In early May, six practising social workers from India, Vietnam, Spain, Turkey, Germany and Switzerland arrived in Finland for a three-week exchange. It was organised by the Council of International Fellowship (CIF), a body arranging exchange programmes and conferences for social workers.
Leo Heikkilä has volunteered as a coordinator for the programme in Finland since the 1990s. He sees the programme as a means of fostering intercultural understanding while broadening participants’ knowledge and perspectives on social work.
The programme consists of lectures, visits to a range of public authorities and organisations, and a short field placement in Finnish welfare services counties. During their stay, participants live with Finnish host families.
“All components are essential for participants to gain insight into three separate spheres: theory, practice and daily life,” notes Heikkilä.
Almost four decades of collaboration
CIF was founded in the 1950s in the United States to serve as a bridge between countries by facilitating professional exchange after the Second World War. Finland joined the programme in 1986 and has since welcomed six or seven participants annually.
Soc&kom has been one of the programme’s partners almost from its inception. This is thanks to the involvement of the institution’s then-rector, Gunvor Brettschneider, who had herself participated in 1963 and was keen to bring Soc&kom on board.
Soc&kom staff representing the discipline of social work typically contribute by delivering a number of lectures and providing a space for a social gathering for the participants, their hosts families and CIF Finland members.
“Soc&kom has a warm, familiar feel – a perfect fit for the exchange programme. It’s easy to come together here,” says Heikkilä.
New and critical perspectives
Coordinating the exchange programme at Soc&kom, Doctoral Researcher Christa Järvinen lectured this year on Finnish social worker training and social policy.
She herself has learned from the programme even if the subjects have not directly aligned with her research.
“The participants showed a great deal of interest and posed thoughtful questions, encouraging a critical examination of one’s own system and its limitations. When discussing Finnish social policy, I made it a point to highlight that the system is not flawless, which the participants appreciated.”
University Lecturer Tobias Pötzsch gave a talk on critical social work and integration. He notes how this type of exchange programme reminds people of the importance of the international perspective within social work.
“Social work is about more than the exercise of official authority. These kinds of exchange opportunities demonstrate that work can take various forms across different countries, with varying theories, viewpoints and approaches.”
Järvinen agrees.
“Collaboration within social work is actually relatively limited, with the notable exceptions of international research conferences and specific research projects. More international collaboration would definitely be welcome.”
Challenges and opportunities ahead
Despite its strengths, the programme faces some challenges. Student participation has ceased in recent years and it has become difficult to secure resources to support participants throughout their stay.
“It would be fantastic if more researchers and students participated actively, as it would foster more opportunities for engagement,” says Heikkilä.
Both Pötzsch and Järvinen believe that Soc&kom students are interested in international collaboration.
“We should ensure that our students aren’t isolated in a world where everyone is similar, but that we highlight the diversity out there, encouraging them to, for instance, seek practical training abroad,” notes Pötzsch.
[KS1]Ruotsiksi sanotaan, että viime vuosina opiskelijat eivät ole osallistuneet ohjelmaan (“Under de senaste åren har studenter inte deltagit”). Jos kuitenkin tarkoitetaan, että opiskelijoiden osallistuminen on viime vuosina vähentynyt, käännökseen tulisi näin:
"Student participation has declined in recent years, and [...]."