We offer a unique opportunity to participate in the GLOBAL SESSIONS 2023 arranged as a Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP).
The overall theme of the BIP is Vulnerable youth – Prospects and challenges for young people in late modern societies.
The inspiring programme consists of lectures, workshops and collaborative teamwork online or at campus during an intensive week in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Global Sessions gather students, teachers, scholars, and professionals from mainly social work and health care/nursing and related sciences to highlight actual and pressing topics of common concern. This year we focus on vulnerability among certain groups of youth.
The Global Sessions is arranged as a Blended-intensive program (BIP-course) with finance from the Erasmus program. A BIP course starts with a digital part and all students registered to participate during the intensive week in Stockholm are encouraged to take part in the digital kick-off workshop where a general introduction on the topic will be provided with, reading tips and discussions in smaller student groups.
You will enhance the international dimension in your studies and academic activities. You will connect with students from different parts of the world. A way to explore the possibility of future field studies, practice, and extending your international networks and global issues of common concern.
Sustainability: We will relate to the Global Goals, Agenda 2030, the Paris Agreement, and The Glasgow Climate Pact and see the contributions from our different disciplines with learned experiences and activities in the field.
Inequalities & Vulnerability. How do we target and understand inequalities & vulnerability? Are there new patterns that we need to address in our education and research efforts?
Interdisciplinary in approach and learning when we treat our different subjects.
International and global give us perspectives and understanding of complex issues.
Intercultural is more than understanding the other, but also us and the processes of social exchanges within and between communities in society and the world.
We will address the issues around sustainability and vulnerability relating to our professions and academic disciplines, both in theory and practice. We will get some examples from the field, but most important, this is an opportunity to get to learn from other students and colleagues from different backgrounds around the globe. The course approach is international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary.
Participating on-site in Stockholm
This way of participation requires the student to participate in:
Participation online
This way of participation requires the student to participate in:
Links to the online activities will be e-mailed to registered students on the 15th of May 2023.
By submitting the form you agree to our privacy policy. Read about our policy here:
mchs.se/engelska/marie-cederschiold-university/archive/integritetspolicy-gdpr.html
National Library of Sweden – Monday the 29 of May Starts at 17:00 (last for about one hour)
We will be introduced in the very intresting collection of different sources of publications stored in the Royal library. The Royal library collect, preserve and make available nearly everything that is published in Sweden- manuscripts to books, newspappers, advetisements, music, film, computer games etc. The library is located in a very nice part of central Stockholm in an old and unique building.
We meet at 4.10 pm in the entrance to the main building on Marie Cederschiöld University's campus (address: Stigbergsgatan 30) for a joint journey by bus to the royal library. You need valid means of transport for public transport, read more about tickets at SL (https://sl.se/en/in-english/fares--tickets/). If you want to get there yourself, you can meet us outside the entrance to the Royal Library at 4.40 pm at the address Humlegårdsgatan 26.
Read more about the Royal library here:
In English – Kungliga biblioteket – Sveriges nationalbibliotek – kb.se
Student pub – Thursday the 1st of June
The student union at Marie Cederschiöld University organizes a student pub for participants of the global session and students at Marie Cederschiöld. The event takes place at H62 (h62.se) at Hornsgatan 62 between 18:00 and 01:00.
Vulnerable youth – Prospects and challenges for young people in late modern societies
The transition from childhood to adulthood has always involved phases of uncertainty and risks but in times of a rapidly changing world, the demands can for some groups of youth challenge their health and well-being. Youth are at a crucial point in their physical and psychological development, when enhanced vulnerability to the effects of stress and everyday anxiety elevates their risk of developing depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
Advances in digitalization mean new and different ways of communicating information, interaction, and social issues with pros and cons for the individual youth. Moreover, education has become an area of a young person’s life rife with the pressures of competition together with worries about studies and exam pressures, and where different groups of young people have unequal access to proper education with affects their prospects for the future. The war in Ukraine and other conflicts leave no one untouched and for the many youths forced to migrate the need to make sense of displacement and violence together with the need to re-establish identity and a rupture life course can be more than challenging.
