Opportunistic Networks Research Articles

Understanding the Unique Factors Affecting South Asian International (SAI) Student Transitions into PhD Programs in the US: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

International students comprise over 50% of the graduate student population in the life sciences in the US, over 70% of whom are Asian. Research that aims to understand international students’ experiences has often treated Asian students as a monolith, discounting significant cultural and historical differences between regions in Asia that may affect students’ motivations for pursuing graduate degrees, their experiences in graduate school, and their identities as scientists in training. To begin to understand the experiences of SAI students as they transition to PhD programs in the sciences, we conducted an exploratory study in which we interviewed 10 SAI students and 12 US native students during the first six months of their doctoral programs. We performed a content analysis of the interview data with the aim of identifying factors that shaped students’ doctoral transitions. We then selected factors that were distinctive to SAI students. Finally, we carried out an interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand and describe the following factors that SAI students experienced as influencing their doctoral transitions: prior exposure to research; opportunities for networking; challenges with and affordances for acculturation; attitudes toward and understanding of mental health issues; financial affordances and constraints of pursuing a PhD, and barriers to communication. The results of this work have the potential to be useful to graduate programs seeking to ease SAI students’ transition to doctoral programs.

Understanding equity and diversity needs among health library professionals in Canada: a survey.

Objective: The Canadian Health Libraries’ Association (CHLA/ABSC) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force conducted an EDI survey in 2023. In addition to gathering information about the demography, education, and employment of health information professionals working in Canadian institutions, the goal of the survey was to assess the support, education and leadership needs of the association in matters relating to diversity and inclusion. Methods: A survey was created based on EDI surveys conducted previously by similar associations, with additional questions relevant to health information professionals in Canada and CHLA/ABSC’s role in matters of EDI. The survey, consisting of 31 questions and employing a variety of formats, was translated into French and administered via SurveyMonkey. It was distributed through email and other channels over the course of two weeks in January 2023. Results: One hundred and sixty-six health information professionals completed the 2023 survey. Most (83%) were CHLA/ABSC members and sixty-three percent were members of CHLA/ABSC chapters. Most were employed in full-time permanent positions (91%) as librarians (67%) or in administration/management positions (16%). Nearly half worked in post-secondary institutions (42%) and half worked in hospital libraries (43%), and most have access to professional development funds from their employers (84%). Most of the respondents do not belong to a visible minority group (86%), do not consider themselves to be of Indigenous ancestry (96%), do not consider themselves to have a disability (72%), and do not identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (79%). Fifty-nine percent were aged between 35 and 54 years old and sixty-eight percent had less than fifteen years of experience. Slightly over half (54%) reported a salary between $65,000 and $99,999. Respondents indicated that they felt welcome and included (78%) and treated with respect (84%) at CHLA/ABSC events, that there were opportunities within CHLA/ABSC for them to participate at levels they felt comfortable with (82%) and that they felt comfortable sharing their personal perspectives and experiences within CHLA/ABSC (65%). Conclusion: The survey illustrates that CHLA/ABSC consists of a very homogeneous group of professionals. While the majority of members felt welcomed, respected, and were given opportunities to participate in association work and activities, there is definitely room for improvement. Generally, respondents felt that CHLA/ABSC should continue to listen and improve its EDI work by engaging and collaborating with members to deliver current and relevant networking and CE opportunities.

The 24th International Seaweed Symposium - ‘Seaweeds in a changing world’

The 24th edition of the International Seaweed Symposium (ISS), an academic-industry event that dates back to 1952, was held for the first time in Oceania. The local organizing committee chaired by Professor Catriona Hurd, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, and Professor Michael A. Borowitzka, Murdoch University, Western Australia worked tirelessly to curate a program that balanced scientific rigor with engaging discussions, providing ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. “Seaweeds in a changing world” was the theme of this symposium, participants from 48 countries from all over the world attended this symposium from 19-24 February 2023. More than 576 on-site and 207 virtual participants registered for the Symposium who contributed to the success of this event. The International Seaweed Association (ISA) ensures the continued development of seaweed and its benefits and serves as a bridge between research academia and industry. The ISA is ready to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the ISS and is also proud to announce that the 25th International Seaweed Symposium (ISS) will be held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 4-9 May, 2025 with the Local support of Ocean Networks Canada, Cascadia Seaweed, and the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association (https://iss25.com).

