Opportunities for International Study

The School of Social Policy & Practice takes seriously its responsibility to educate our students for leadership positions both nationally and internationally. Thus, the School has created a wide range of international education and research opportunities for students, field instructors, post-doctoral scholars, visiting scholars and others associated with the School. In general, the School’s international educational and research activities are organized into three primary streams:

International Research and Study Opportunities at SP2 for American Students

Opportunities for Penn SP2 students to spend up to eight weeks during the summer in another country to undertake a comparative research study on a topic of mutual interest to the student and the student’s advisor. The application for all Penn SP2 study abroad programs can be found at: http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/~restes/PIE.doc.

Formal linkage programs:

The School has formal research and study abroad programs with three European centers of social work/social policy:

Informal Linkage Programs:

The School has informal research and study abroad programs with a wide range of universities located in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The activation of a particular program depends both on student interest and advisor availability in the host country.

In general, these informal linkage programs are organized through the School’s network of graduate alumni and/or faculty collaborative research efforts.

Individualized research programs:

Drawing on its network of professional relationships with colleagues working around the world, including many Penn alumni, the School is able to work with students in organizing highly individualized programs of comparative research in countries not covered by the School’s existing formal and informal linkage relationships.

In every case, however, students must take the initiative with both Penn and the proposed faculty host in conceptualizing and planning the details of these individualized programs of research.
Examples of recent international study experiences completed by students in the School include:

A study of “resilency” among Burmese refugee women conducted in Thailand in cooperation with a local nongovernmental organization and a Penn PhD graduate

A study of “intimate violence” among men and women in Guatemala City conducted in cooperation with the Psychology Faculty of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala

Students are supported in conducting their individualized program of international study through:

Research and Study Opportunities at SP2 for International Students

In addition to American students pursuing research and educational opportunities outside the United States, the School also welcomes students into its degree programs who are nationals of other countries. Currently, students from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe are enrolled in the School’s various graduate programs.

The administrative and financial arrangements associated with each international student’s enrollment in the School’s degree programs are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Once admitted to one of the School’s degree programs, international students may participate in any of the formal and informal study abroad opportunities available to other students in the School.

Further, international students are encouraged to use as many of their courses at Penn as they wish to deepen their understanding of both the American social work/social welfare system and that of their own country.

Visiting Scholars

Since its founding in 1908 the School has served as temporary home for hundreds of Visiting Scholars from throughout the world. The tradition of welcoming social work and social welfare scholars from abroad into the School continues today and is reflected in the many scholars who regard the School as their “research home” while in the United States. The following chart identifies the name and country of origin of some of the School’s most recent Visiting Scholars:

Byung Hyun Park Visiting Scholar Pusan, Korea 2/02-1/03
Dorit Roer-Strier Visiting Scholar Jerusalem, Israel 8/02-8/05
Tatsuru Akimoto Visiting Scholar Tokyo, Japan 9/02-6/03
Kai Fong Chan Visiting Scholar Hong Kong, China 7/01-1/02
Bong Sun Hong Visiting Scholar Pusan, Korea 9/01-8/02
Arie Rimmerman Research Associate Haifa, Israel 9/01-6/02
Young-Sik Lim Visiting Scholar Seoul, Korea 7/00-2/02
Zvi Eisikovits Visiting Professor Haifa, Israel 7/00-6/01; 6/03-5/06
Suyun Lee Visiting Scholar Seoul, Korea 7/00-8/01
Hans-Uwe Otto Adjunct Professor Bielefeld, Germany 2/99-6/02
Ku Shaoxiong Visiting Scholar Jiangsu, China 7/99-6/00
Batkhishig Adilibishiin Visiting Scholar Mongolia 1/99-12/99
Ivar Lodemel Visiting Scholar Oslo, Norway 9/98-6/99
Marina Tselykh Regional Scholar
Exchange Program
Fulbright Scholar		 Taganrog, Russia 1999; 2004-05
Kwang Son Visiting Scholar Seoul, Korea 1/95-6/96

Administrative and financial arrangements relating to Visiting Scholar appointments are highly individualized and, in every case, require a high level of self-financing. Typically, proposals for Visiting Scholar positions are reviewed jointly by the Dean’s Office, the School’s Personnel Committee and the School’s Oversight Committee for International Activities. Visiting Scholars normally are appointed to the faculty for a maximum of two academic semesters.

For its part, the School provides Visiting Scholars with an auspice, a faculty sponsor, office space, computer and internet support, introductions to other scholars at Penn who share similar or related research interests, assistance in setting up a schedule of research appointments, and opportunities to discuss their research at various colloquia.

Opportunities also may exist for the development of on-going cooperative research projects between Visiting Scholars and members of the School’s permanent faculty.

Inquiries concerning the School’s various international programs and other activities should be directed to Professor Richard Estes, Director of International Programs (restes@sp2.upenn.edu).