Welcome to The Social Pod, a podcast brought to you by Socknet98, a network of universities
sharing the common interest for social work in an international perspective.
In our episodes, you will hear from students around the world studying social work and
interviews and lectures from our international university weeks.
So welcome to this episode of The Social Pod.
And this episode's topic is going to be on actually what is international university
weeks going to be in 2024.
And together here in, we're sitting in Girona in Spain.
And together with me, I have two of my colleagues and please do an introduction.
Yes, I'm Anders Riep.
I'm the international coordinator in the education of social work in Odense in Denmark.
And I'm Ralf from UCLA Løve.
I'm the international advisor of social work in Løve.
Yeah, and both of you are going to actually have an international university week in the
spring.
And in this episode, we're going to talk about the different topics that you're going to
cover, what we can expect of maybe field visits, and so on.
So the listener, this is probably students that is interested in going to international
university week, but they don't know where to go.
Those students will have a better understanding of where to go.
Exactly.
Should we start with Denmark?
Yes, we can do that.
How is international university week in Denmark going to be?
Well, very interesting and with a lot of different experience, both social, academic and cultural.
So the topic for the week is digitalization and social work.
And the question is, what is that really?
And we don't have the...
There's first of all, not one answer to this.
And second of all, I think we could approach the topic in many different ways, both with
criticism, with discussions and debates about how does digitalization influence on social
work.
Yeah.
But you're thinking about both advantages and disadvantages?
Yes, of course.
I think all social workers, people who have been in the field for a long time, maybe have
a little more doubt than the young people.
So there is a gap between maybe us as lecturers and teachers and the students who are more
younger generation and more used to digitalization in their life.
But digitalization is in social work already.
And sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not.
And we would like to, first of all, know how is it in all the other countries.
So people coming to International Week, we would like to hear about social work and digitalization.
What's pros and cons?
And also maybe examples on how social workers are using digital platforms.
Some of my colleagues have made projects about the topics in different ways and they will
do a keynote speak and tell a little about it.
And we will have field visits where we go to talk to social workers about how do they
work with digitalization.
And it could be using the smartphone with young people or it could be how is the client
met in the reception with maybe not a human being, but kind of a screen and they have
to, in a way, digital sign in that they are now at the job center.
So we would like to also be a little critical.
How does the digitalization influence the conversation between the social worker and
the client?
But what are the benefits?
How can we benefit from it?
So we don't have the answers, but we would like to discuss it.
Because what I was first thinking about was I just spooled back.
I was thinking about 10 years ago in my working place as a social worker, it was a huge discussion
about Facebook.
Yeah.
How should, should we, should we as social workers need to know about Facebook and how
to use it because our clients are using Facebook?
And is that a part of our work?
And I remember this discussion back then.
It was like, no, this is something else.
This is nothing including social work.
Facebook is something else.
So the client should figure out how to use Facebook themselves.
So that is one, looking back 10 years.
And I think right now people would think, of course, as a social worker, you need to
be a little bit update on what platforms are young people on, for example.
But not only that, but also how can we utilize it?
Yeah.
Something positive.
Yeah.
So the topic is quite broad.
So it's not only young people, but for instance, in Denmark, there has been this big project
pointing out that young people don't feel good.
There's a whole generation of young people who don't feel good.
I think you know it from your countries as well.
And some may say, does this has anything to do with social media and digitalization?
So in that perspective, when you are a social worker meeting young people, it could be an
aspect of what you need to talk about.
But it could also be elder people going to the social worker and you need them to use
the smartphone or use the computer, but maybe they don't have the skills.
So it could give some boundaries.
It could give some distance, but it could also be something that could make a lot of
things very much easier.
Could there be a place as well in that conference for how to say the digitalization for youngsters,
for minors?
Yes.
So how to deal, for instance, with TikTok and all other social media and the vulnerability
of them?
Yes.
Because I can imagine in Belgium, we have a lot of social workers dealing with that
topic, how to inform, but as well go into discussion with youngsters about sharing vulnerable
information on the Internet, etc.
Yeah, we have this umbrella case.
It was called in Denmark where young people shared sexual activities with each other.
And there's a very strict legislation about what can you share.
Of course, you know this.
And a lot of young people could get into quite a lot of trouble.
So yeah.
And it could also be about now we have the digitalization, but is there a movement towards
it?
Because we also hear and see in other countries and also in Denmark that there are more and
more talks about how nature is important for people and how we should also work with nature.
So that could actually also be an interesting topic.
Why do these things at the same time get really important?
So we are very open to many different ways of approaching this topic.
Yeah.
Could you just also for students that wonder about going to Denmark, to Odense, could you
say just draw a picture of what is Odense?
What is the feel of the place?
Well, it's the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tale writer.
It's quite a large city in Denmark.
