Introduction:

This first special issue of CIWIL concerns research that contributes to an extended understanding of work-integrated learning (WIL) with a particular focus on global engagement and societal development. Research on WIL is growing, although the term WIL mostly has been used as an umbrella concept for different pedagogical models related to students’ academic learning in relation to working life (e.g. Areskoug Josefsson et al., 2024). However, some recent trends of diversification of WIL research into different directions and contexts can be seen (Areskoug Josefsson et al., 2024; Rafiq et al., 2024). A more inclusive approach to WIL is today formulated as a transdisciplinary research field, defined by issues focusing on the relationship between work and learning. (Lundh Snis et al., 2025). [. . .]