This symposium aims to discuss the transformative potential of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in the context of heightened internationalisation in Higher Education. we will explore how COIL could address the increasing demand for educators capable of thriving in cross-cultural settings (Esche, 2018) and for students to have positive learning experiences in an international setting. Through case studies (Rodolico et al., 2022a and 2022b), we will reflect on how the careful selection of experiential learning tools and digital platforms such as social media could impact on the collaborative learning aspect of COIL, (Chan et al., 2020; Khan et al., 2021). In addition, considering COIL as an effective alternative to internationalisation abroad, language dynamics within COIL warrant scrutiny. We will analyse the challenges including racio-linguism, influencing language, race, and culture interactions that English as lingua franca could generate (Alim, Rickford & Ball, 2016). Finally, we will explore COIL's role in promoting a sense of belonging and interconnectedness among culturally diverse students, emphasizing digital empathy and connectedness (Hagerty & Williams, 2020; Naicker et al., 2021) as well as students’ self efficacy. We will reflect on the impact that a potential COIL model, based on the SUNY COIL Centre model (n.d) and on mutual enrichment, active participation, cooperative teaching, and topics of common interest (Rodolico et al., 2022a), had on the positive learning experience of Higher Education (HE) students. We will also consider how students might develop intercultural competencies in an alternative way, recognising that while study abroad programs have proven effective in cultivating these competencies, they are often hampered by resource constraints (de Castro, 2019; Purvis, Rodger & Beckingham, 2020).