International Week of Social Work brought nearly 80 students and teachers from foreign universities

The International Week of Social Work at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences began at the start of the week, creating a very friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The event took place for the entire week until April 21^st and involved nearly 80 international students and teachers from European schools who prepare future social workers and cooperate with our faculty. In the spring of each year, one of the partner universities hosts the event, and this year, academic staff and students from Germany, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Finland, France, and Austria came to our school. The last time International Week of Social Work took place at the FHSS USB was in 2019.

In a packed hall A on Monday morning, the Faculty Dean, Ivana Chloubová, and the Vice-Dean for International Relations, František Dolák, welcomed the participants. They emphasized the significance of the event for our faculty and wished them a successful stay full of experiences, new contacts, and enriching discussions during workshops, excursions, and lectures. They also thanked the team of organizers from the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences who were responsible for this large and demanding event. The team prepared a rich and diverse programme, providing guests with a comprehensive understanding of social work in our country.

The event is part of the SocNet98 project, and during the week, participants enjoyed a series of workshops and excursions to places related to their profession and which can inspire their approach to clients: St. Veronica's Home Hospice, Máj and Hvízdal care homes for seniors, and the ARPIDA Centre (which offers assistance to families caring for children, adolescents, and adults with physical and combined disabilities.) On Monday, there was also a welcome party on the university campus and a trip to Hluboká nad Vltavou.

Jitka Vacková, Ph.D., the Director of the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences, said: "We have been involved in this network since its very beginning in 1998, more than 20 years ago. Since then, it has significantly expanded and created a platform for the exchange of students and teachers. It allows for the exchange of social work knowledge and reflects the challenges of the International Federation of Social Workers, which issues topics that are highly relevant at this time. Therefore, with the war in Ukraine and migration issues, we focused on a topic that would broadly reflect the diversity of social work."  She added that during the excursions, guests would visit our faculty’s clinical facilities to give them an accurate picture of social work in the Czech Republic.

By meeting foreign colleagues at the event, social science students had the opportunity to compare social care in our country and abroad. They also improved their language skills, made contacts, and increased their confidence in informal debates; so that they too are ready to go abroad for experience.