(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)May 3, 2021

MAHWAH, N.J. — Ramapo College of New Jersey recently hosted the Global Social Work Symposium in partnership with Haifa University (Israel), Universidad de Caldas (Colombia), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana). The topic of the two-day symposium was “Innovative Teaching Strategies in the Time of COVID19: Global Perspectives on Social Work Education.”

The symposium was born out of collegial conversations around the world and the experiences of teaching social work during the Covid-19 pandemic. In all, 20 individual sessions were conducted by 41 presenters from various institutions in the US, Israel, Portugal, Colombia and Spain. Discussions included innovative practices and potential collaboration methods for research and teaching.

Ramapo Associate Professor of Social Work John P. McTighe, Ph.D., was among the symposium coordinators.

“At a time when social work educators the world over are compelled to respond nimbly and creatively to the demands of teaching our students under unprecedented conditions, creating and hosting the Global Social Work Symposium was one step that we could take at Ramapo College to foster that essential conversation by bringing together a global community of scholars to share insights and best practices,” said McTighe, who also serves as convener and director of the undergraduate social work program at Ramapo. “More than ever, it is essential that we cultivate a global consciousness and an awareness of our interdependence. The Covid-19 pandemic has offered a stark reminder that the social work profession around the world needs to claim the power of its voice and the leadership role it has to play in fostering the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

Yael Latzer, D.Sc., Dean of the School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel, applauded the collaboration among social work professionals, especially throughout the last year. “During Covid-19, the vitality and effectiveness of the social work profession was very prominent,” said Latzer, one of the symposium coordinators. “The use of online communication proved to be significant to connect with each other and exchange opinions share ideas beyond geographical distance, and will continue to provide a platform for young researchers to present their work and a great opportunity for academic and research collaboration.”

Mark Lamar, MSW, MBA, LCSW, Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Executive Director of Field Education at Rutgers University School of Social Work, was among the presenters. “My colleagues and I cannot thank Ramapo enough for the pre-conference support and in-session conversation,” said Lamar, who, with other Rutgers faculty, presented “Using Simulation to Teach MSW Generalist MSW Students Engagement and Assessment Skills.”

For a list of presenters and topics, visit https://www.ramapo.edu/international/gsws21/

A Symposium Proceedings will be published and posted to this web page in late September 2021.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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