This article was originally posted by Prof. Dr. Philip Anderson of OTH Regensberg on June 7, 2019 online: https://www.oth-regensburg.de/hochschule/aktuelles/einzelansicht/news/gastdozent-aus-den-usa-zu-besuch.html
Professor Brian Kelly traveled to Germany to serve as a guest lecturer for one week at the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg (OTH Regensburg). He completed a varied and challenging program at the Faculty of Applied Social and Health Sciences with a focus on Social Culture and Addiction Issues.
Dr. Kelly was particularly impressed with the undergraduate music and movement program, which is housed within the faculty of social work and includes a curricular focus on methodology and didactics, artistic (dance and musical) work with everyday materials, instrumental improvisation and dance choreography. He was astonished by the artistic expressiveness, motivation and joy of discussion with the students.
Exchange on research topics and discussion with students
Exciting input came from Dr. Kelly on his research topics, including composing and producing with adolescent homeless people. In a panel discussion, students asked about the importance of artistic work in the context of social work in Chicago or the current influence of the US political situation on the art scene in general. Prof. Renate Kühnel, Prof. dr. Christian Zürner and the lecturer Kilta Rainprechter talked to him about research topics and questions about study programs and possible specializations in the field of aesthetic and cultural education.
His visit was supplemented by additional events. Together with Prof. Kühnel Dr. on May 21, 2019, Dr. Kelly held a full-day conference on the subject of musical inclusion in the “Jailbreak” prison in English at the University of Eichstätt. He also took part in the Study Abroad Fair of OTH Regensburg on May 22, 2019.
Open Lecture on “Social Work and the Arts”
Particularly valuable was the open lecture from Dr. Kelly on “Social Work and the Arts,” which offered multi-faceted information and insights into innovative approaches to social work in the context of everyday aesthetics.
Overall, the guest lecturer provided a valuable enhancement of the cooperation between the OTH Regensburg and the Loyola University, which now extends to the areas of teacher exchange, research cooperation and the design of internships abroad. Dr. Brian Kelly left Regensburg after an intense week and with a series of suggestions for the innovative advancement of culture-oriented social work at his School of Social Work and beyond in the United States.
