuable assistance with the organisation and coordination of the workshops.
The social programme included visits to the MUDRANITE student festival, the city of Patiala and Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, a Sikh place of worship. An excursion to nearby Chandigarh included visits to the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Nek Chand’s Rock Garden, the Bungiya Sanskritik Sammilani Festival and the Le Corbusier Centre. The centre was established in honour of the renowned architect who designed Chandigarh’s urban layout and many of its buildings. Another memorable experience was a visit to Sukhna Lake, whose shores offer views of the Himalayan foothills.
Many thanks to our hosts for their warm welcome and hospitality. We look forward to continuing our collaboration!
