Introduction: Rapid globalization has led universities to place a priority on building international experiences for students. Substantial gains have been noted from study abroad for students and faculty, including increased global understanding, intercultural sensitivity, content-specific competence, and self-confidence. Intercultural experiences may be invaluable for occupational therapy students and faculty to create a profession that is inclusive of diverse social and cultural realities.

Aim: We will present a successful international student and faculty exchange as an example of one way that occupational therapy programs may meet personal, instructional, and institutional goals related to internationalism.

Methods: We will chronicle barriers encountered, problems solved, and benefits realized from this exchange program over its ten year history.

Results: Changes in professional educational standards, legal requirements, and curricula present continuous challenges to maintaining a successful international exchange program in occupational therapy.

Conclusion: Interpersonal connectedness and mutual commitment have fostered the success of our exchange program.

Background

Health promotion services need to be developed to respond to the needs of an ageing population. Lifestyle Redesign(R) (LR(R)) is an occupational therapy intervention that has been addressed as cost-effective in the USA.

Aims/objectives

This scoping review aimed to identify how the LR(R) has been implemented and what the results have been with older adults living independently in countries other than the USA.

Material and methods

Sixteen studies were included. Quantitative results were interpreted through the numeric data and qualitative results through inductive thematic analysis.

Results

The delivery of the LR(R) shared both similarities and differences with the original LR(R), and the variations concerned interventions length, facilitators, and the outcome measures used. In the quantitative results, there was often a positive trend in intervention groups' health-related quality of life, mental health, and occupational performance; in qualitative results, there was improvement in self-esteem and possibilities in building new communities.

Conclusions and significance

The original LR(R) was often transferrable into cultural settings other than the USA and many positive outcomes in the health and well-being of older adults were addressed. However, to understand the feasibility and effectiveness of the LR(R), scientific research and publications need to be enhanced.

Bakgrund Lifestyle Redesign är ett program, utvecklat i USA, som bygger på aktivitet och har sin grund i aktivitetsvetenskap . Erfarenheter från USA, men även från Europa och Norge har använts för att utveckla ett pilotprojekt  där programmet tillämpas utifrån svenska förhållanden.Syfte: Utveckla, pröva och utvärdera om ett hälsofrämjande aktivitetsfokuserat program för äldre hemmaboende (med hemtjänst) kan bibehålla, alternativt förbättra, generell hälsa, välbefinnande och självständighet i aktiviteter som är relevanta för att klara eget boende. Metod: Inklusionskriterier var hemmaboende äldre (över 65) som har hemtjänst i form av boendeaktiviteter . Gruppen kom att bestå av 11 personer med en medelålder på 83 år. Programmet genomfördes under en 4 månadersperiod, 2 timmar/vecka i grupp samt 4 timmars individuell intervention. Gruppträffarna innehöll information/undervisning, erfarenhetsutbyte mellan deltagarna, praktiskt ”görande” samt utflykter och sociala aktiviteter i relation till olika teman. Syftet med de individuella interventionerna var att upprätta  en plan för hälsofrämjande åtgärder men även att erbjuda traditionella arbetsterapeutiska åtgärder . Kvantitativ utvärdering Short Form 3.6 , Instrumental Activity Measure, WHO-five Well-being Index, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Kvalitativ utvärdering fokusgruppintervjuer. Resultat/förväntat resultat Det förväntade resultatet är att deltagarnas hälsa i olika avseenden förbättrats och att de funnit metoder som hjälper dem att klara eget boende framledes. Under hösten 2008 kommer projektet att utvärderas.

Är tillämpningen av programmet Lifestyle Redesign vägen till ett aktivare liv och ökat välbefinnande för äldre människor?

