Program

Time and duration: Wednesday - Tuesday 23.5-29.5.2018
Place: University of Lapland

The first part of the program includes brief lectures, panel presentations, and small group discussions. Lecturers include faculty and practitioners from Finland, U.S., Hong Kong, Austria and other countries represented in the program. Students also share information about their home countries and work experiences in student panels. Participants engage in small group discussions on topics related to social work (e.g., ethics) and the impact of globalization (e.g., media). A social-cultural program includes a welcoming party and pot luck dinner & sauna evening.

Program for the lecture week 23.5-29.5.2018

Wed. 23 May

Welcoming remarks by Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences in University of Lapland and leader of the Summer School Program Professor Stanley Witkin, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Participant Introductions

Lectures and Workshop Groups

Welcoming Party

Thu. 24 May

Lectures, Student Panels and Workshop Groups

Fri. 25 May

Lectures, Student Panels and Workshop Groups

International Evening

Sat. 26 May

Optional visits to Rovaniemi Museums

Arktikum: Science center and museum that lets you experience northern nature, culture and history up close

Science Center Pilke: the opportunity to explore the forest with all your senses and from many different angles (Cost: 5 €/student, combination ticket to Pilke and Korundi 10 €/student)

Korundi: House of culture and Rovaniemi Art Museum (Cost: 7 €/student, combination ticket to Pilke and Korundi 10 €/student)

Sun. 27 May

Free time to explore Rovaniemi

Mon. 28 May

Lectures, Student Panels and Workshop Groups

Pot Luck Dinner and sauna evening

Tue. 29 May

Lectures, Student Panels and Workshop Groups

Closing ceremony

Welcoming Party

Time and place: Wednesday 23.5.2018 restaurant Petronella at University

A welcoming party is a great opportunity to get to know the other participants of the summer school in an informal way.

International Evening

Time and place: Friday 25.5.2018 lecture halls 17 & 18

During the international evening each country represented in the summer school has an opportunity to share something about their culture. Presentations may include history, arts, geography, language, dress, customs, or anything that participants would like others to know or experience. In past years, for example, participants have shared food and music, worn traditional clothing, displayed photographs, and taught dances, games and folk tales. The atmosphere is informal and fun.

Pot Luck Dinner and Sauna Evening

Time and place: Monday 28.5.2018 lecture halls 17 & 18 and University's sauna building

Participants of the summer school share traditional food and/or beverages from their home countries. There is also possibility to go to Finnish sauna.

Excursion to Utsjoki/Kevo

Time and duration: Wednesday- Friday 30.5-1.6.2018

This excursion takes us to Utsjoki, Finland’s northernmost municipality, located 367 km north of the Arctic Circle. We travel by bus through southern Lapland’s woods towards the fell area of Lapland and the Finnish Sami district. We stay two nights at Kevo, a subarctic research station, operated by the University of Turku. During our travels we make brief stops at sites of interest such as social service agencies, the Sami Parliament, a Sami Reindeer Farm and Siida, the Sami museum. While at Kevo, we travel to Utsjoki and visit a high school, the bridge that crosses the Teno river bordering Finland and Norway, and a church village.

The trip introduces us to Sami Culture and social services to Lapland’s indigenous Sámi population. At Kevo we learn about the unique flora and fauna of Lapland while experiencing the pristine environment of the far north including the indescribable Midnight Sun. For the complete Lapland experience, there is opportunity to partake in sauna followed by a dip in the clean, cold water of a subarctic lake.

Costs for this excursion are about 150 euros, which inlcudes accommodation, transportation, meals and entrance fees.

Please note that the number of places on this trip is limited. We will confirm the participation list for the trip by April 16. Students will have the option of agency visits on Wednesday 30 May in lieu of the excursion to Kevo (min. 10 students). Please consider this when you make your travel plans to and from Rovaniemi.

Extended Program: Excursion to Helsinki

Time and duration: Saturday- Wednesday 2.-6.6.2018

For summer school participants interested in learnin about some of the social service programs and cultural offerings of Finland's largest city, Helsinki, we offer an extended summer school program. The region around Helsinki forms a metropolitan area with over one million inhabitants and is the home of the majority of immigrant and refugee populations. As the capital of Finland, Helsinki houses the Office of the President, the Parliament, and many government ministries. It is also the home of many wonderful museums and other cultural attractions. As a group, we will visit one such attraction: Suomenlinna, a 17th century island fortress in the Gulf of Finland. We also will visit some exemplary social service agencies. There will also be free time to explore the city on your own. You should periodically check this website for the specific itinerary.

Participants in the Helsinki excursion are responsible for makin their own travel, lodging and other arrangements as there will be no accompanying University of Lapland staff (however, there will be staff from the U.S., Hong Kong, and possibly other countries). The lodging site for summer school participants is the Hostel Academica. Accommodation costs are about 120 € for the entire stay. When possible, and  if desired, we will help arrange rooms with three people to cut down on costs.

If you want to participate in this part of the program, be sure to fully complete the section of the application pertaining to the Helsinki excursion. Submitting you summer school application early will help us to coordinate these arrangements.