Pitfalls and possibilities with international partnerships: : An interview with Gun-Britt Wärvik, the Swedish coordinator of an international partnership program

• This paper is based on an interview with one of the principal leaders of an international partnership program between Ethiopia and Sweden, 2018–2022. The purpose of this interview was to deepen the understanding of these kinds of partnerships and to learn more about the possibilities and pitfalls of working in a joint program between national and cultural contexts. We interviewed Professor Gun-Britt Wärvik, the Swedish coordinator of the doctoral program between Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the University of Gothenburg (GU). The interview results suggest that doctoral supervisory challenges were present as students often used concepts produced in cultural contexts foreign to their assigned supervisors. Additionally, the administrative burden was particularly challenging for the Ethiopian counterpart that coordinated the program. Overall, the program created many positive work opportunities for students, provided possibilities for the staff of both universities to exercise supervision and examination of doctoral students, and enriched international experiences for all involved. 

Nyckelord

concepts

context

cooperation

doctoral program

doctoral students

supervision

Lärarutbildning och pedagogisk yrkesverksamhet

Teacher Education and Education Work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)