Frågan ska besvaras genom ett projekt som leds av Avdelningen för rehabilitering , Hälsohögskolan i Jönköping i samarbete med Luppen kunskapscentrum och vårdcentralen Hälsan 1. Syftet med projektet är att utveckla, pröva och utvärdera om ett hälsofrämjande aktivitetsfokuserat program för äldre hemmaboende (med hemtjänst) kan bibehålla, alternativt förbättra, generell hälsa, välbefinnande och självständighet i aktiviteter som är relevanta för att klara eget boende. Elva personer med en genomsnittsålder av 83 år har träffats två timmar /vecka i 4 månader. Metodiken för programmet är gruppträffar, information/undervisning, erfarenhetsutbyte, direkt erfarenhet samt individuell uppföljning. Erfarenheterna från projektet utvärderas och analyseras under hösten

Use cases are often very powerful and are popular to use when defining functional requirements for a system. UML supports the use of use cases in object-oriented systems development. However it is not always clear for systems developers on how to use use cases. It can be very confusing in knowing what to include or how to structure use cases. In this study a weather station system has been analysed with an object-oriented approach. Some problems occurred on how to structure scenarios and use cases. Problems also arose on what to describe in the use cases. The problems were analysed and assessed in this paper. The paper points out that the need for guidelines is of great importance.

Syftet med utvecklingsarbetet är att utveckla och utvärdera arbetsterapeutstudenternas kunskaper och färdigheter om hur förbättringskunskap kan överföras till det professionella arbetet. Vidare är syftet att utvärdera hur studenternas studieuppgift påverkar handledarnas kunskap om förbättringsarbete

Det förväntade resultatet är att studenterna kan utveckla sina möjligheter att överföra kunskaper från den personliga förbättringskunskapen till förbättring av arbetssätt, processer och system. Dessutom är det förväntade resultatet att förbereda studenterna att kunna utveckla yrket och verksamheten. Vidare är det förväntade resultatet att studenternas handledare kommer att få en positiv inställning till och en ökad kunskap om förbättringsarbete.

Bakgrund: Den kliniska utbildningen har fått en helt annan betydelse i den akademiska yrkesutbildningen än den har haft tidigare. Detta förutsätter en ständig diskussion och utveckling av de kliniska studiernas innehåll, form och struktur. I dessa diskussioner måste yrkesföreträdare involveras för att förankra utbildningens innehåll i praxis. Examinationen styr studentens inlärning och att studenten utvecklar olika beteenden för olika typer av examinationer. Syfte: Att utveckla och pröva former för kliniska examinationer. Metod: Pilotprojektet innehöll en pilotgrupp och en kontrollgrupp. Alla inblandade erbjöds att, efter examinationen, delta i en fokusgruppintervju. Arbetsgång för klinisk examination utarbetades och bedömningskriterier utarbetades utifrån kursens mål. Efter den praktiska examinationen följde en muntlig examination. Handledare, huvudhandledare och examinator deltog under hela examinationen och enades om ett omdöme som presenterades för studenten.

Resultat: Pilotgruppens studenter och handledare/huvudhandledare var nöjda med den prövade examinationsformen. Studenterna framhöll vikten av reflektionen i samband med examinationen samt möjligheten att få direkt respons. Handledarna framhöll kopplingen till utbildningen och kontakt med läraren samt att examinationen höjer praxiskunskapens status. Pilotstudien behöver utvecklas och prövas i en större skala och inom fler verksamheter. Examinationsformen är tidskrävande och därför behöver fler bedömare utbildas. Under hösten 2004/våren 2005 kommer projektet att utökas. Fler bedömare kommer att utbildas och bedömarnas förmåga att bedöma studenternas kunskaper utvecklas.

Den kliniska examinationen kan komma att öka kopplingen teori och praktik både hos studenter, handledare och lärare.

Brief outline of context: The improvement project was done within an Occupational therapy department in an orthopaedic clinic. People involved : Occupational therapy students, University lecturer, Head of Occupational therapy department and supervisors.

Brief outline of problem: Since 2004 the Occupational therapy students perform a personal improvement work. The aim is to facilitate the learning of knowledge of improvement and in the long run make it possible to be used in the professional work. But the problem is how we should make it possible for the students to transfer knowledge and skills of personal improvement to professional work?

Assessment of problem and analysis of its causes: A local evaluation of a national project for implementing Knowledge of improvement in Swedish Universities showed that students’ knowledge could not be obvious until they are a part of a team within healthcare.

The head of the occupational therapy department in the orthopaedic clinic criticized how students’ fieldwork assignments were organised. She suggested students to be a part of the clinics quality improvement. To try this out we involved two students within a 5 weeks fieldwork course (autumn 2006).

Strategy for change: 6 students who did a fieldwork course in the orthopaedic clinic was asked to participate in this project (intervention group). Instead of doing a separate theoretical assignment these students was a part of the clinics improvement work and created Occupational therapy Guiding principles for specific patient groups. 6 other students in the same course participated as a control group.

