Interacciones entre patrón e injerto

At home or abroad (2 x 5 days or 10-14 days) Module 4: Studies and/or Practice Placement

Abroad (min. 3 months, mostly one term/semester) The emphasis could be on study or on practice or on a programme combining studies and practice placement. The study programme would focus on giving an introduction to the social and educational system of the host country (social policy, legal framework, social administration, social and education services at local level). The practice placement would take place in a selected area of practice and would be supported by supervision and practice teaching.

Students having successfully completed all modules are awarded with the ACCESS certificate.

In 1998 Franz Hamburger presented an evaluation of ACCESS (Hamburger, 1998a, 9-28). Some 18 Universities from seven different countries had participated. A broad field of disciplines had been included e.g. social work, social policy, education, social pedagogy, community and youth work and others.

The main results concerning the spread of ACCESS were: - until 1998 about 120 certificates had been awarded

- the use of the ACCESS concentrated in a few universities in Germany and Switzerland

- ACCESS had a larger impact as it was model for several joint study programmes in other networks and Intensive Programmes. All in all Hamburger came to a positive evaluation. ACCESS was successful in promoting the international dimension in the curricula of several universities. Personal initiative and international commitment was required for the students participating in this experience, but the European orientation rewarded them with enrichment of the curriculum and broadening of professional and personal competencies (knowledge, methodological and communication skills). ACCESS had proved to be an effective base for deepening and enlarging international cooperation and the competence of participating students.

Hamburger also showed that there were some preconditions for these positive effects:

- a group of active and engaged lecturers

- the integration of the international programme in the curriculum - a flexible curriculum with optional courses making the

addition of new elements possible without formal decisions by academic and administrative authorities

Today the ACCESS Programme is still in use in several Universities, mainly in Germany and Switzerland and up to now the total number of delivered certificates amounts to 280.

Further Development of ACCESS in Bern

At the School of Social Work of the University of Applied Sciences in Bern, Switzerland, ACCESS is largely used by students since the Swiss participation in the ERASMUS Programme in 1991. But the programme was modified and adapted. In the following I will describe the discussions of the shortcomings of ACCESS leading to adaptations of the original ACCESS scheme which had proved to be a useful instrument for furthering the internationalisation of the curriculum.

1 From language tuition to the professional use of foreign language in social work

The resources for language tuition are scarce and restricted, as language teaching is not the core task of schools of social work. In addition the use of general language courses can be contested as they usually do not introduce the technical terms of the profession. Furthermore 60 hours are not enough to learn a language sufficiently to be able to work in the field of social work.

The revision of this module started with two considerations: - Every European university degree should certify that the

bearer is able to understand at least three languages and to communicate on a professional level in two languages. - Swiss researchers showed that students have good knowledge

of two foreign languages (mostly English and French respectively German) at the beginning of their studies. But these capacities are lost at time of graduation due to a lack of practice. Furthermore the known languages can not be used in a professional context as the technical terms are not learned.

So the aim of the reform of this first module was to integrate courses in foreign languages in the curriculum as learning opportunity for specialised language and the terminology of social work. An obligation for every Student to have at least one course in a foreign language was introduced in the general curriculum. Students aiming at the ACCESS had to take at least two courses in a language other

than German. In addition we encourage the students to document their language skills by presenting the European language portfolio. Today most of the courses are optional but we aim at offering courses in the regular programme so that students can chose to do them in German or in a foreign language.

2 From European Community Studies to an international perspective of social work

Although this module made an innovative and enriching contribution to the social work curricula of the time when it was conceived, it showed to be too restricted as well in its contents as in the methods taught. It concentrates on a European perspective dismissing the view of international social work in a global perspective. Community education is in the centre whereas the approaches of other social professions are not taken into account. Important topics are not included in this programme such as the international organisations of social work and social policy and human rights as a value base for social work. The scope of the module with its 60 Lessons is very restricted for the broad field of topics. In particular there is no specific preparation of the stay abroad such as culture learning, intercultural communication etc.

A revision aimed at giving an overview of the international dimension of social work and enriching the curriculum with a variety of relevant courses. Furthermore the programme should provide a preparation, support and evaluation of terms abroad.

Two courses were introduced as compulsory for ACCESS

- ERASMUS-Colloquium: Here the exchanges a prepared systematically: (exchanges in social work; preparation and evaluation of terms abroad, knowledge about the receiving country, intercultural learning and communication)

- Introduction to International Social Work: Globalisation and social problems; International social policy of international organisations such as the UN and several of its organisations;

Human rights; humanitarian and development aid; European Union and European Council; international organisations of social work; internationalisation at home; the changing role of social work in a globalised world; Social policy in the EU and in the European Council; from the welfare state to a welfare world.

A variety of optional courses are introduced in the programme (partly given in foreign languages as English, French or Spanish)

- Comparative social work and social work in Europe - Developmental and humanitarian aid and social work

- Social work in post war society (peace building, trauma treatment)

- Minority rights and social work

- Politica neoliberal, politica social y trabajo social

- Transnational Social Work e.g. Romas and Sintis in Europe; international adoptions; refugees and remigration to war torn and traumatized countries

- Cross Cultural Social Work - Human Rights and Social Work

To give a full picture it must be said that the regular curriculum for all students contains a course on migration and work with migrants and refugees