In May 2025, Prof. Dr. Michaela Kiermeier of Hochschule Darmstadt participated in the Polytechnic Summit 2025 at the University of Wisconsin–Stout in Menomonie, USA.

The international conference brings together university representatives and community leaders from various countries to exchange ideas on innovations in higher education, applied research, and the development of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) modules.

Prof. Kiermeier presented the COIL modules she developed and implemented in collaboration with the University of Florida. During the conference, she spoke in person with Dr. Mark Fenton, Business Administration Program Director, and Scott Pierson, Executive Director of International Education. Both expressed strong interest in future collaboration in COIL and invited proposals for potential modules to implement.

The conference also offered valuable insights into existing COIL projects and enabled exchanges with international partners on best practices in higher education.