Collaborative Online International Learning as a Knowledge Management Strategy: An Experience Report on a Case Between Brazil and Peru

This chapter investigates the potential of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) as a tool for co-creation and knowledge management in higher education. Grounded in action research, the study involved Brazilian and Peruvian management students and faculty in a cross-border academic collaboration. Through action research and mixed student teams, participants explored real-world challenges, such as employer branding in small and medium-sized companies (SMCs). The initiative fostered intercultural competence, collaborative knowledge creation, and professional skills development, despite logistical and institutional challenges related to language, time zones, and academic alignment. The experience demonstrated COIL’s potential as a cost-effective and adaptable internationalization strategy in Latin American higher education. Results indicate that COIL enhances intercultural competence, fosters collaborative knowledge production, and offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional internationalization models. The experience also demonstrated COIL’s adaptability for undergraduate research and its capacity to strengthen regional academic integration in Latin America.