The supervisors in the intervention group were informed and prepared. The project was implemented spring and autumn 2007 and was evaluated spring 2008.

The results of the project has been documented and presented in a seminar for staff in charge of Futurum, the Academy for Health and Care and Head of the Department of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences and other lecturers in the university.

Measurement of improvement: Both intervention group and control group did a self assessment of fulfilment based on course aims in a 6 graded scale. In addition the intervention group did a self assessment of fulfilment based on “8 Knowledge domains for health care students seeking competency in continual improvement an innovation of health care“ inspired by Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Boston, in a 6 graded scale. The self assessment was done before and after the field work.

Effects of changes: The control group fulfilled the course aims in a higher extent than the intervention group. A possible cause can be that the intervention group put higher effort and energy in the assignment so they missed to fulfil the course aims to a sufficient high level.

The intervention group assessed higher knowledge after than before in all of the “8 knowledge of domains” although they had difficulties to understand the meaning of the concepts

Lessons learnt: To go from a personal improvement work to a professional is too difficult. In the Program we have started to create a stripe with knowledge of improvement through the education. There will be an element in every semester and the content shall be progressive. The “8 Knowledge domains” follow the stripe and are adjusted to fit course aims. In the end of the education the students summarize and evaluate their knowledge of improvement and have an idea of how to continue their learning.

Message for others: The complexity of today’s health care increase and this put greater demands on educations to prepare our students to be “Improvers”. The knowledge of improvement must be a natural element in health care education BUT it must be progressive an adjusted to the specific education

Introduction. This present thesis focuses on occupational adaptation in the empirical context of vulnerable populations relative to ageing (Study II, III), disability (Study I, II) and poverty (Study IV) and in a theoretical context (V).

Aim. The overall aim was to explore and describe occupational adaptation in diverse contexts with a focus on persons in vulnerable life situations.

Methods. The thesis was conducted with a mixed design embracing quantitative and qualitative methods and a literature review. The data collection methods comprised questionnaires (Study I, II, III), individual interviews (Study II, IV), group interviews (Study III) and data base searches (Study V). Altogether 115 persons participated in the studies and 50 articles were included in the literature review. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews (Study I, II, III, IV) and the literature review (Study V). Parametric and non-parametric statistics were applied when analysing the quantitative data (Study II, III).

Results: Women in St Petersburg, Russia, who have had a minor stroke reported more dependence in everyday occupations than the stroke symptoms indicated and they overemphasized their disability and dysfunction. When the environmental press did not meet their competence, it caused negative adaptive behaviour (Study I). In home rehabilitation for older persons with disabilities, interventions based on the occupational adaptation model was compared with interventions based on well-tried professional experience. The results indicated that the use of the occupational adaptation model increased experienced health and the participants acquired adaptive strategies to manage every day occupations. (Study II). An occupation based health-promoting programme for older community dwelling persons was compared with a control group. The intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in general health variables as vitality and mental health, but there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. A qualitative evaluation, in the intervention group, showed that participation in meaningful, challenging occupations in different environments stimulated the occupational adaptation process (Study III). Occupational adaptation among vulnerable EU citizens begging in Sweden was explored by interviews. The results showed that the participants experienced several occupational challenges when begging abroad. The results show a variety of adaptive responses, but whether they are experienced as positive or negative is a matter of perspective and can only be determined by the participants themselves (Study IV). Finally, the results from a literature review (Study V) showed that research on occupational adaptation was mainly based on Schkade and Schultz’s and Kielhofner’s theoretical approaches. Occupational adaptation was also used without further explanation or theoretical argument (Study V).

Conclusion: The surrounding context was shown to play an important role for the participants’ occupational adaptation. There were no general occupational challenges or adaptive responses to the various vulnerable life situations, but some common features in the participant groups’ adaptive responses were found. For example, if the environment put too great demand on the person and social support was lacking, there was a risk of negative adaptation. Moreover, persons with low functional capacity were vulnerable to environmental demands and dependent on a supportive environment for their adaptive response. However, persons living in supportive environments developed adaptive responses by themselves. Further, personal factors needed to be strengthened to meet the demands of the environment. Upholding occupational roles was a driving force in finding ways to adapt and perform occupations. Considering the theoretical context, the occupational adaptation theoretical approaches need to be further developed in relation to negative adaptation and to support use within community-based and health-promotive areas.

