IU School of Social Work

IU School of Social Work

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SDG 17: PARTNERSHIPS for the GOALS

Global/Community-University Engagement: Indiana University Indianapolis and the Osijek-Baranja Community, Croatia, and the University of Osijek. 

Background: For over a decade and a half, the Indiana University School of Social Work has worked with the Osijek-Baranja communities on the east side of Croatia, a region heavily affected by Croatia’s War of Independence in the 1990s. Throughout this time, we developed a strong infrastructure to advance our global learning, teaching, research, and service. Our work spotlights the importance of forging partnerships in which trust, reciprocity, and transatlantic goal settings are central to fostering and strengthening global competencies and collective agency for a greater impact.

Specifically, during this time:
 
-IU faculty, the University of Osijek, and members of the Osijek-Baranja community engaged in research projects, institutional capacity building, and transatlantic activities focused on strengthening international social work education at home and abroad.

-Our Croatian Partners received one national and one IUI campus award for Partnerships in International Education.

-We strengthened our partnerships with local community organizations and national and international entities, including the UN agencies present in Croatia (UNICEF and UNHCR) and the US Embassy in Zagreb.

-Twelve generations of IU students participated in our community-based global learning study-abroad program entitled: Social Work Practice in Post-War Communities -see IUSSW study abroad portfolio.

-We increased synergies and partnerships between local stakeholders and CSOs; Over 40 local organizations are working with ne another as a result of our presence and interactions with the local communities.

-We increased the visibility and importance of community-university-engaged work in the region.

-We hosted visiting faculty from Croatia to the IUI campus for award recognitions and education exchanges.

-Two social work practicum sites were developed for graduation requirements.

-We supported the development of a graduate social work program (MSW) at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Faculty of Law. This program also is one of the first in the region that has a community-university-engaged curriculum.

-Four IU faculty members were awarded visiting faculty positions to teach at the university. As a result of their teaching engagements, the IU faculty has identified research interests that are critical to addressing both local and global challenges.

-Furthermore, IUSSW’s ongoing work with the PRONI Centre for Social Education and other local community organizations represents an example of how global partnerships contribute to IU’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

-We established a community-university-engaged research agenda.

-We published an edited on social work and social development representing the Southeastern European region. In this World Together: Global Social Work and Social Development, https://www.pravos.unios.hr/webshop/product/in-this-world-together-global-social-work-and-social-development/.

-In the fall of 2023, Mr. Ivan Anusic, the vice president of Croatia and Prime Minister of Defense, visited Indiana University to learn about and explore opportunities for collaboration between our universities, institutions, communities, and locales.

-As a result of our work in Croatia and through the Southeaster European Women Leaders Network, we extended our academic activities to Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and five other countries in the region, including Slovenia, Greece, Montenegro, Albania, and Bulgaria.

-We developed one more practicum site in Kosovo at the University of Pristina.

-Associate Dean Sue Babich of the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health joined the IUSSW abroad in Croatia and is now working on setting up school activities with the IU Medical School from Osijek, Department of Public Health.

Our impact in Croatia and Southeastern Europe can be organized around timelines and themes, attesting to the importance of celebrating each contribution we made to one another, strengthening our collective agency, and, with that, our contribution as universities to the United Nations’ SDG 17, Strengthening the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.


Global Partnership for a Greater Impact: A Snapshot of Global Learning Outcomes 

 

Activity Details

  • 2009-2011: Research Project - Parental Involvement in Post-War Community Development

    IU-Faculty established an initial partnership in collaboration with one faculty from the University of Zagreb Faculty and PRONI Centre for Social Education. Data from this research led to:

