Program PhDact
Program of each session (in CET!)
Morning session (plenary)
09.30 - 09.45 - Welcome and introduction
09.45 - 10.30 - First lecture
10.30 – 11.00 - Break
11.00 - 11.45 - Second lecture
11.45 - 12.30 - Questions and debate
Participation on the morning sessions is free of charge and accessible to everyone interested!
Afternoon session (only for enrolled PhD students)
13.30 – 16.30: Interactive seminar with the students and lecturers (with 30 minutes break)
Dates and topics
Session 1: Friday January 24, 2025
Social Workers as Intellectuals
... where we will explore the de-intellectualisation of social work and the importance of critical theory.
Lecturers: Prof. Rudi Roose (Ghent University, Belgium) & Prof. Paul Michael Garrett (University of Galway, Ireland)
In this session, we explore the theory–practice nexus in social work. In the global definition, social work is defined as both a practice and an academic discipline, though the role of theory has been widely debated. This debate has often reinforced a perceived divide between thinkers and doers, contributing to the gap between theory and practice. We challenge this notion by discussing social workers as "organic intellectuals" (Gramsci), emphasizing their role as active thinkers, rather than mere implementers of pre-existing (evicence based) ideas.
Session 2: Friday March 7, 2025
Action research and Praxis in Social Work Research
... where we we focus on action research and praxis as a participatory, reflective approach in social work research.
Lecturers: Prof. Håvard Aaslund (Olso Metropolitan University, Norway) & Prof. Femke Kraulingfreks (InHolland University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands)
In this session we focus on action research and praxis, as advocated by Paulo Freire, which emphasize a participatory, reflective approach in social work research. Freire’s concept of praxis involves a cycle of action and reflection, encouraging collaboration between researchers and participants to address social inequalities. In social work, this approach focuses on addressing social issues through mutual learning, where those affected by issues actively engage in identifying problems and implementing solutions. This method fosters critical consciousness, helping participants not only understand their circumstances but also take action to transform their social realities. It aligns with social work’s commitment to social justice and advocacy.
Session 3: Wednesday April 23, 2025
The Evidence Based Debate in Social Work Research
... where we focus on the current debate on the way the relation between theory and practice is shaped in the evidence based debate.
Lecturers: Prof. Michel Vandenbroeck (Ghent University, Belgium) & Prof. Gert Biesta (University of Edinburgh, U.K.)
The this session we focus on the current debate on the way the realtion between theory and practice is shaped in the evidence based debate. While an evidence-based approach in social work has been argued for, it has many epistemoloigical and practical challenges and can lead to a deintellectualisation of social work through methodoligalisation.
Session 4: Friday May 23, 2025
The Neoliberalisation of Social Work Education and Research
... where we discuss the neoliberalisation of social work programs, and the rimpact of this evolution on research and education in social work.
Lecturers: Prof. Christine Morley (Queens University of Technology, Australia) & Bart Van Bouchaute (Ghent University, Belgium)
In this session we discuss the neoliberalization of social work programs, and the reduction of critical theory and thinking in favour of developing competences and skills. The neoliberalisation refers to the growing influence of market-driven principles on higher education, which prioritizes efficiency, competition, and cost-cutting, often at the expense of critical, socially-oriented disciplines like social work. The neoliberal logic and the focus on entrepeneurship (of the self) and consumerism undermines the social mission of social work education, marginalizing the values of social change and community engagement central to the profession.
