Visiting scholars from Italy with HDFS students and their professor, Barbara Settles
One of the main priorities for UD is the increased internationalization of the campus and the curriculum. In that vein HDFS sponsored several significant global initiatives this month: As seen below, our faculty and grad students have also increased their global reach! As our world increasingly globalizes it is imperative for us to facilitate and build on these connections. In HDFS we promote and encourage diversity, intercultural learning and global competence.
Ciao!
Bahira Sherif Trask, HDFS department chair
Rob Palkovitz, HDFS professor, presented two keynote addresses at the Taiwan Family Policy Conference in Tainan City on October 5 and in Taipei on October 8. The first address was titled “Fathering for Life: The importance of fathering for men’s adult development.” And the second was “Fathering for Life: The importance of fathering for child development.” The talks emphasized shifting from traditional views of fathering and father involvement toward more inclusive understandings of the importance of father-child relationship
quality. The conference was attended by national and city government leaders, social scientists, and community leaders.
Palkovitz explains, “This is a pivotal time in the history of families in Taiwan, as I sense a cultural shift in the role prescriptions for fathers toward more engaged fathering and more focus on the importance of the affective domain of relational quality. This parallels what we have experienced in the US as more women remain in the workforce after having children, and family life and paid work have come into more balanced and egalitarian role-sharing.”
HDFS PhD student, Holly Abrams, ( pictured top left and right with visiting students from China) , is a wonderful new addition to the HDFS Graduate Program. Her research interests are focused on cross cultural family/relationship development and how family units help sustain traditional cultures. She is excited to combine this with her undergraduate experience in human services community based and community engagement work. She has explored other cultures, visiting the Maori of New Zealand and serving as a student guide for visiting students from China. She is also working with our own community with a current project that focuses on homelessness in Delaware.
Holly is also a UD rugby player who credits the sport for the camaraderie and travel opportunities it offers as being the catalyst for her international and cross cultural interests. In Holly’s own words, “being able to have a competitive and physical outlet that also include my interest in relationships and bonds has only brought my two passions even closer to my heart.”
HDFS hosted a group of Italian scholars from Centro Studi Podresca in Italy for a week in October as part of the Global Research Series . Silvana Tiani Brunelli, Silvano Brunelli, Giulio Frasson, and Irene Tesserin shared their research on human relational abilities with HDFS faculty, staff, and students in classes and in seminars. They met with teachers and administrators at the Lab School, Early Learning Center, and the College School. It was a unique opportunity for everyone to share ideas, learn from one another and foster the growth of international relationships.
Abbiamo partecipato al progetto universitario “Global Research Series”: il 3 ottobre abbiamo assistito a una lezione aperta degli studenti che ci hanno presentato le loro ricerche nell’ambito delle politiche sociali. Il giorno successivo abbiamo visitato i musei e le scuole universitarie, inclusa la scuola dell’infanzia nel bosco. Nella mattina del 5 ottobre Silvana Tiani Brunelli ha tenuto una lezione in aula con gli studenti universitari sul tema: “Relational Abilities”. La nostra ricerca sulle Abilità di Relazione alla quale ci siamo appassionati da tanti anni, è stata presentata come lezione innovativa per lo sviluppo della qualità dei rapporti umani. Nel pomeriggio del 5 ottobre abbiamo presentato “Scienze delle abilità umane” ai docenti universitari portando il nostro metodo e le nostre conoscenze innovative, i risultati ottenuti e la bellezza delle conquiste umane che abbiamo compiuto negli anni nella nostra associazione. Grazie alla direttrice Bahira Trask e agli amici dell’Università del Delaware per la deliziosa accoglienza e la collaborazione!
Global Research Series Seminar:
Human Abilities Sciences
Innovation for the person and for society
Silvana Tiani Brunelli
The development of Human Abilities in Education
A contribute for the Millenium Goals: 4. Quality Education
Giulio Frasson
Relational Abilities in family life and at work
Collaboration: the most important resource for the future
Silvana Tiani Brunelli
Centro Studi Podresca, Italy