    • The development of a local organization advancing volunteering in the schools in Vukovar and the region.
    • Four advocacy community-based forums to increase the awareness and importance of volunteering in the Vukovar-Osijek Region
    • Education: Youth community leaders from Croatia participated in more than twenty community-engaged classroom presentations from IUSSW graduate and undergraduate
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    • Three Publications and peer-review presentations:
      • Luca Sugawara, C.G., Hermoso, J.C., Delale, A., Hoffman, K., & Lupsic, D. (2012). Parental involvement in an emerging democracy: The case of Croatia. Advances in Social Work 13(2), 451-470. https://doi.org/10.18060/1965
      • Luca Sugawara, C.G., Hermoso, J.C., Delale, A., & Lupsic, D. (2014). Schools as pillars of postwar recovery: Rethinking the role of parental involvement. Social Development Issues, 36 (1), 17-32.
      • Hermoso, J.C & Luca Sugawara, C.G. (2016). Mainstreaming a gender perspective to peacemaking: A framework for policy evaluation for UNSCR 1325. Social Development Issues, 38 (2), 68-81.
      • Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2011, January). Parental involvement: A niche for social fabric renewal in postconflict communities. Presentation at the 15th Annual Society for Social Work Research Conference, Tampa, FL.
      • Luca Sugawara, C.G. & Hoffman, K. (2012, November). Using the common morality framework in postwar community research. Paper presented at the 58th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Washington, DC.

  • 2010-Present: Global Learning - Study-Abroad Program - SW Practice in Post-War Community

    NOTE: This course was developed as a result of our research partnership and understanding of the multiple knowledges local communities have to prepare social work students’ readiness to work with post-war community members.

    • Twelve generations of students participated in this community-based global learning course.
    • Five faculty developed international practice competencies by supporting and participating (in faculty support roles) in this course.
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    • Institutional Visibility:
      • After PRONI received the OIA’s Global Partners award in 2015, the Prime Minister of Croatia recognized PRONI for their contributions to strengthening local and global youth’s ability to engage in the world.
    • 15 local NGOs participated as hosts to students repeatedly over the years, thus creating a network of empowered organizations and knowledge about service-learning on this topic, including it in their strategic plans.
    • Each involved CSO partnered with different schools of J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, (PRONI with 5) and Vukovar College Lavoslav Ružička, creating placements for local students and their service learning.
    • Increase synergetic work between local Croatian CSOs [More than 40 organizations and institutions hosted students and presented their work, being introduced to this program, and as such, developed further cooperation with PRONI Centre and other host organizations.
    • 7 host families have enrolled in the program over the years, looking forward to meeting and hosting new students as well as remaining in contact with previous ones.]
    • PRONI Centre is recognized in the community as an organization that promotes public discussion on the role and involvement of higher education institutions, programs, and students in community development and the importance of close cooperation between the academic community, institutions, and civil society organizations for systematic community development.
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    • Three Peer-review conference presentations:
      • Luca Sugawara, C.G., Carlson, J. M., Makki, S., and Vukovic, S. (2017, July). International Service-Learning in Post War Croatia: Capacity Building for the Social Work Profession. Paper presented at the 20th Biennial International Symposium of International Consortium for Social Development, Zagreb, Croatia.
      • Luca Sugawara, C. G. & Killian Kinney (2019, January). Paving the Road towards Global Social Work Practitioners: Short-Term Study Abroad and Emotional Intelligence Development. Paper presented at the SSWR’s 23rd Annual Conference Ending Gender Based, Family and Community Violence, Society for Social Work Education. San Francisco.
      • Price, M.F. , Makki Alamdari, S., Luca Sugawara, C.G. Steele, J.. Leslie, Aguirre, O. & Vuković, S. (2019, November). Building our capacity for relational program planning in GSL: Lessons from an institution - community partner action research project. Global Service-Learning Summit, Clemenson University, South Carolina. 3-6, November
      • Ficarra, J., Luca Sugawara, C. G., Odhiambo, P., Vuković, S. Price, M., (2022). Open Forum II: Addressing the Hidden Curriculum in Academic–Host Community Relationships. The Forum on Education Abroad. September 29. https://forumea.org/open-forum-ii-addressing-the-hidden-curriculum-in-academic-host-community-relationships/
      • Luca Sugawara, C.G., Kyere, E. & Price, M. (2024). Centering Context: Moving from replicating cultural trauma to trust and wholeness in EA teaching and learning relationships. The Forum on Education Abroad, Annual Conference, Boston, March 20-22.
    • Community Forum/Presentations:
      • Taking on a convener role, IUSSW and PRONI Centre for Social Education worked on\ bringing together diverse community stakeholders to engage in critical conversations about the role of universities in working with local communities for a greater impact.
        • Luca Sugawara, C.G. (2024). Culturally Responsive Approaches to Community Practice. Community-University Community Forum, Osijek, Croatia, May 2024.
        • Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2023, May). The power of youth in community reconstruction. Community Forum, Osijek, Croatia.
        • Luca Sugawara, C.G. (2020). With the Community for the Community: A framework for strengthening local capacity for community development through community-engaged programs. University of Osijek, and CSO Community Presentation. American Corner, Osijek, Croatia, March 8.
        • Luca Sugawara, C.G., Natasha B., Carlson, J.M. (2018, June). Youth Volunteerism in Post-War Regions: Pupils, Schools and the Community Presentation. Community Forum in Osijek, Croatia.
    • Students’ Symposium/Guest Presentation:
      • Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2022). Social Work Education for the Future: Challenges of Today – Opportunities of Tomorrow. First Student Congress, University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia. May 26-27.
    • Developed five international practicum sites for social work students in Croatia and Kosovo.