Research on Secure Community Opportunity Network Based on Trust Model

With the innovation of wireless communication technology and the surge of data in mobile networks, traditional routing strategies need to be improved. Given the shortcomings of existing opportunistic routing strategies in transmission performance and security, this paper proposes a community opportunistic routing decision-making method based on the trust model. This algorithm calculates the node’s trust value through the node’s historical forwarding behavior and then calculates the node’s trust value based on the trust model. Thresholds and trust attenuation divide dynamic security communities. For message forwarding, nodes in the security community are prioritized as next-hop relay nodes, thus ensuring that message delivery is always in a safe and reliable environment. On this basis, better relay nodes are further selected for message forwarding based on the node centrality, remaining cache space, and remaining energy, effectively improving the message forwarding efficiency. Through node trust value and community cooperation, safe and efficient data transmission is achieved, thereby improving the transmission performance and security of the network. Through comparison of simulation and opportunistic network routing algorithms, compared with traditional methods, this strategy has the highest transmission success rate of 81% with slightly increased routing overhead, and this algorithm has the lowest average transmission delay.

Residents and Fellows of US Medical Residencies and Fellowships Strongly Prefer In-Person to Virtual Conference Format: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Medical conferences are an integral aspect of medical education as they allow attendees to stay up to date with recent advancements in medicine, to develop presentation and communication skills, and to network and establish connections with professionals in their field of interest. But, when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared in March 2020, face-to-face medical conferences were suspended, and conference organizers began shifting their meetings to virtual platforms. These new virtual conferences afforded medical residents and fellows the unique opportunity to attend conferences from the comfort of their own home or workplace; however, the virtual meeting platforms did not provide attendees with the same networking experiences as in-person conferences. Since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, medical conferences are now faced with the question of whether they should remain virtual, shift back to in-person meetings, or develop a hybrid model of both options. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze medical resident and fellow sentiments and preferences by comparing virtual and in-person conference formats. A voluntary electronic survey was distributed to medical residents and fellows across the United States through their program coordinators and directors. The main findings of this study suggest that medical residents and fellows largely prefer in-person conferences (85%) as compared to a virtual format because of the networking opportunities afforded to them along with the development of camaraderie with their peers. The findings in this study suggest that the largest benefit in attending a virtual conference is the flexibility to attend from any location (79% important or very important), which offered convenience, flexibility, and comfort to participants (n = 100). These results support our hypothesis that despite the convenience and portability afforded by attending conferences virtually, medical residents and fellows still ultimately prefer to attend conferences in person. Overall, the findings in this study are of relevance to conference organizers in understanding the driving forces behind attendance and should be considered in determining meeting format.

Leadership Development for Contemporary Post-Secondary Academic Leaders: Challenges, Content and Approach

In the dynamic landscape of contemporary higher education, the demand for leaders well-versed in the intricacies of its challenges has become paramount. Despite the availability of leadership fellowships and retreats globally, there is a notable dearth of institution-specific leadership development programs tailored for post-secondary education leaders. This deficiency leaves a substantial number of higher education leaders ill-equipped with the fundamental competencies needed for effective leadership. This review underscores the pressing necessity to establish institution-based leadership development initiatives explicitly crafted for academic leaders and faculty members. The exploration encompasses diverse platforms and methodologies for delivering such programs, drawing insights from empirical studies that underscore the advantages of leadership development. Also, the review discusses the content of leadership development curricula. Focusing on academic leaders and faculty, these curricula cover competencies such as strategic planning, interpersonal communication, talent management, and adaptive leadership. The outcomes underscore the significance of institutions integrating leadership development efforts within their academic domains. The discussion delves into the manifold benefits of instituting leadership development programs, not only as a cost-effective alternative to external fellowship courses but as a strategic move with multifaceted advantages. These advantages encompass streamlining competitive succession planning, magnetizing and retaining talent, cultivating expansive networking opportunities, and augmenting the capacity to confront contemporary challenges in higher education. By prioritizing the nurturing of academic leaders, institutions can effectively bridge the gap between current leadership skills and the evolving demands of the higher education landscape.