Youth engagement in climate changes results in climate anxiety, and guilt as well as creating a mass movement. In our personal and professional lives, we have to recognize youth’s vulnerability along with their prospects and resources to be able to enhance the next generation to be healthy and sustainable.
On completion of the Global Sessions BIP- course, the student:
Who can participate?
Mainly social work and nursing students, teachers, scholars, and professionals interested in the international dimension of their studies and/or professions, by invitation from one of the partner universities in the Global Sessions.
08:30-11:00
Aulan: 1.1, 2.1, 3.4, 4.1, 1.2: Åsa, Karin
Sal 5: 2.2, 3.3, 4.2, 1.3, 2.3: Angelika, Esther, Michele
Martasalen floor 10 (not in the same building, see map): 3.1-3.2, 4.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.4 Johan, Minna, Katja
Instructions for kick-off workshops for students partcipating on campus , 296 kB.
Presentation digital kick-off , 437 kB.
The overall theme of the Global Session Vulnerable youth – Prospects and challenges for young people in late modern societies will be explored through four different tracks. Students will be able to immerse themselves into one track but there will be cross-section activities for students on-site to enhance learning related to all tracks. Each student will get an e-mail the 15 of May with information about which track the student will belong to. There is no room for individual chocies.
General information about the tracks
Track 1. Mental illness – living in an uncertain and competitive environment
Mental illness among young people has increased in the past decades. Depression and anxiety have been pointed out as forms of mental illness that nowadays affect young people particularly hard. Greater uncertainty in the outside world and increased demands on performance have been identified as reasons behind this development. Young people also have worse prospects for the future than previous generations, when it comes to work and the opportunities to live a good life, which affects psychological well-being. Being exposed to social media and the digital world has also been found to increase the mental illness of certain groups of young people, for instance, exposure to 24/7 bullying and hate and threats online. At the same time, young people are also establishing supporting functions and safe spaces online, which also meant new opportunities to counteract ill health and promote well-being.
Track 2. Education – to not fit in the existing school system
Education is a key factor in the development of young people's health, economic and social life. Education can prevent adverse developments among young people at-risk or those that have experienced childhood trauma. School attendance provides youth with a setting for academic development and opportunities to develop social competence and relationships. At the same time, many young people are not receiving education, despite it being part of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and many young people do not experience school as a safe place, because of bullying, violence, and requirements that are difficult to meet. Research also indicates that school absenteeism is a common, serious, and increasing problem. School absenteeism is also linked to increased risk for substance abuse, violence, suicide attempt, risky sexual behavior, pregnancy, delinquency-related behaviors, injury, and illness.
Track 3. Involuntary migration - to be lost in an unknown society
Young people make up about ten percent of the total amount of migrants, which means about 30 million young people. With some 71 million youth unemployed globally, the search for work continues to be a significant driver of youth migration. Many young people also need to leave their homelands as refugees, alone or together with their family, acquaintances, or relatives. Being forced to leave the home constitutes a great danger for the youths. Even if they manage to find safety, great challenges remain in integrating and managing to find their place in a new existence, for instance learning a new culture and managing to succeed in school and the labor market.
Track 4. Climate change challenges - climate actions
Climate change can no longer be viewed as merely an environmental phenomenon but instead a human crisis. Young people of today grow up in an increasingly dangerous world as climate change disrupts the environment with threats to youths’ health, nutrition, education, and development with an impact on youths’ survival and a vital future. Climate change causes loss and damage, with unequal impacts on the different nations and a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. Concepts such as power, access to resources, and justice are crucial for understanding and tackling this crisis. Eco-anxiety and climate distress increase along with climate actions often enhanced by young climate activists, showing that youth are anxious about their collective futures and want change.
