FSU and Armenian Entrepreneurial Students Complete Spring 2026 Collaborative Online International Learning Project
Tallahassee, FL – In September of 2024, the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and Florida State’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI) began work together on a U.S. Department of State grant to enhance entrepreneurship education in Armenia. One component of the collaboration was the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) program.
The first, highly successful COIL project between the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) and FSU was implemented in the fall 2025. In the Spring of 2026, 24 students from both universities participated in this 10-week asynchrounous virtual exchange program. This second project was led by LSI’s Dr. Vilma Fuentes, the grant co-director at FSU, in partnership with Dr. Maria Sahakyan, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Business Administration at ASUE.
“This spring semester engaged a smaller cohort of ASUE and FSU students in this binational exchange; however, the project proved to be equally impactful,” said Fuentes. “Students in both countries developed their technological, entrepreneurial and intercultural skills through this project-based teamwork. The program also exposed them to practical examples of successful Armenian entrepreneurs through the new Bridging Minds: ASUE x FSU Podcast. Additional examples of American entrepreneurs were also highlighted throughout the 10-week experience.”
COIL connects FSU students with students at ASUE through shared coursework, virtual collaboration and design-thinking-based projects. It allows professors and students to use technology to engage with their peers at universities around the globe.
“Compared to my previous COIL experience, this program was completely unique,” said FSU graduate Mikayla Robinson. “We were not only exchanging culture, but also exchanging research methods, philosophies and ways of understanding development itself. Working with ASUE made me realize how easily misunderstandings can emerge, even through something as simple as interpreting the same word differently. Many of the solutions we initially proposed did not align because they reflected different cultural assumptions. Learning how to navigate those differences collaboratively became one of the most meaningful aspects of the experience. I learned from this experience that being a global citizen is not simply about exposure to other cultures, but also about learning how to approach problems from a shared understanding.”
“COIL gave us the chance to combine knowledge with global perspectives in a truly meaningful way,” said ASUE student Edik Melkumyan. “I’m sincerely grateful to the U.S. Embassy in Armenia for making this wonderful opportunity possible and to ASUE, our Entrepreneurship Center and Florida State University for bringing it to life.”
The COIL project was developed by Fuentes with multimedia support from Robert Lengancher, an associate in research at LSI. The collaboration marks a significant step in building Armenia’s next generation of entrepreneurs while giving FSU students hands-on experience in global, cross-cultural problem solving.
“The COIL program pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the best way,” said ASUE student Liana Sahakyan. “Working with peers from the U.S., applying design thinking and learning through collaboration made this a truly valuable experience.”
The first phase of the collaborative project between FSU and ASUE concluded in December 2025 with the establishment of a STEM Social Innovators Incubator (S2I2) at ASUE. S2I2 is a project-based learning environment that integrates scientific innovation, social entrepreneurship and global collaboration to support students in developing entrepreneurial mindsets while addressing real-world challenges through interdisciplinary teamwork and applied problem-solving.
“Being part of ASUE’s partnership with Florida State University has been one of the most important milestones in my professional journey,” said Iren Gevorgyan, Coordinator of ASUE’s new S2I2 Entrepreneurship Center. “It has played a significant role in shaping my career by giving me the opportunity to work closely with inspiring professionals, strengthen my skills and broaden my perspective on academic and international collaborations.”
Building on this momentum, S2I2 has already launched a new slate of dynamic educational initiatives, trainings and open classes this semester for aspiring entrepreneurs, as ASUE advances its mission to expand access to innovative STEM and social entrepreneurship education for its students.
LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, we develop industry-leading methods and implementation strategies to enhance systematic learning at all levels and in all environments. For more than five decades, LSI has been committed to driving measurable improvements in the performance of both individuals and organizations.