And it's in the center of Denmark.
So it's quite easy to go there by train if you go by plane from Copenhagen.
And it's quite easy to enter from train from Germany, for instance, or Belgium.
And it's a nice place.
We have a lot of students of our own, 10 or 15 students involved, who will make an effort
to make your students comfortable at the International Week as well.
That's great.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
So where's the next place the students can choose to go?
Well, as we told previously, students are invited, quarterly invited to come to Löfven
We will have an International Week there.
Löfven in Belgium.
Löfven in Belgium, UCLL will be hosting there one of the International Weeks in April 2024.
And especially the Department of Social Work will be hosting this conference.
So we invite students within SocNet.
And beside that, we will have another network where we invite students, which is called
Busynet.
And beside that, we will have as well people coming from Latin America, 10, 15 students
from Ecuador.
And the total number of students you're thinking about?
We're thinking about 130, 120, 130 students.
That's huge.
Yeah.
What is the topic that you're going to have?
The topic is, of course, we try to tackle one of the most actual topics, human rights
and social professionals.
As a never ending story.
So that will be the title of the conference.
As human rights are considered as fundamental.
And in that way, as well, a very important topic for social workers.
If we just think about the consequences of two wars that are going on by now.
People are migrating, coming into Belgium, etc.
And this brings other topics in view, like housing, but as well surviving and learning
languages, etc.
So it's giving them a place in your own society and how to bring those people closer to other
people in their environment, etc.
So we would like to share those experiences in a European context at first, but as well,
as I told you before, think in a broader perspective, on a worldwide perspective.
So, in fact, if we see social workers, those workers are on a daily basis confronted with
the violation of human rights.
And that's the way how we want to look at it and see from three perspectives, in fact.
First we would like to have what is the policy in the different countries about those topics
connected to human rights.
I think this will already show us a different kind of policy in the way of, for instance,
acting towards migrants, etc.
But secondly, as well, what do we know from research from the different countries?
What do they, in fact, what kind of research do we do on that topic?
What do we do with the results?
What kind of results do we get?
And do we bring them in comparison in a European scale?
So that's what we want to do as well.
And then the third option will be what is the methodology to work with those people
or to prevent some aspects.
So I think it's really a broad topic and everyone is welcome to just bring his or her ideas
on this fundamental topic.
In the city of Leuven.
In the city of Leuven, which is close to Brussels.
So we provide as well on Wednesday in that week.
So we have workshops and seminars like Anne-Sophie told already in her week as well.
So on Wednesday, we'll do some field visits, but as well, some visit to Brussels to explore
that what they call the so-called heart of Europe.
What is, I would say, not directly visible for the eye.
And what is connected to human rights.
So we will visit organizations who work with people coming in without a job, without or
looking for education, etc.
And that's 20 kilometers from Leuven.
Leuven is well known as a university city.
We have one of the oldest universities of Europe for the 15th century, 1425.
So when you walk in Leuven, you feel the atmosphere of some parts walking into a medieval
town.
Yeah.
And that's lovely.
That's lovely.
So there is 60,000 students only of the university.
And then we have the University of Applied Sciences of UCLA.
Another more than 15,000.
So that brings us to really a student city.
So besides the content of the human rights topic, there is, of course, a lot to see and
to visit and to share with other students in Leuven.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
The third place that is going to have International University of the Week would be in...
Džilava.
In Džilava.
Džilava.
I'm trying to pronounce it the right way.
Džilava.
Yeah.
In the Czech.
In the Czech Republic.
Yeah.
That's the right way.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, I could not be here on this podcast episode.
So we will try together to do the best thing.
Yes.
I'm presenting also Džilava.
So Džilava is a city.
It's in Czech Republic.
And the topic of their International University of the Week will be social work in mental
health care.
I find that personally, I didn't actually introduce myself to the podcast episode.
I'm the international coordinator for University of Southeastern Norway.
And my name is Steinar Víkolt.
And the bachelor degree, social work bachelor degree that I'm presenting a lot of time in
Norway has a big focus on mental health care and working within this field.
So I think that for my students, this will be extremely interesting on how do you actually
receive social work within mental health care.
So that's the topic of Džilava.
And they also presenting that there will be field visits going into Prague and having
field visits to the brewery.
To the brewery.
OK.
I wouldn't connect that immediately with mental health care.
No.
But OK.
Yeah.
They also have field visits to the psychiatry department and also service for people with
autism.
So that is interesting.
Field visits.
I can imagine the topic brings me back to your topic, Anne-Sophie, because you told
us there is more and more youngsters after Covid had to deal with depression, etc.
So I can imagine that in that week, we covered that kind of topics as well.
What is the place and what is the task and what can a social worker mean in that dialogue
with youngsters who face that kind of depression or mental?