The aim of this first study was to develop and try out a form for clinical examinations in which theory and practice were integrated. Based on the course goals, a work procedure for the clinical examination of occupational therapy students and assessment criteria were developed. A pilot group of students and supervisors attained the new form for examination and a control group of students and supervisors attained the usual form for examination. The results show that the students and supervisors/head supervisors in the pilot group were satisfied with this new examination form. The students accentuated the importance of reflection in connection with the examination and the opportunity for direct response. The supervisors pointed out the value of connection to theoretical education and that the examination increases the status of practical knowledge. However, the study needed to be tried in a larger scale, within several fields of action, and more people need to be educated about assessment. The aim of the second study was, therefore, to try the clinical examination in different fields and to develop the head-supervisors skills to assess students in fieldwork. 5 clinical examinations were video taped and these were used to educate the head-supervisors. The results show that the head-supervisors felt more competent in assessment and there was a tendency that their judgement were more reliable.

Den kliniska utbildningen har fått en helt annan betydelse i den akademiska yrkesutbildningen än den har haft tidigare. Detta förutsätter en ständig diskussion och utveckling av de kliniska studiernas innehåll, form och struktur. I dessa diskussioner och utvecklingsarbeten måste yrkesföreträdare involveras för att förankra utbildningens innehåll i praxis. Det är också viktigt att studenten ges möjlighet att engagera sig i utbildningens uppläggning och organisation, därför att akademisk utbildning syftar bl.a. till att studenten ska ta ansvar för sitt lärande. Examinationen ska inte bara vara en kontrollfunktion, utan också utgöra ett inlärningstillfälle. Examinationen styr studentens inlärning och att studenten utvecklar olika beteenden för olika typer av examinationer. Under hösten 2003 utfördes ett pilotprojekt med syfte att utveckla och pröva former för kliniska examinationer. Projektet genomfördes med en pilotgrupp och en kontrollgrupp. Alla inblandade erbjöds att, efter examinationen, delta i en fokusgruppintervju i syfte att utvärdera försöket. Arbetsgång för klinisk examination utarbetades och bedömningskriterier utarbetades utifrån kursens mål

Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet att pilotgruppens studenter och handledare/huvudhandledare var nöjda med den prövade examinationsformen även om viss kritik framkom. Pilotstudien behöver utvecklas och prövas i en större skala och inom fler verksamheter. Examinationsformen är tidskrävande och därför behöver fler bedömare utbildas.

I dag lever över 130 000 personer med en demenssjukdom i Sverige och antalet ökar. Att delta i mentalt stimulerande aktiviteter kan vara ett sätt att hantera dagliga utmaningar och anpassa sig till minnesproblematik. Demens berör inte bara de som insjuknar utan också deras anhöriga och det finns ett behov av att erbjuda aktiviteter där även anhöriga inkluderas. Ett exempel på en mentalt stimulerande aktivitet för personer med demens och deras anhöriga är den anpassade konstvisningen Möten med minnen som bedrivs på flera museer i Sverige. Visningarna sker i grupp och innebär att titta på och utbyta tankar om konst eller föremål, och associera till egna upplevelser, utifrån olika teman. Förutom konstrelaterade ämnen kan visningarna också utgå från till exempel bygdehistora och bruksföremål. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att utvärdera om en visningsaktivitet i grupp inom hembygdsföreningar kan påverka sinnesstämning hos personer med mild eller medelsvår demens. Vidare var syftet att utvärdera anhörigas upplevelser av gruppaktiviteten. Rekrytering av deltagare skedde genom personal från demensteam i kommunal verksamhet och regionsjukvård. Totalt bestod studien av nio personer med demenssjukdom och nio anhöriga, som också var partners, till dessa personer. Första visningsaktiviteten startade september 2019 på Norrahammars industri-och bygdemuseum och fortsatte januari 2020 samt oktober 2021 i Aneby Hembygdsförening. Grupperna träffades en gång i veckan under tre veckor och varje träff varade två timmar. Föremål och tavlor som gestaltade vardagen förr i tiden presenterades för deltagarna och gruppledarna uppmuntrade deltagarna att associera till föremålen och minnas hur de hade använts. För att ta reda på om visningsaktiviteten hade någon inverkan på sinnesstämningen observerades personerna med demens samt att de själva fick skatta sitt stämningsläge före och efter aktiviteten. Förutom att de anhöriga också skattade sitt stämningsläge, deltog de också i en intervju. Resultatet visade att både personer med demens och deras anhöriga var gladare efter visningsaktiviteten än före. Personerna med demens visade också aktivt intresse och positiva känsloyttringar under de två timmarna som visningsaktiviteten pågick. De anhöriga uppskattade att göra en aktivitet utanför hemmet och att få göra något tillsammans med sin partner. På grund av kognitiv svikt var behållningen för personerna med demens oftast bunden till stunden, men projektet visade ändå på ett givande sätt att öka både sinnesstämningen och relationen mellan partnerna.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine whether the use of the Occupational Adaptation Model increases independence and experienced health for disabled elderly in home rehabilitation in primary care. The study had an integrated design, in which the data were collected through a quasi-experimental plan in combination with semi-structured interviews with disabled elderly. The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results indicated that the use of the model increases experienced health and gives the occupational therapist a tool for helping the disabled elderly to understand and engage themselves in their life situations.