Instructions for digital kick-off workshop for students taking part online , 206 kB.
Presentation digital kick-off , 437 kB.
The overall theme of the Global Session Vulnerable youth – Prospects and challenges for young people in late modern societies will be explored through different learning activites which together will bring different perspectives related to the theme. Most activities will be carried out in the bigger group of all students participating on-line but there will also be break out rooms for smaller collaborations in groups. All students will also take part in a group work (with the same students working together on a special topic through the whole week) resulting in a presentation the 2 of June. Each student will get an e-mail the 15 of May with links to general lectures, field visits and group work.
The overall theme of the Global Session Vulnerable youth – Prospects and challenges for young people in late modern societies will be explored through four different topics –
Mental illness – living in an uncertain and competitive environment
Mental illness among young people has increased in the past decades. Depression and anxiety have been pointed out as forms of mental illness that nowadays affect young people particularly hard. Greater uncertainty in the outside world and increased demands on performance have been identified as reasons behind this development. Young people also have worse prospects for the future than previous generations, when it comes to work and the opportunities to live a good life, which affects psychological well-being. Being exposed to social media and the digital world has also been found to increase the mental illness of certain groups of young people, for instance, exposure to 24/7 bullying and hate and threats online. At the same time, young people are also establishing supporting functions and safe spaces online, which also meant new opportunities to counteract ill health and promote well-being.
Education – to not fit in the existing school system
Education is a key factor in the development of young people's health, economic and social life. Education can prevent adverse developments among young people at-risk or those that have experienced childhood trauma. School attendance provides youth with a setting for academic development and opportunities to develop social competence and relationships. At the same time, many young people are not receiving education, despite it being part of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and many young people do not experience school as a safe place, because of bullying, violence, and requirements that are difficult to meet. Research also indicates that school absenteeism is a common, serious, and increasing problem. School absenteeism is also linked to increased risk for substance abuse, violence, suicide attempt, risky sexual behavior, pregnancy, delinquency-related behaviors, injury, and illness.
Involuntary migration - to be lost in an unknown society
Young people make up about ten percent of the total amount of migrants, which means about 30 million young people. With some 71 million youth unemployed globally, the search for work continues to be a significant driver of youth migration. Many young people also need to leave their homelands as refugees, alone or together with their family, acquaintances, or relatives. Being forced to leave the home constitutes a great danger for the youths. Even if they manage to find safety, great challenges remain in integrating and managing to find their place in a new existence, for instance learning a new culture and managing to succeed in school and the labor market.
Climate change challenges - climate actions
Climate change can no longer be viewed as merely an environmental phenomenon but instead a human crisis. Young people of today grow up in an increasingly dangerous world as climate change disrupts the environment with threats to youths’ health, nutrition, education, and development with an impact on youths’ survival and a vital future. Climate change causes loss and damage, with unequal impacts on the different nations and a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. Concepts such as power, access to resources, and justice are crucial for understanding and tackling this crisis. Eco-anxiety and climate distress increase along with climate actions often enhanced by young climate activists, showing that youth are anxious about their collective futures and want change.
Attendance Certificate
Students who participate as registered students and take part in all academic activities will get an attendance certificate distributed by the teacher from their university.
European Credits, ETCS
For those students who participate in the Global sessions as part of a regular program accredited through the European Transfer Credit System (ECTS), full participation at the Global Sessions, including student presentations will be awarded 3 ETCS. The examination will be done by your teacher from your home university.
Marie Cederschiöld University is located in Södermalm on the south side of City and the Old town Stigbergsgatan 30 – Google Maps. The closest Metro stations are Slussen and Medborgarplatsen.
Metro, local buses and trains
Take a look at www.sl.se (public transportation journey planner) to see how long it will take to get to the University (Stigbergsgatan 30) from your accommodation, if it’s not a walking distance.
