How can we create more opportunities for young people to learn together, exchange ideas, and collaborate across borders? V-EXCHANGE — “Virtual Exchange for Global Citizenship and Digital Skills” — aims to address this need through virtual exchanges and digital learning.
Running from 2025 to 2027, the project brings together partners from North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Kosovo. Coordinated by Mother Teresa University in North Macedonia, the partnership includes universities and youth and research organisations, including the University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani” in Albania.
As a participating organisation, RIFE contributes to youth engagement, digital storytelling, media literacy, and civic participation. These areas connect technology with young people’s ability to communicate, assess information, and contribute to community life.
Digital skills are valuable beyond the classroom. Knowing how to question an online source, communicate an idea clearly, or listen to a different perspective can influence how young people approach everyday challenges. International collaboration offers a valuable setting in which to practise these abilities and explore shared interests.
V-EXCHANGE aims to involve more than 1,800 students and educators in virtual exchanges, strengthening digital and intercultural competencies. Inclusion, equal access to education, and active citizenship are central to its approach.
Through virtual cooperation, the project also seeks to promote sustainable alternatives to physical mobility and strengthen academic and civic connections between the European Union and the Western Balkans.
RIFE’s participation supports this shared vision: expanding opportunities to learn, collaborate, and contribute to an inclusive society. The ambition is to make cross-border learning more accessible and encourage young people to see themselves as active contributors to their communities and the wider world.
Disclaimer
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