Inclusive Science Communication Approaches Through an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) Lens

Science communication has taken center stage in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines in the context of public outreach and citizen science. Developing practical communication skills is imperative for all scientists to be highly successful in their careers and more so for underrepresented and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals in STEM. The program, led by the Engineering and Science Librarian at the University of Victoria (UVic) Libraries, aimed to equip students and early career scientists with critical communication skills by leveraging the unique voices and lived experiences of BIPOC speakers in STEM disciplines. Through this program, a unique toolkit with engaging modules consisting of 30 short videos, each three minutes long (30 x 3) by BIPOC speakers was created to provide broad foundational skills in verbal and visual communication, using an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) lens. A two-day conference offered networking and communication development opportunities to students and early-career scientists in STEM disciplines by connecting them with BIPOC STEM leaders and visionaries who promote STEM advocacy. This paper will discuss the methods used in the creation of the toolkit and conference using an EDISJ lens.

VADIA-Verkle Tree-based Approach for Dealing Data Integrity Attacks in Opportunistic Mobile Social Networks

Opportunistic Mobile Social Networks (OMSN) are prone to data integrity attacks that jeopardize the integrity of the routing data inside the network. Among the several techniques that cope with these attacks in OMSN, tree-based approaches have proven to be the most effective due to its ease of data verification and ensurance in data integrity. This paper evaluates two tree-based data structures, Merkle tree and Verkle tree in terms of their effectiveness in detecting and preventing such attacks. The evaluation considers tree-generation time and proof-checking time, and the results demonstrate that the Verkle tree is a bandwidth-efficient solution and have lower proof-checking time, with a reduction of 98.33% than Merkle tree. This makes Verkle tree a good choice for handling data integrity attacks in OMSN. A Verkle tree-based approach, named VADIA, is proposed to handle data integrity attacks such as packet dropping, packet modification and pollution attack in OMSN. The proposed approach is implemented in the Opportunistic Network Environment (ONE) simulator and is shown to be effective in detecting malicious nodes and paths, reducing false negative rates, and improving accuracy in detecting malicious activities. The results demonstrate a 47%, 84% and 69% improvement in malicious node, malicious path and malicious activity detection over a period of time. Furthermore, the approach achieves an 80% reduction in false negative rates.

Contributing factors for career goal advancement of pharmacy learners in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community.

To explore factors influencing career goals and goal attainment for pharmacy learners (eg, students, residents, fellows) who identify as part of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community. In late 2021 and early 2022, US-based pharmacy learners were invited to participate in two focus groups. In the first focus group, participants were asked to reflect on career goal influences, barriers, and facilitators. In the second focus group, participants were asked to provide suggestions for educational institution and healthcare organization improvement to support career goal attainment for learners in the BIPOC community. Focus group transcripts were coded using both deductive and inductive coding and thematic analysis. Fifteen learners were included in the first focus group, and 10 learners were included in the second. The most common career goal motivators were self-efficacy factors. Barriers and facilitators were often closely related. The most common barriers were financial, lack of representation, and lack of support. Common facilitators included mentorship and informal networking opportunities. Participants suggested multiple strategies for educational institutions and healthcare organizations to support BIPOC learner success, including genuine investment, representation, financial support, improved access to professional development opportunities, partnering with other professional organizations, and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Institutions should prioritize effective, positive mentoring relationships and exposure to BIPOC professionals. Training programs and associations should consider improving financial support and lowering the cost of involvement to reduce barriers. All stakeholders should prioritize DEI in their organizational culture to promote career advancement of BIPOC learners and professionals.