Background: The demographic development, with the older population growing fast, is becoming a huge challenge for society, with great demands on health and social care and concerning the individual’s well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a four-month occupational based health-promoting programme for older persons living in community dwellings could maintain/improve their general health and well- being. Further the aim was to explore whether the programme facilitated the older persons’ occupational adaptation.

Method: The study had a quasi- experimental design combined with semi-structured interviews. The intervention group comprised 22 participants, and the control group 18. Outcomes were measured using the Short Form 36, Life Satisfaction Index-Z and Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment. Content analysis, based on concepts from the Model of Occupational Adaptation, was used to analyse the interviews.

Results: The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in general health variables such as vitality and mental health, and positive trends for psychological well-being. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention group and the control group. The qualitative analysis based on Occupational Adaptation pointed out social aspects as a compliment to the overall results.

Conclusion: Participating in meaningful, challenging activities in different environments stimulates the occupational adaptation process.

Application to Practice: Occupational therapists can use this result to empower older persons to find their optimal occupational lives.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a four-month occupational based health-promoting programme for older persons living in community dwellings could maintain/improve their general health and well-being. Further, the aim was to explore whether the programme facilitated the older persons’ occupational adaptation.

Methods: The study had a quasi-experimental design, with a non-equivalent control group combined with semi-structured interviews. The intervention group comprised 22 participants, and the control group 18. Outcomes were measured using the Short Form 36, Life Satisfaction Index-Z and Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment. Content analysis, based on concepts from the Model of Occupational Adaptation, was used to analyse the interviews.

Results: The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in general health variables such as vitality and mental health, and positive trends for psychological well-being. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention group and the control group, but the groups were not fully matched. The qualitative analysis based on Occupational Adaptation pointed out social aspects as a compliment to the overall results.

Conclusions: Participating in meaningful, challenging activities in different environments stimulates the occupational adaptation process; this is something occupational therapists could use to empower older persons to find their optimal occupational lives

The aim of this pilot study was to develop and try out a form for clinical examinations in which theory and practice were integrated. Based on the course goals, a work procedure for the clinical examination of occupational therapy students and assessment criteria were developed. A pilot group of students and supervisors attained the new form for examination and a control group of students and supervisors attained the usual form for examination. The results show that the students and supervisors/head supervisors in the pilot group were satisfied with this new examination form. The students accentuated the importance of reflection in connection with the examination and the opportunity for direct response. The supervisors pointed out the value of connection to theoretical education and that the examination increases the status of practical knowledge. However, the pilot study needs to be tried in a larger scale, within several fields of action, and more people need to be educated about assessment.

Background: Older adults have, in general, been sparsely involved in development and evaluation of programmes intended to promote their health.

Aim: To describe older adults’ reflections on and involvement in the development and evaluation of a health promotion programme.

Material and Method: Ten older persons participated in a health promotion programme (HPP) focusing on activity during four sessions. After each HPP session, focus group discussions were held, analysed through qualitative content analysis.

Results: The main theme; “Being involved adds value and new experiences to life“, were built from sub-themes; “From sceptical individual to engaged group member”, “From beholder to active co-creator”, and “From individual knowledge recipient to collective knowledge sharer”.