Yeah, I think that being aware of mental health services or as a social worker, of course,
that is a big part of your job.
So absolutely.
But and this may be I'm going a little bit off topic here, but do we see social workers
more and more working with people that is mentally ill, if we can use that expression?
Or should that be someone else's department?
I'm talking about therapy.
It has to be a combination, I think.
But of course, many social workers will meet people with mental challenges, I think, in
many perspectives.
And I just thought the way the thing you said that if you, for instance, work with people
with mental challenges, using social media or technology, digitalization could actually
help if you have young people or adults with social anxiety.
It could be a good way of actually being in contact with that person if it's easier to
connect in social media.
So it was just a thought about this.
And I would like to focus if we connect social worker with mental health on the preventive
way.
Yeah.
So not only when the mental illness is already there, but just what can we do to prevent
it in a broader perspective?
What kind of social worker can we add to society or change possibly in society that
for youngsters, it brings them some benefit much more than tackle for themselves the difficulties
and then have depression or whatever.
Absolutely.
So, we're talking to students that are interested in going to different international university
weeks.
But what from your experience, because you are experienced international coordinators
within SACNET, what is the main thing that the students learn when they're out on international
university week besides the topics of the different places?
Yeah.
I evaluate with the students after they have been participating in international weeks.
One of the things they always say is like, it's like a mirror on your own academic background
or your profession.
So when you meet students from other countries, when you participate in workshops held by
lectures from other countries, and when you are participating in field visits in other
countries and see and hear and talk to social workers in other countries and see where they
work, it is like you'll be very much aware of what is your own professional background
as well.
So this, it's like a mirror.
You get so much knowledge from all the others, a broader perspective in a global context,
mainly European.
But also you get so much more knowledge about who am I as a profession.
And beside that, of course, the language.
They learn for themselves to speak in some way fluently English.
Beside that, I would say the intercultural exchange.
They see, they have their perspective on a topic and then they learn, oh, someone else
can have a totally different kind of perspective.
That tells me a little bit about his or her biography and the cultural background.
So I think this is much more interesting than the content on its own that you say, OK, oh,
we were sharing here things.
And then, of course, by sharing things, it is in some way caring.
And then some really beautiful friendships are discovered and get alive.
So I think as well on the personal level, I always hear at the end of the bachelor's
studies, I always hear some of my students saying this is an experience for life.
Absolutely.
So even though the students may not be sure about where they want to go, they should go.
They should go.
Perhaps the place can be, for some interesting points, if you, for instance, Jilava is close
to Prague, I can imagine afterwards or before they spend some days in Prague, which is the
same for Löwen, which is the same for Odense.
You can always connect it with, oh, let's spend two days in Copenhagen or let's spend
two days in Brussels, whatever.
So I think that as well, traveling is in some ways bringing you back to your basics.
And I think also that some, always students, they give us feedback on what can be improved,
but a lot of those improvements that they say or complaints is actually just, yeah,
you've been in touch with another culture.
So we're not going to change this because this is a part of the experience.
You're going to experience stuff that makes you uncertain, uncomfortable, but that is
actually a part of also learning another culture.
You need to be vulnerable for new experiences.
When we're talking about young people and mental health, I think that a lot of our students
need that experience.
Even though it's uncomfortable, they need that experience about traveling abroad and
facing something that might be uncomfortable.
But that also is also for our colleagues.
Because it's actually the same thing they say when they have been participating for
the first time in International Week.
It's quite the same experience they have.
It's a broader perspective on social work.
It's like I'm so much more aware of where I'm from and what my profession is in Denmark
because I've connected and talked to people.
But just one thing I thought about, a lot of my students, they write to me when I give
the information about, now it's time you can sign in for International Week.
They're like, I'm interested, but I'm not good enough in the language, in English.
And it's really a shame if they don't just do it because of that.
Because I think the level of English is, I think in all of our countries we learn English
quite well in school and it's totally possible to participate with that level of English.
That's my experience.
Absolutely.
So if you feel that I'm uncertain about my level of English, that may be the reason why
you should actually try.
Because then you can meet people that also not having their English as the first language,
you're meeting other people.
Yeah, exactly.
And then you will get a new perspective on that.
I was pretty decent.
We all challenge a little bit.
We try to explain the concepts who we're talking about with the topics, but then we
learn something new.
And such an International Week is just a little push in the back to go abroad.
And even for some students, it's quite interesting if they graduate in this small course and
they get some kind of paper and they say, okay, I will put it on my CV.
Absolutely.
Because the internationalization as a kind of, yeah, I learned that.
I want to share it with my later profession.
That's great.
Thank you so much for sharing about the different International University Weeks.
You're welcome.
And we hope as many students as possible will join our International University Weeks.
Of course.
Thank you.