Unveiling urban governance diversity: Clustering cities based on mitigation actions

Embracing a “more global” urban comparison in scientific assessments of climate actions by cities is essential to drive greater and more inclusive participation in global efforts to curb climate change. This comparison needs to engage cities irrespective of their size and status: when we do so, distinctive patterns of urban climate mitigation actions across a diverse range of cities emerge. Employing K-means clustering as a pattern recognition method, this study compares cities based on selected aspects of their reported mitigation actions to the Carbon Disclosure Project. It explores whether the identified clusters facilitate the comparison of a socio-spatially diverse range of cities. The study identifies five clusters within two themes, namely the nature and finance–implementation of actions, shedding light on shared and distinct governance aspects of mitigation actions by cities. Notably, the study underscores how governance patterns transcend city size and global status. These findings offer valuable insights for broadening the comparative imagination of cities and inter-city networking opportunities.

MH‐ARO: Meta‐heuristic based adaptive routing for large scale opportunistic networks

SummaryIn wireless sensor networks, sensor nodes (SNs) are placed throughout a wide area and gather information from the surroundings. SN used to detect and send data consumes a lot of energy and dies instantly, which causes network overhead issues. Due to network overhead, network faults occur and do not cover a significant region for data transmission. A meta‐heuristic‐based adaptive routing for large‐scale opportunistic networks (MH‐ARO) is proposed in this work to overcome these problems. The network exploits the dragonfly approach (DA) with opportunistic routing in this protocol. The DA is based on local and global search (GS) optimization. In local search (LS), each node assigns/uses a rank for data transmission and selects the forwarder node after applying the decision level matrix in a single group. In GS, an opportunistic network has multiple groups. Each group sends optimal data to the next group. Each group assigns a relay ranking based on the forwarder node's highest rank. The BS receives critical data from the relay and increases the survival of the node. Based on LS and GS, MH‐ARO is categorized into two parts: (1) optimal forwarder opt (OFO) and (2) optimal route selection (ORS). In OFO, forwarder node selection is based on the following factors: relay ranking, node density, group ranking, residual energy, forwarder distance, and relay distance. ORS follows the adaptive routing and sends the data to BS using the best optimal route. The BS receives critical data without network failure and increases the survival of the node. The maximum active node participates in the network and consumes less energy so that a node covers a large region for communication. Comparing MH‐ARO's performance to competing routing protocols, key performance indicators such as PDR, MSR, alive node, survivability, AEC, AD, and throughput are examined. The results demonstrate that the MH‐ARO performs noticeably better than its rivals regarding energy efficiency.

Spatial-Temporal Attention TCN-Based Link Prediction for Opportunistic Network

Link prediction for opportunistic networks faces the challenges of frequent changes in topology and complex and variable spatial-temporal information. Most existing studies focus on temporal or spatial features, ignoring ample potential information. In order to better capture the spatial-temporal correlations in the evolution of networks and explore their potential information, a link prediction method based on spatial-temporal attention and temporal convolution network (STA-TCN) is proposed. It slices opportunistic networks into discrete network snapshots. A state matrix based on topology information and attribute information is constructed to represent snapshots. Time convolutional networks and spatial-temporal attention mechanisms are employed to learn spatial-temporal information. Furthermore, to better improve link prediction performance, the proposed method converts the auto-correlation error into non-correlation error. On three real opportunistic network datasets, ITC, MIT, and Infocom06, experimental results demonstrate the superior predictive performance of the proposed method compared to baseline models, as shown by improved AUC and F1-score metrics.

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Affiliate Support for Professional Growth of Clinical Nurse Specialist Students.

The purpose of this article was to describe how a National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists affiliate partnered with a local university to engage clinical nurse specialist (CNS) students, enhance its mission and activities, and create succession planning opportunities, while providing mentorship and professional growth opportunities. Academic preparation of CNS students endeavors to instill professionalism. A 3-pronged partnership incorporating the inclusion of a student liaison on the board, presentation of student clinical work at the affiliate's annual conference, and development of a student scholarship was implemented. Membership in professional nursing organizations for a CNS student provides exposure and access to professional development resources, socialization to the role, rewarding networking opportunities with peers and colleagues, and leadership development. Anecdotal feedback demonstrated a better understanding of the CNS role, increased confidence, and enhanced knowledge on topics such as legislative advocacy as well as experiences of sharing clinical challenges with CNS colleagues. Partnership with the local university allowed the affiliate to maintain the influx of new CNSs, which sustains membership, nurtures the growth of new CNSs, and ensures the influx of new ideas. Furthermore, membership in professional nursing organizations is imperative to address the opportunities that exist in healthcare.

