Students gain global perspective in Portugal
Dr. Sharvari Karandikar says she was deeply honored to be invited to Portugal as a Fulbright Specialist near the end of 2023. It was a meaningful moment in her professional journey.
The U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Specialist Program partners with international institutions to bring American scholars abroad, offering a platform to share their teaching and research. Karandikar was able to collaborate with the University of Coimbra, where she lectured and conducted training on global human trafficking, the sex trade and migration.
What began as a personal milestone grew into something even more fulfilling: a return visit just 17 months later, this time accompanied by 10 students and Dean David Jenkins to participate in the weeklong Spring Institute on Sustainability and Social Work.
After several planning meetings in Portugal in the summer of 2024 with Ohio State colleague Dr. Njeri Kagotho and remote monthly meetings thereafter, in March the group joined social work students and educators from Portugal, Poland and Spain.
“Our aim was to offer immersive exposure to social work pedagogy and practice through in-depth interactions and intensive exchange of ideas,” says Karandikar, who is associate dean of academic affairs and teaches a course in international social work.
“I hoped our students would gain a global perspective on social work—learning firsthand how it is taught, practiced and understood in different countries. I wanted them to engage with humility and respect for cultural differences and keep an open mind as they explored topics such as eco-social work, sustainability and climate change.”
Ohio State’s travelers, a mix of graduate and doctoral students, were chosen based on the thoughtfulness and quality of their responses on a questionnaire about their interest in the program and their global social work goals. International experience wasn’t required, and several students were going abroad for the first time. Each received a $1,500 scholarship to cover costs.
Before the trip, all the participants were divided into six groups during two three-hour Zoom sessions, with mixed nationalities on every team. Each group was given a sustainability challenge where members had to discuss and understand a case study, and then recommend solutions during team presentations at the end of the trip. That was in addition to field visits, workshops, sightseeing and group meals so the students could connect socially.
I love how this opportunity grew because Dr. Karandikar had established these relationships and was able to help coordinate this experience. It is a beautiful example of some of the more indirect products from our research.
— Dean Jenkins
The trip exceeded expectations. Ritika Kurup (PhD ’26) says the cultural and language barriers she encountered stretched her and gave her an appreciation for what immigrants and refugees who come to the U.S. face when they must navigate completely new systems in English. She used Google Translate to help during her interactions and during two additional presentations she was invited to give at Coimbra.
The international students’ perspectives on social work also were eye-opening, she says, especially their holistic approach to climate justice and sustainability.
“Compared to the U.S., where we can choose to pursue these courses, the students in programs from Portugal, Spain and Poland are expected to have these competencies,” says Kurup, who worked on a disaster preparedness case study.
Alexis Johnson (MSW ’26) says what struck her was how international students’ classes and practicums differ from those of U.S. students, although the number of years they spend in school and in internships is similar.
Also universal were people’s values and principles, says Amanda Loch (MSW ’25). “But there are definitely differences in approach as well as in what people believe to be true and right,” she says. “It’s necessary to see social work in a global context and decenter from the United States. It required me to stretch a lot of the cultural awareness skills that are prioritized in social work education.”
Adegbemisola Adeduro (MSW ’25), who took some time to visit a Portuguese organization that supports individuals with disabilities, says she came back inspired.
“The Spring Institute came at the perfect time,” she says. “It revitalized my sense of purpose and commitment to social work. I returned feeling more confident and motivated to make a meaningful impact in my community. I got a valuable new lens through which to view social work and the world.”
Karandikar says the students exceeded the academic goals of the institute and all got high marks for their presentations.
There already is talk of a second collaboration in Spain, she says. “We want to build on this momentum and create sustained, meaningful learning opportunities that enrich global social work education and practice.”
