Skip to main content

From Internship to Impact: Redefining Adult Partnerships in Social Work Education

On May 17, 2025, a thought-provoking online dialogue unfolded between Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan—CEO of Vidya Lead Academy and Chairperson of Nada India Foundation—and distinguished faculty members from the School of Behavioural and Social Sciences (SBSS), Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad. The conversation was more than a customary academic-industry engagement—it was a call to reimagine student readiness and institutional partnerships in social work and public policy.

In attendance were:

  • Prof. (Dr.) Taranjeet, Dean, SBSS

  • Dr. Twinkal Dogra, Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Administration

  • Dr. Nikhil Sehra, Assistant Professor, International Relations

  • Dr. Vishal Sagar, Assistant Professor, Political Science

  • Mr. Upamanyu Basu, Assistant Professor, Political Science

Mr. Vatsyayan opened with a reflective account of his journey as a social strategist and internship program designer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world grappled with uncertainty, Nada India transformed adversity into opportunity by facilitating virtual internships for over 2,000 students. This effort not only sustained the academic engagement of students but enriched them with real-time exposure to community-centered health advocacy, youth participation, and public policy initiatives.

🎯 The Central Message: Readiness and Recognition

Mr. Vatsyayan underscored a vital insight: “Students should be ready to grab the opportunity and develop the confidence to move forward in the social policy space.” But readiness, he emphasized, requires more than syllabus coverage—it demands a collaborative academic ecosystem that recognizes and values the contribution of civil society organizations.

Civil society professionals like him, who have invested decades in community-level programming and policy advocacy, bring a wealth of experiential knowledge. Their role should be seen not just as mentors or field supervisors, but as co-educators and academic collaborators. "Our experience, skillsets, and innovations need to be equally recognized, respected, and compensated," he added, framing the conversation around the notion of "adult partnerships."

🔗 Connecting Practice to Policy, Field to Classroom

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of establishing long-term institutional relationships between academic centers like MRIIRS and field-based organizations like Nada India. This echoes the spirit of the earlier blog published on January 10, 2025: “Strengthening the Bridge: The Crucial Relationship Between Social Work Departments and Fieldwork Agencies.”

In that article, the need for elevating field agencies as academic partners was clearly established. The partnership must move beyond tokenistic internships toward immersive apprenticeships, where students are not passive observers but active contributors. Mr. Vatsyayan reiterated that Nada India functions as a living lab, where public health, community organizing, and policy practice intersect—and students from Manav Rachna and other universities should be encouraged to become part of this vibrant ecosystem.

🌱 A Shared Future: NEP 2020 and Beyond

Highlighting the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s call for experiential learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and holistic development, Mr. Vatsyayan urged institutions to embrace adult partnerships—an equitable collaboration between academia and civil society. "Universities like Manav Rachna, with their academic rigor, and civil society institutions like Nada India, with their practice depth, must co-create learning spaces that shape socially conscious and policy-ready graduates," he stated.

🌐 Looking Ahead

In a heartfelt note, the SBSS faculty expressed appreciation for Nada India Foundation’s longstanding collaboration and requested expanded internship opportunities for the current cohort of Master’s students in Public Policy and Administration. These real-world engagements, they emphasized, are essential for both academic excellence and employability.

💬 Conclusion: Bridging Two Worlds

The discussion closed with a mutual understanding: the future of social work and policy education depends on valuing the bridge between classroom knowledge and field realities. With initiatives like Vidya Lead Academy and forward-looking institutions like MRIIRS, we are steadily moving toward a learning ecosystem where theory and practice, students and professionals, policy and community meet—not as silos, but as partners.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reimagining Development Through Gender-Sensitive Ecosocial Work Practice

...For me, as a practicing social worker, this reaffirmed the value of embracing the unknown. Authentic narratives arise not only from what research already tells us, but from the discoveries we make when we step outside familiar frameworks and genuinely listen to voices that challenge, surprise, or even amuse us. The recent accounts of women in Bihar illustrate this powerfully—their lived experiences cut through political and academic assumptions, shaping a truly authentic, people-led narrative for change ." The 13th Indian Social Work Conference offered many powerful insights, but the session that stayed with me the most was the plenary on “Reimagining Development through Gender-Sensitive Ecosocial Work Practice.” I want to begin by acknowledging Dr. R. Nalini, Professor of Social Work at Pondicherry University , whose paper “Gender Suffering and Structural Inequality: An Ecosocial Analysis of Women in Substance-Affected Families” brought depth, clarity, and compassion to the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Caregiving as a Social Workforce: Choice, Joy, or Just Economic Activity?

At Vidya Lead Academy, we believe caregiving is more than a duty or an invisible responsibility—it is the foundation of family well-being and a cornerstone of social development. Yet, society continues to debate whether caregiving is a matter of virtue and joy or merely an economic activity contributing to GDP. There is a big difference between cooking for one’s family out of love and cooking in a commercial kitchen for pay. Similarly, caring for a sick parent, child, or partner at home carries a personal connection that no commercial service can replace. However, when this role is undervalued and unpaid, it often leads to what experts call “ time poverty ,” especially among women. The Unpaid vs. Paid Care Work Dilemma In India, women spend an average of 137 minutes a day on unpaid caregiving, compared to just 75 minutes for men ( MoSPI Time Use Survey 2024 ). This disproportionate burden not only affects women’s mental and physical health but also keeps them away from formal e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vidya Lead Academy’s SMART Commitments to WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy (2025–2034)

Where ethical traditional medicine meets community trust—Vidya Lead Academy’s SMART commitments shaping the future of TCIM. Vidya Lead Academy is pleased to share that its SMART Commitments , submitted as a private, non-State actor , were formally acknowledged during the Closing Ceremony of the Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine , held in New Delhi on 19 December 2025 . Among sixty global commitments showcased at the Summit, Vidya Lead Academy’s commitment was displayed in the presence of the Honourable Prime Minister of India , the World Health Organization Director-General , and the Honourable Union Ministers for Health & Family Welfare and AYUSH , underscoring India’s leadership in ethical, community-centered Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) . A Commitment Rooted in Safety, Ethics, and Community Care Through its SMART Commitments, Vidya Lead Academy focuses on strengthening the quality, safety, and ethical delivery of TCIM-based addic...
Post a Comment
Read more