Download SL app to find out how to get to different places by underground train, bus or commuter train. You can pay your trip credit card /payment card on a bus, or you can buy a ticket in advance in the SL app or in a kiosk. Please note that you cannot buy your ticket with cash on the bus.
For more information on the fare for the metro and the city buses and how to buy tickets, see this webpage: https://sl.se/en/in-english/fares--tickets/
How to travel from Arlanda airport to Stockholm Central
By train
There are several trains which stop at Arlanda: regular commuter trains, high-speed trains (Arlanda Express) and long-distance trains.
The fastest (but most expensive) is Arlanda Express but they have a special deal for two persons travelling at the same time and it’s also cheaper if you’re under 25.
See this link for more information on the trains: https://www.swedavia.com/arlanda/train/
By bus
You can also take to bus to the city central, https://www.swedavia.com/arlanda/bus/. It takes longer than the train but is usually less expensive.
Ersta hotell och konferens, Erstagatan 1K, 116 28 Stockholm Ersta hotell (erstadiakoni.se)
Scandic sjöfartshotellet, Katarinavägen 26, 104 65 Stockholm Scandic Sjöfartshotellet | Hotell vid Slussen i Stockholm | Scandic Hotels
Scandic Malmen, Götgatan 49-51, Stockholm Scandic Malmen | Bo vid SoFo på Södermalm | Scandic Hotels
STF Zinkensdamm Hostel, Zinkens väg 20, 117 41 Stockholm, Hem - zinkensdamm.com
Skanstulls Boutique Hostel, Ringvägen 135, 116 61 Stockholm https://skanstulls.se
Mosebacke Hostel, Högbergsgatan 26, 11620 Stockholm, Mosebacke Hostel - Vandrarhem med hotellkänsla i Stockholm
Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel, Soder Malarstrand, Kajplats 13, Stockholm, 118 25 Stockholm Rygerfjord – Hostel & Hotel
More hostels
Vandrarhem på Södermalm (vandrarhem-stockholm.se)
During Global Sessions 2023, teaching materials will be shared via folders in google drive. It can be about documents, links, and films that you should take part in before and during GS. Which folder you should go to find your material is determined by whether you are going to participate on-site or online and which track you belong to.
Below you see the folders for the different parts of GS:
Digital kick-off (22 May)
Global session online (29 May – 2 June)
Track 1 (29 May – 2 June)
Track 2 (29 May – 2 June)
Track 3 (29 May – 2 June)
Track 4 (29 May – 2 June)
The field visits are carried out within each track and are linked to the theme of the track. Since the field visits only can accommodate a limited number of visitors they are exclusive for our international guests (MCHS students, see information below). You find more information about the field visits (Wednesday) and the presentation of the field visits (Thursday) below.
Field visit 1: Fryshuset Foundation (Track 1 and 2)
This field visit is for students belonging to Track 1 (mental illness) and Track 2 (education)
Meeting point for departure (31 May, 13.30): The stairwell hall (Stigbergsgatan 30) - Floor 1 (entrance)
Responsible teacher: Filip Wollter
Field visit 2: The Multicultural Suburb of Jordbro (Track 3)
This field visit is for students belonging to Track 3 (involuntary migration)
Meeting point for departure (31 May, 13.30): The stairwell hall (Stigbergsgatan 30) - Floor 2
Responsible teachers: Johan Gärde & Angelica Kulbay (social worker, Jordbro)
Field visit 3: Allotment gardens Tanto (Track 4)
This field visit is for students belonging to Track 4 (climate change)
Meeting point for departure (31 May, 13.30): The stairwell hall (Stigbergsgatan 30) - Floor 3
Responsible teacher: Åsa Kneck & Ingrid Rogblad (guide)
Information about the field visits presentation (Thursday 09.00-10.15)
On Thursday students share and discuss their experiences of the field visits. This will be done in two separate classrooms (Aulan and Stora salen). Students from münchen and MCHS nurse students go to classroom Aulan for the presentation. International guests not from München and MCHS social work students go to classroom Stora salen for presentation. Students of each track must decide how to present and discuss the field visits in each classroom. A good idea could be for the track members that will present in the same classroom to start to talk about the presentation on the way to the visit and maybe has a short meeting afterward. On Thursday (09.00 – 10.15) each track is given about 15 minutes for presentation, discussion, and questions from the audience.