  • 2017-Present: Graduate Program in Social Work at the University of Osijek, Croatia

    Contributed to the development of a Graduate Program in Social Work at the University of Osijek, Croatia

    • Four IU faculty taught [for three years] at the University of Osijek, and the program is slowly moving toward its sustainability.
    • MSW Courses and supportive materials Developed
    • The same faculty mentored four teaching assistants.
    • Published an edited book to support regional scholarship development

    The book opening event was organized as part of the IU Gateway Berlin - European Encounters Series.

  • 2019-Present: Community-University-Engaged Research Agenda

    Advanced a COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH AGENDA spanning four countries in Southeastern Europe.

    GRANTS

    Received the IU Presidential Award, a Fulbright Scholar Award, and the Julia & Dennis Watkins Foundation Grant in support of exploring the role of universities in strengthening local capacity for development.

    SCHOLARSHIP:

    • Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2022). Higher Education Institutions’ Roles in Strengthening Local Capacity for Community Development: An Analytical Framework. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (JHEOE) , 26(3), 163-176. View Publication
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    • Luca Sugawara, C. G., Matesic, N., Paton, G., & Ray-Bennett, K. (2023). Global solidarity – Voices from Croatian Mobile Social Education Partners. In Alastair, R. .; Gülhan, Tankut, S.. ; Bazuń, Dorota - ed. ; Kwiatkowski, M. (Eds.). Knowledge on the move. Studies on Mobility Socia Education  Oficyna Naukowa". oai:zbc.uz.zgora.pl:72196 https://zbc.uz.zgora.pl/repozytorium/dlibra/publication/79484/edition/72196?language=en#description
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    • Luca Sugawara, C. G., Kim, H.-W., Modić Stanke, K., Krasniqi, V., & Basic, S. (2023). The role of community-university engagement in strengthening local community capacity in Southeastern Europe. International Journal of Educational Development, Volume 98 (April 2023), Article number 102747. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102747
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    • Luca Sugawara, C. G.and Kyere, E. (2024). Braving the pathways to community reconstructions. The power of youth engagement in the post-war context. In Kyere, E., Marasovic, K., Luca Sugawara, C. (Eds.) In This Word Together: Global Social Work and Social Development (pp. 245-270).  University of Osijek Press.

    PRESENTATIONS

    • Luca Sugawara, C. G. (2020). Strengthening local capacity for community development through community-engaged programs. Third European Conference on Service-learning in Higher Education What does it mean to be (come) an Engaged University? Multiplier event of Erasmus+ project SLIHE, June 13-15, Scheduled in Bratislava, Slovakia. [online] http://www.slihe.eu/programme/15th-july-2020-conference
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    • Luca Sugawara, C.G, Bašić.S., Krasniqi, V., Caha, D. Makki Alamdari, S., Kim, H., Stanke, K. (2020) Higher education and community-engaged programs: A strategy for building local capacity for community development in post-communist countries. Workshop accepted at the Social Work Education and Social Development: Promoting Human Relationship, Building the Future. Rimini, Italy, Nov 8-11.