A Bayesian approach using spatiotemporal features for suitable next hop selection in opportunistic networks

SummaryOpportunistic network (OppNet) belongs to the category of Mobile Ad‐hoc Networks (MANETs), a kind of Delay Tolerant Network (DTN), where the wireless nodes are completely mobile and the data transmission routes are dynamic. The major challenge in developing a routing model for such a network is the unpredictable nature of the movement of the nodes. In this paper, a spatiotemporal prediction model based on human mobility pattern is proposed using Bayesian posterior probability (BPPR) where several clusters are identified within the network and the day and time duration of nodes visiting those clusters are recorded. The Bayesian posterior probability is then used to determine the probability of the neighbor node visiting the destination's cluster. If the calculated probability for that node is higher than a specified threshold, the packet will be forwarded. A comparison of the results obtained on simulation is made with benchmark models—Epidemic, Prophet, HBPR, EDR, NexT, and EBC, to name a few, where it is found that on average the proposed model outperforms the other models in terms of delivery probability, hop count and number of messages dropped by around 23.89%, 24.8%, 24.4%, 37%, 11%, and 42% respectively, with varying number of nodes, TTL, message generation interval, and buffer size. Similar improvements have been observed in terms of the other two metrics. In terms of overhead ratio, the proposed model outperforms Epidemic, Prophet, HBPR, NexT, and EBC. However, as the number of nodes and TTL are varied, BPPR performs better than NexT by around 9% and 12%, respectively, in terms of average latency.

Vascular Calcification: Molecular Networking, Pathological Implications and Translational Opportunities.

Calcification is a process of accumulation of calcium in tissues and deposition of calcium salts by the crystallization of PO43- and ionized calcium (Ca2+). It is a crucial process in the development of bones and teeth. However, pathological calcification can occur in almost any soft tissue of the organism. The better studied is vascular calcification, where calcium salts can accumulate in the intima or medial layer or in aortic valves, and it is associated with higher mortality and cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, aortic and peripheral artery disease (PAD), and diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD), among others. The process involves an intricate interplay of different cellular components, endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), fibroblasts, and pericytes, concurrent with the activation of several signaling pathways, calcium, Wnt, BMP/Smad, and Notch, and the regulation by different molecular mediators, growth factors (GFs), osteogenic factors and matrix vesicles (MVs). In the present review, we aim to explore the cellular players, molecular pathways, biomarkers, and clinical treatment strategies associated with vascular calcification to provide a current and comprehensive overview of the topic.

An energy recovery routing algorithm for opportunistic networks based on connection stability and node encounter type

Routing algorithms have been the focus of research on opportunistic networks to effectively deal with the connectivity problem of intermittent communication in opportunistic networks. Due to the frequent forwarding of messages by active nodes in the opportunistic networks leading to excessive energy consumption, opportunistic networks suffer from communication susceptibility to interruption and unstable network connectivity. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes an opportunistic network routing algorithm (ST-ProPhet) based on connection stability and energy recovery, which takes into account the node’s historical average connection duration, encounter probability, and the node’s energy consumption. Firstly, a node encounter probability prediction model fusing the average connection duration is developed. Secondly, the base station is introduced and the node wireless energy recovery strategy is designed. Finally, the ST-ProPhet algorithm proposes a message forwarding strategy based on node encounter types on the basis of the encounter probability prediction model and energy recovery model. Simulation experiments show that the ST-ProPhet algorithm has an overall reduction of 5066.27mAh over the ProPhet algorithm in terms of average message energy consumption.

Group peer mentoring to improve faculty connections and enhance mentoring networks.