Information to Marie Cederschiöld students
Unfortunately, the field visits are for our international guests due to limited possibilities to accommodate larger groups. Erasmus students at Marie Cederschiöld University can come to the field visits as you are so few. There are a few places left for MCHS students, so those who would like to join the field visits can come to the meeting place (see below) and we will fill up until all available places are taken. Marie Cederschiöld students not following the field visits are expected to read about the work and history of the field visit organizations. Prepare some questions for the presentation on Thursday, which you are obligated to participate in.
The field visits
Field visit 1: Fryshuset Foundation
The field visits for track 2 are carried out at the Fryshuset Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that runs around 60 different activities in several locations around Sweden, where young people have the opportunity to exercise their passions, create and participate in leisure activities, education, training, and work. Fryshuset was founded in 1984 by the enthusiast Anders Carlberg in an old cold storage facility. We will visit this cold storage facility, which nowadays is Fryhuset's main house in Stockholm, located in Hammarby Sjöstad. You find more information about Fryshuset here:
https://fryshuset.se/plats/global
Field visit 2: The Multicultural Suburb of Jordbro
We visit one of the suburbs labeled as “ a socially deprived area“ and part of the so-called Million Program, with cheap affordable housing, but also an environment that leads to segregation and many social challenges. We focus on the youth and visit the field team of the social services in the area. Field assistants work in outreach and prevention with young people. The field assistants work both day and evening, Monday to Saturday, and move in environments where children and young people are often found. A field assistant is an extra adult that young people can talk to and receive support from.
Field visit 3: Allotment gardens Tanto
A blooming walk through some of Stockholm's most beautiful allotment gardens (kolonistugeområden). A unique cultural and historical surrounding coloring the slopes by the water on Södermalm in Stockholm. We will enjoy the rich biodiversity and visit a couple of the gardens as well as the tiny museum of the community. The history of the allotment movement is linear with the evolution of the democracy movement in Sweden 100 years ago. The years at the beginning of the 20th century were turbulent times. Urban gardening was of great importance for economic survival and today it plays an important role in social as well as ecological sustainability.
Sweden: Track 1. Mental illness – living in an uncertain and competitive environment
“The Sköndal Fountain House is one of Sweden's thirteen Fountain Houses. Our organization is religiously and politically independent and we address people with mental illness . From the beginning, the house focused on young adults, but now all people between the ages of 18 and 65 are welcome. Here, through community, work and participation, you can break your isolation, structure your day, perform meaningful tasks, socialize, strengthen your self-esteem and create new relationships. We have everything you need for you to find peace of mind, joy, creativity, rest and community. You come here on your own terms and we value your experiences.”
Responsible: Olivia Arbouz & Johan Gärde
Time: 10-11:30 (CEST, Stockholm-time)
Link will be provided separately.
India: Tracks 2-4
Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, is situated at the southern tip of India. Kerala is famed for festivals, lake-sea-mountain scapes, political activism, favourable social indices, education and religious harmony. The digital field visit features two such prominent settlements - Rajaji Nagar representing an urban slum and Anjengo, a coastal fishing settlement.
Rajaji Nagar (previously a space for brick-kiln) is a densely populated slum settlement sprawling over 11.26 acres in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram City.
