Interprofessional Study Abroad: Enhancing Social Justice and Sustainability through Shared Experiential Learning

ABSTRACT

Study abroad programs are increasingly encouraged as a method for students to develop cross-cultural competence and awareness of how to practice in diverse and multi-national settings. Barriers can exist to study abroad related to financing, scheduling, personal/professional obligations, and lack of international experience for novices. Short-term, faculty-led study abroad courses help to ameliorate these barriers, and still provide students with opportunities for experiential learning. A short-term interprofessional study course to Asia with business and health and human services undergraduate and graduate students provides opportunities for not only cross-cultural but transdisciplinary learning. The course provided participants with interprofessional learning about current issues in social justice, corporate social responsibility, development, and sustainability. Implementation, qualitative results, and future foci are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Study abroad
• sustainability
• social justice
• environmental justice
• interprofessional

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ Development funding for this project was provided, in part, by The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

² Special thanks for Professor Julie Clark, School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Australia.

³ Special thanks to the Office of International Affairs, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

⁴ Special thanks to the Rajagiri Center for Business Studies, Kochi, Kerala, India.

⁵ Special thanks to the Deshpande Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Hublli, Karnataka, India.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Harrison

Jennifer Harrison PhD, LMSW, CAADC is a social worker and chemical addictions counselor.  She is currently an associate professor and interim director of the School of Social Work at Western Michigan University.  Jennifer has been in clinical and administrative practice for over 25 years, and has incorporated global learning primarily in India and Guatemala to her teaching and research.

Timothy Palmer

Timothy Palmer PhD, MBA is a full professor of management and the director of the Center for Sustainable Business Practices in the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University.  Tim has worked for many years to incorporate social justice and sustainability in his teaching and scholarship, including courses, research, and coordinating joint MBA programs with two universities in India.