International social work collaboratory
Partnerships and study around the globe are building a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge and skills.
Through its International Social Work Collaboratory, the VCU School of Social Work is creating research partnerships, learning opportunities and teaching collaborations that are spanning from Richmond across the globe, furthering the transfer of knowledge and skills in both directions.
Leading the effort is Denise Burnette, Ph.D., a professor and the the school's Wurtzel Endowed Chair in Social Work. Dr. Burnette has had international Fulbright appointments in India, Botswana and Mongolia, and leveraged her connections and expertise to facilitate new programming that will benefit the school as well as students, faculty and communities abroad.
“The most treasured gift of my international work has been the deep, enduring relationships with social work scholars who have committed their personal lives and professional careers to the well-being of their societies and citizens,” she says.
“In developing research partnerships in other parts of the world, I have only worked in low- and middle-income countries. If somebody wants to work in Italy or France, I’m probably not your person,” Burnette says with a laugh. “If somebody wants to go to Malawi or Laos, then we can talk.”
Students participating in a trip to Kerala, India, over the 2024-2025 winter break. (Credit: Sterling Murray, SSW)
Study abroad: India, South Africa, Ghana
With a history of service abroad trips to the Dominican Republic, Belize and Guyana in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the School of Social Work is revitalizing its legacy through study abroad opportunities that run nearly year-round.
Winter break: India
Over winter break in December 2024-January 2025, VCU undergraduate students traveled to Kerala, India with Burnette and Stephanie Odera, Ed.D., the B.S.W. Program director.
Students explored India’s ancient humanistic principles of rights and justice in the “Kerala Model” of social welfare at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, along with field visits and cultural events. They also attended the International Consortium for Social Development Conference.
Spring break: South Africa
Maurice Gattis, Ph.D., social work associate professor, leads Camp Qmunity Cape Town & Johannesburg: LGBTQIA+ Intersectional Experiences of Post Colonial South Africa over spring break in March.
Working with the University of the Western Cape, Dr. Gattis uses an intersectional lens that includes gender, sexuality, race, and class to highlight social issues and how local organizations address issues experienced by the local LGBTQIA+ community. He is a two-time Fulbright awardee and previously studied in Toronto.
Summer break: Ghana
Nicole Corley, Ph.D., social work associate professor, leads Exploring Ghana Through the Lens of Art, Identity, and Social Justice during summer break in June.
Dr. Corley focuses on the value of African knowledge and African solutions in the international community and gaining a holistic understanding of Ghana and the richness of its cultural identity expressed through music, art, and other cultural traditions.
Virtual exchange program: Ghana
Dr. Corley received a Global Learning Program Development Award from VCU Global Education Office to support a Spring 2025 virtual exchange program between the School of Social Work and the University of Ghana's Department of Social Work.
The exchange is a four-week collaborative module exploring policy-related matters across borders in Dr. Corley's Spring SLWK606 Policy Communication and Organizational Practice II and UG faculty member Dr. Jones Adu-Gyamfi's Spring SOWK 613: Project Development and Management.
This virtual exchange aims to increase international and global awareness and competencies of social work students through carefully planned online learning activities.
Global memoranda of understanding
Mongolia: National University of Medical Sciences
Matt Bogenschutz, Ph.D., (pictured, far right) associate professor of social work and director of Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND), is leading a partnership with Mongolia's leading academic, research and medical institution in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
Partnering with Dr. Bogenschutz is Saranchuluun (Sara) Otgon, Ph.D., (near right) a disability rights pioneer, social work educator and member of Mongolia's parliament.
The joint research team is gathering data for a project that will lead to better supports and resources for an estimated 12,000 children with disabilities in Mongolia.
"We will have very good quantitative and qualitative data and will use the study results to (improve) family mentorship programs in Mongolia for parents and caregivers," Dr. Otgon says. "We will be able to explore what families need psychologically, socially and emotionally. This is our hope. It's more than hope ... it's planned."
South Korea
Social work faculty Youngmi Kim, Ph.D., professor, and Kyenongmo Kim, Ph.D., associate professor, are leading partnerships with with Dongguk University and Pusan National University in South Korea. Beginning in 2025, these partnerships will feature collaborative research and student and faculty exchanges.
Opportunities under exploration
Field placements (India): Dr. Burnette is working with colleagues at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai to establish field placement opportunities for VCU social work students. In addition to urban sites in Mumbai, students might be placed with Pragati, a rural field action project of the TISS Center for Health and Mental Health, established in 1986. They would work alongside TISS students on issues of livelihood and sustainable development in a tribal community.
Visiting scholars: Members of the collaboratory will also be working to identify potential international post-doctoral fellows and applicants for international research and teaching opportunities, including the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence A visiting scholar from Korea will spend a sabbatical year at the school in 2025-2026.