Rajaji Nagar hosts 1100 households, and a population of around 6500, living in complete harmony cutting across religion and ideology. Rajaji Nagar residents encounter social exclusion and discrimination from the outer urban world on account of caste (different from racism), illiteracy, unemployment, crime rates, etc. Because of the settlement has multiple entry and exit points and has close proximity to the key logistics centers of the City, it is a hotspot for drug peddling. With the increased incidence of cases, the women in the community joined hands with the Government, Departments of Health and Social Welfare, and NGOs to bring about a change in the incidence of drugs and also facilitates in progressive development in the community.
Rajaji Nagar https://maps.app.goo.gl/oDz6AHieFiZzEpBL8
Anjengo (Anjuthengu), a coastal panchayat and town located along the Thiruvananthapuram-Varkala- Kollam Coastal highway has a rich cultural heritage intertwined with the Colonial past.
Situated around a Fort built for the British, the community is well bonded with their sole source of income coming from seasonal fishing. Being situated in close proximity to the sea, Anjengo community is prone to harsh sea and sea erosion that affects their livelihood. Yet, their resilience and the mitigative strategies have held good in building a progressive self-sufficient community.
Anjengo Community https://maps.app.goo.gl/fjugemUVNig4qSk2A
Responsible: Sonny Jose and students.
Åsa Kneck (ÅK), Associate Professor, RN; PhD, Department of Health Care Sciences and Nursing, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden. https://www.mchs.se/engelska/marie-cederschiold-university/archive/contact/staff/asa-kneck.html
Johan Gärde (JG), Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden. https://www.mchs.se/engelska/marie-cederschiold-university/archive/contact/staff/johan-garde.html
Filip Wollter (FW), PhD, Social Work, Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden. https://www.mchs.se/engelska/marie-cederschiold-university/archive/contact/staff/filip-wollter.html
Joel Lundgren (JL), RN, MSc, Department of Health Care Sciences and Nursing, Marie Cederschiöld University, Sweden https://www.mchs.se/arkiv/listning-anstallda/anstallda/joel-lundgren.html
Esther Bussmann, Senior Lecturer, ZHAWSchool of Social Work, Zürich, Switzerland https://www.zhaw.ch/en/about-us/person/bsse/
Karin Werner, PhD, Senior Lecturer, ZHAWSchool of Social Work, Zürich, Switzerland https://www.zhaw.ch/en/about-us/person/weka/
Angelika Iser (AI), Dr. Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University for Applied Sciences, Germany. https://www.sw.hm.edu/die_fakultaet/personen/professoren/iser/index.de.html
Katja Stoppenbrink, Dr., Professor of Ethics in the Social Professions, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University for Applied Sciences, Germany.
https://www.sw.hm.edu/die_fakultaet/personen/professoren/stoppenbrink/Stoppenbrink.de.html
Sonny Jose (SJ), Associate Professor, Head of Department of Social Work, Loyola College of Social
Sciences, Kerala, India. https://in.linkedin.com/in/sonny-jose-09874217a
Eugene Sensenig (ES), Director of Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC), Professor, International Relations, Gender and Global Mobility Studies, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences (FLPS), Notre Dame University, Lebanon. https://www.ndu.edu.lb/Library/Assets/Files/Documents/NDUFacultyProfiles/FLPSProfiles/Eugene%20Sensenig.pdf
Vibeke Syppli Enrum (VSE), Lecturer, UCL University College (Denmark). https://www.ucviden.dk/da/persons/vibeke-syppli-enrum
Minna Niemi (MN) Principal lecturer, Social and Health Care Unit , TAMK Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland. https://www.linkedin.com/in/minna-niemi-0952465a/
Marja Katisko, Principal Lecturer in Diaconia University of Applied Sciences,DIAK, Finland. Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland. https://www.diak.fi/en/diak/contact-us/dr-marja-katisko/
Steffen Suur-Nuuja, Associate Professor Faculty of Social Studies, VID, Oslo, Norway Faculty of Social Studies
Michele Pizzera, MSc Social Work, Scientific Researcher, ZHAW School of Social Work, Zürich, Switzerland, https://www.zhaw.ch/de/ueber-uns/person/pizz/