COIL virtual exchange (VE) links instructors and their students, usually based in higher education institutions in different countries, in collaborative practice and exchange. However, each country and region has its own somewhat localized approaches and structures for supporting higher education that inevitably affect the development of educational innovations such as COIL. Additionally, there are many significant aspects of regional cultures, such as language, time zone, climate, economics, and history, that may affect COIL course development and choice of COIL partners. This makes developing a COIL initiative in each region somewhat unique.