Making Lemonade from COVID-19 Lemons: Harnessing Virtual Exchange in a Post-Pandemic Era

This narrative literature review examines the adoption and evolution of virtual exchange in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as an avenue to internationalize curricula and develop new and sustainable partnerships globally. This article also shares learnings from the pandemic and critical considerations regarding the future of virtual exchange. Findings indicate that virtual exchanges can play a significant role in enabling epistemic and linguistic exchange and inclusion by transcending cultural barriers and facilitating communication and collaboration between individuals from different backgrounds and regions. Virtual exchanges have the potential to erode barriers and engage students in relationships and places they would likely not have access to in a post-pandemic world. However, limitations exist, particularly in regard to Global North-South inequities. Higher education leaders are recommended to treat virtual exchange not as a stopgap but rather as an integral and evolving component of the future of transcultural exchange.