Difficulty finding mentors and forging connections in academic departments can be challenging and became even more so when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities for informal networking. Even as restrictions on in-person meetings eased, many faculty preferred meetings to remain virtual. Because some of the most powerful predictors of faculty vitality are positive professional relationships and feelings of inclusion and belonging to an institution, attending to faculty needs in this area is important to mitigate undesired lingering consequences. We created structured peer mentoring groups for our department's physicians and psychologists that meet virtually. Groups span career stages, academic appointments and clinical interests. The purpose was to establish a deeper culture of mentoring, increase feelings of connection to a supportive community within the department, facilitate career planning and enhance the development of skills necessary in academic medicine such as teaching skills, scholarly productivity and personal wellness. A survey conducted after the first year of the programme was completed by 70% of eligible faculty (31/45). Ninety-six percent felt the programme had created an inclusive and appreciative culture, 86% met faculty members they had never met before and 79% sought mentoring advice from a colleague they would not usually have interacted with in that manner. All participants appreciated hearing their colleagues' perspectives on topics they do not typically discuss. Departmentally based group peer mentoring that spans career stages and interests can facilitate faculty connections and enhance a supportive culture of mentorship.

Dynamic Co-Operative Energy-Efficient Routing Algorithm Based on Geographic Information Perception in Opportunistic Mobile Networks

Opportunistic mobile networks, as an important supplement to the traditional communication methods in unique environments, are composed of mobile communication devices. It is a network form that realizes message transmission by using the opportune encounter of these mobile communication devices. Consequently, mobile communication devices necessitate periodic contact detection in order to identify potential communication opportunities, thereby leading to a substantial reduction in the already limited battery life of such devices. Previous studies on opportunistic networks have often utilized geographic information in routing design to enhance message delivery rate. However, the significance of geographic information in energy conservation has been overlooked. Furthermore, previous research on energy-efficient routing has lacked diversification in terms of the methods employed. Therefore, this paper proposes a dynamic co-operative energy-efficient routing algorithm based on geographic information perception (DCEE-GIP) to leverage geographic information to facilitate dynamic co-operation among nodes and optimize node sleep time through probabilistic analysis. The DCEE-GIP routing and other existing algorithms were simulated using opportunistic network environment (ONE) simulation. The results demonstrate that DCEE-GIP effectively extends network service time and successfully delivers the most messages. The service time of DCEE-GIP increased by 8.05∼31.11%, and more messages were delivered by 14.82∼115.9%.

The 15th Annual University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium: 2024 Pitch-O-Rama Competition

The University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium (UOHS) is a one-day undergraduate health conference aiming to increase awareness of the interdisciplinary field of health. Initially created by undergraduate students fourteen years ago, UOHS has grown to become the University of Ottawa’s largest healthcare conference with the goal of providing students with a holistic view of healthcare, fostering networking opportunities and encouraging the exploration of novel health disciplines to support their professional endeavors. The 2024 UOHS conference was held on January 27th, 2024, at 55 Laurier Avenue East in Ottawa. This year's conference theme, iHealthcare, aimed to prompt attendees to reflect on the transformative impact of technological innovations on patient care, diagnostics, and healthcare delivery. As a cherished tradition, the 2024 UOHS conference hosted Pitch-O-Rama, an Elevator Pitch Competition blending creativity with research innovation. Participants crafted and orally presented innovative research abstracts using slideshows. Participants were judged by a specially invited panel based on clarity, engagement, relevance to society, solving a knowledge gap worth funding, and creativity in presentation. This book will showcase the works of the winners and honorable mentions of the 2024 Pitch-O-Rama competition. For additional details about UOHS, please visit UOHS’s website: https://www.uohs-csuo.com/.

Doing Sociology across Borders: Student Experiences and Learning with Virtual Exchange in Large Introductory Sociology Classes

Virtual exchange programs represent a relatively novel approach designed to foster a more global perspective and promote discipline-specific learning; however, this approach has not been widely adopted in sociology. This article reports findings on student experiences and learning in a virtual exchange program involving two large introductory sociology classes in Hong Kong and Atlanta. A postsurvey invited students to reflect qualitatively on their experiences, and six major themes emerged from the data: (1) global application of sociological knowledge, (2) social and cultural relativism, (3) breaking the shell and gaining intellectual and social flexibility, (4) social networking opportunities, (5) challenges and adjustments, and (6) keeping contact beyond school. Based on our experience and the students’ feedback, we conclude that virtual exchange is an effective pedagogical approach for internationalizing sociology curricula, enhancing intercultural competency, and deepening students’ understanding of core sociological concepts.