HSB Faculty Member Presents at International COIL Conference

When Baylor University clinical professor of Management Rachel Woods traveled to the Philippines this spring to speak at an international conference on collaborative online international learning (COIL), she carried more than a presentation. She carried years of lessons learned through global collaboration, leadership development and a growing belief that meaningful international learning can happen without students ever boarding a plane.

Woods presented at Transcend 2026: Trailblazing Relationships Across Nations, Sharing Cultures & Embracing New Dimensions, hosted by San Pedro College during the institution’s Internationalization & Linkages Week. The event also included the 4th Annual COIL Conference, bringing together educators and institutional leaders from across the Philippines and beyond to discuss the future of global learning.

Throughout the week, Woods spoke to a variety of audiences, including students, faculty, university administrators and representatives from universities across the Philippines. Her presentations centered on entrepreneurship, ethical leadership and the transformative power of COIL experiences.

As keynote speaker for the We Demand Fashion event, Woods delivered a presentation titled Go Global: The Power of Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship. Drawing from her international experiences, she encouraged the audience to see entrepreneurship as a tool for service, innovation and human flourishing. 

“In this speech, I talked about the extraordinary value of going global to witness firsthand the inspiring efforts of entrepreneurs around the world as they inspire the next generation of leaders and seek to leave the world a better place than they found it,” Woods said. 

She shared stories from Baylor study abroad experiences in Iceland, highlighted sustainable business practices from innovative companies and reflected on conversations with women entrepreneurs in Tanzanian markets. She also pointed to the entrepreneurial spirit she witnessed among San Pedro College students participating in an Innovation Bazaar focused on creativity and sustainability in the fast fashion industry. 

The invitation to speak at the conference stemmed from Woods’ COIL partnership with San Pedro College, a relationship that has spanned four semesters. Her most recent project connected 93 Baylor Management students with students in the Philippines to collaborate on cross cultural leadership and teamwork. 

The project challenged students to work across a 13-hour time difference while developing presentations on leadership virtues such as courage, justice, temperance and prudence. Students interviewed business professionals in their respective countries and then worked together to facilitate leadership training sessions grounded in those virtues. 

For Woods, the heart of the experience extends beyond the assignment itself.

“The emphasis of my presentation was on how to foster a transformational and relational COIL experience instead of a transactional one,” Woods said. “When you focus on healthy dynamics among people, better results and processes follow.” 

In her conference presentation, Fostering Relational COIL Teams in Multicultural Learning Environments, Woods shared practical strategies she and her San Pedro College partner, Professor Aleli Saavedra, have implemented to strengthen team dynamics and improve the student experience over time. 

She explained that COIL experiences can stretch students in ways traditional classroom projects often cannot. Navigating communication barriers, time zones and cultural differences creates opportunities for students to practice leadership virtues in real time.

“It is a perfect experience to refine virtuous leadership skills because the logistics and communication challenges can feel overwhelming and test anyone,” Woods said. “It is a great opportunity to take action, stop and then reflect on whether we are truly implementing these very virtues we mean to embody.” 

Woods believes those experiences are increasingly important as global collaboration and remote work become more common across industries.

“Our students not only gain international team skills but also remote work skills which are essential in today’s workplace,” Woods said. “Not every student can study abroad and so experiences like COIL can help increase access for more students to engage in global learning.” 

In addition to presenting at the conference, Woods also met with San Pedro College students to discuss ethical leadership. She described the conversations as thoughtful and highly interactive, with students continuing discussions and questions long after the formal session ended. 

The conference also gave Woods a glimpse into the future of global education. She learned about institutions developing long-term strategies to embed COIL into university identity and heard discussions about future classrooms that could involve student teams from three to five countries working together simultaneously. 

“If this ever happens in our business school, I would love to be someone who tackles this kind of challenge in a highly specialized class,” Woods said. 

For Woods, the experience ultimately reinforced both the promise of global collaboration and the importance of relationships.

“It was both inspirational and motivational to attend this conference,” she said. “With the use of technology, the world has come to us. I’m proud to be working at a business school that understands this and that is preparing students for a global marketplace.”