6 Step 3: Prepare to choose a Virtual Exchange partner

1. Is there an existing institutional connection that you wish to expand into a Virtual Exchange partnership? How important is having an existing connection to you? Or do you have specific partners in mind (without an established connection)?

2. Are there geographical/cultural areas where you are specifically interested in seeking a partnership? Note: There is value in considering a country with a different linguacultural background.

3. If collaboration in a specific geographical region is crucial, have you considered how you might mitigate potential logistical challenges, such as time and school year differences and potential language differences? It would also be important to consider potential disparities in resources between institutions. For example, some institutions may have access to more resources (e.g., finances, technology, subscriptions to peer-reviewed journals) than others.

4. Consider what degree of alignment is optimal between your course and that of your partner. Note that this may be in terms of subject matter overlap or in terms of interdisciplinary complementarity. For example, you may wish to integrate science with business students so the student groups can work towards developing a successful pitch competition that is based on a science innovation.

5. Would you like assistance with outreach or partner finding? McMaster University’s OIA is happy to coordinate this for you and/or to help you consider possible partners. McMaster University may have existing relevant institutional connections or contacts to help you locate a suitable partner, e.g., with institutions that have an existing commitment to Virtual Exchanges.