Conclusions: Having a leader with a gerontological competence was mentioned as important, as well as to integrate existential topics into the HPP. Social inclusion together with the possibility to influence the HPP had a positive effect on the participants and provided a sense of belonging.

Significance: Several contributions to the development of the HPP were given, that would not have been captured without the reflections and involvement of the participants. However, more and larger studies are needed to develop strategies that enable older adult’s involvement in the development of HHP.

The aim of this scoping review was to identify and describe how occupational adaptation has been used in different research studies published from 1992 to 2015 and to identify possible gaps in study design. Four categories of studies were identified: those focused on understanding how occupational adaptation occurs in different life situations and different health conditions, those focused on the use of occupational adaptation as a guide or model in organizing the occupational therapy process, and those using occupational adaptation as a part of instrument development. Several gaps in research are evident including updating the theory development on occupational adaptation, types of maladaptation, studies conducted in less affluent countries, quantitative studies with robust designs, inclusion of men and younger persons as subjects, vulnerable groups, health promotion, and community settings.

Introduction: People from European Union (EU) countries such as Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria who beg on the streets have become a common part of the townscape in Sweden. While demanding situations in their home countries drive them abroad to earn their living, those who turn to begging still face challenges in their everyday lives. Additional knowledge is needed, from their perspective, about the occupational challenges of begging, as well as how they adapt to those challenges.

Aim: To describe the occupational challenges and related adaptations of vulnerable EU citizens begging in Sweden.

Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative design. Individual interviews with 20 Romanian participants were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis with a deductive and inductive approach.

Results: Six categories of occupational adaptation responses were identified: Keeping the family tier intact despite distance; Dealing with shame and stress; Managing body and mind when begging despite the monotony; Living as cheaply as possible; Trying to get a night's sleep without drawing attention to oneself; and Seeking alternatives for earning their living.

Conclusion: Everyday life, when begging abroad, is filled with occupational challenges requiring occupational adaptations, for better or for worse, to sustain basic human needs. To further understand the needs of this vulnerable and marginalised group in society, human rights discourses that go beyond the individual level are needed.

The aim of this study was to determine how women living in Saint-Petersburg, Russia and who have had a mild stroke, describe their performance in activities of daily living and possible causes of their occupational dysfunction.

Thirty-six women who have experienced a mild stroke and been referred to a rehabilitation center participated in the study. Data collection was conducted through interviews, including the ADL Staircase and a Modified Frenchay Activities Index for Stroke Patients. Additional data was collected through field notes and information from team members and relatives.

The results showed that women who have had a mild stroke and ADL limitations experience occupational dysfunction in ADL activities that is most often due to a combination of over-protection from relatives, the women’s feelings of anxiety and insecurity, and an over-emphasizing of their disability.

The results are limited based on the small sample and restricted geographic area.

There is a need to further investigate how individuals who have had a mild stroke can be physically and socially rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community in countries with developing economies such as Russia.

Introductory paragraph: Globalisation and technological development are steadily reshaping the landscape of higher education (HE) and making new demands on higher education institutions (HEIs) to prepare their graduates for the challenge of living and working in a globally connected world. According to the OECD (2018), global awareness and social and cross-cultural skills are highlighted as 21st-century skills that students need to succeed in their future careers.

Over the past decade there has been an increase in scientific publications addressing intercultural competence (IC) of students. The sheer volume of publications available makes it difficult to determine the extent, breadth, and nature of research within the area. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the state of peer reviewed research related to IC, including academic disciplines addressing the issue, regions of the world conducting research, types of interventions used to foster IC and how outcomes are being evaluated. Six databases were searched, resulting in 15,128 articles. A total of 464 met the inclusion criteria. A trend was observed towards studying IC in interdisciplinary student populations as well as a post-COVID-19 trend towards more online interventions. Most research was conducted in North America (n = 198; 42.7%) within the discipline of education (n = 87; 18.8%). The most common intervention was pedagogical approaches delivered at the students’ home institution (n = 161; 34.7%). Results highlight a gap in research from the Global South and a lack of consensus regarding appropriate tools for evaluating IC. Continued work is required to determine the effects of specific interventions and to support educators in identifying appropriate tool(s) for measuring outcomes.

This virtual exchange program, consisted of 2 Asian and 2 European universities, and let students meet via zoom from the first semester of education. Despite language and different communication-styles, students could build their own professional network on an international level and start to build on their international understanding and intercultural competence.

Poor citizens from European Union (EU) member countries begging to support themselves are now common in affluent EU countries. Their lack of basic amenities, such as access to a shelter and sanitation is not in line with human rights and also implies a risk for health issues. Despite this, we know little about how these vulnerable EU citizens, themselves, perceive their health situation. The aim of this study was to explore vulnerable EU citizens’ descriptions of their health. Eight females and 12 males from Romania, 19–64 years of age, participated in individual interviews that included health issues. Qualitative content analysis was used, identifying the main category “Begging abroad and health - for better and for worse” together with two categories and five subcategories. It is concluded that EU citizens begging abroad risk poorer health as a consequence of their attempts to improve their situation, both their own health and that of their relatives. Therefore, they need access to affordable health care as this may decrease the need for unwanted travelling abroad to beg.

Background: The occurrence of begging by poor people from other countries in the European Union (EU) is now common in Scandinavia. They have a challenging life, but there is little knowledge about their own perceptions of their stay abroad.

Aim: To explore the experiences of EU citizens begging in Sweden.

Material: A descriptive design was used. Data were gathered through individual interviews conducted in Romanian and translated into Swedish. These were analysed using conventional content analysis. Participants were 20 EU citizens aged 19?64 years with experience of begging in Sweden.

Results: The identified main category, "A hard time abroad to improve one's life", contained four categories - "Endurance is required to make a living"; "Exposed to others' attitudes and kindness"; "Handling being away"; and "A better life is the driving force".

Conclusions and significance: EU citizens who beg face occupational injustice, spending many hours in non-preferred activity of begging and with few leisure activities, although no generalizations can be drawn based on this study. The importance of a friendly attitude and environmental support when abroad was also shown. Since occupational justice is within the scope of occupational therapy, occupational therapists have the skills to contribute in collaboration with others.

Occupational therapy has a lot to contribute to sustainable development considering the discipline's occupational focus and knowledge. This has been recognised by researchers and professional associations, but there is still a scarcity of research explicitly mentioning sustainability. Relevant contributions may be identified by relating education and research to the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals. The aim of this article was to describe explicit and implicit inclusion of sustainable development and Agenda 2030 goals in occupational therapy education and research at one Swedish university. Current course syllabi and study guides, as well as research over the past five-year period, were examined and related to sustainability. The results showed that although only a few courses and articles were explicitly related to sustainable development, more course and research content became relevant when this content was compared with the sustainable development goals. It can be concluded that sustainability was more extensively addressed than first visible, but further studies including more universities are warranted.

Higher education institutions’ work with internationalisation is often managed by a small group of people who decide about the strategic direction and priorities. But what happens if we open the door for discussion to all staff? This article describes how a virtual Appreciative Inquiry summit can support the implementation of the ‘Internationalisation at Home’ strategy at the institution-wide level.

Globalization and technological development are steadily reshaping the landscape of higher education (HE) and making new demands on higher education institutions (HEIs) to prepare their graduates for the challenge of living and working in a globally connected world. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), social challenges including globalization, migration, and increased social and cultural diversity, will affect the future of education. Global awareness and social and cross-cultural skills were highlighted as 21st-century skills that students need to succeed in their future careers (OECD, 2018). Universities can address these challenges and foster active, responsible, and engaged global citizens by incorporating deliberate interventions within their formal curriculum. Accordingto Leask (2015), an internationalized curriculum has the power to acknowledge the importance of intercultural and international skills and knowledge, as well as cultural awareness and the ability to think in a local, national, and global context. Data from the Global Survey Report of the International Association of Universities (IAU) indicated that 88% of HEIs globally considered Internationalization of the Curriculum (IoC) as important (Marinoni, 2019). Yet, most HEIs find it challenging to pursue an inclusive and systematic approach toward the IoC (Killick & Foster, 2021).

This article explores current Internationalization of the Curriculum practices and perceptions among teaching staff at a middle-sized Swedish University. Further, this article elaborates on enablers and blockers that local teaching staff face in their efforts to internationalize the curriculum. This work will serve as a foundation for stimulating the reflection and discussion amongst teams of teaching staff about the IoC in their disciplines and how to navigate future opportunities to further internationalize curricula.