Institute of Social Work and Social Policy

Table of Contents

The Institute of Social Work and Social Policy at the Faculty of Philosophy, within the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje was first founded in 1957 as a secondary school which marked the start of the education of social workers. In 1960, the secondary school grew into a College of Social Workers, with a two-year program and a curriculum consisting of 19 courses. Once the self-government agreement was passed on June 21, 1984, whereby the College of Social Workers joined the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy commenced with its activities, enrolling its first generation of students in the academic year 1988/89, in the four-year undergraduate program.

In the academic year 1994/95, the Institute began to organize post-graduate level studies for the first time (specialist studies), and the academic year 1998/99 marked the start of the first master-level studies, within which the students could obtain an MA in Social Policy. In the academic year 2004/05, the Institute introduced the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), thus offering the students greater flexibility and mobility in their studies.

In the academic year 2005/2006, in collaboration with the Evangelical College in Nuremberg, the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy, in accordance with the ECTS, organized post-graduate-specialist studies in Social Work in Healthcare – social work with the mentally ill and the physically disabled.

In 2013, besides the undergraduate and post-graduate level studies on offer, the Institute also introduced doctoral-level studies. The Institute offers, besides its accredited program in Social Work and Social Policy at all three levels of study, a post-graduate study program in Social Management, and specialist studies in Social Work in Healthcare.

The current accredited study programs are in accordance with the educational standards of the International Organization of Schools of Social Work, while the course curricula meet the criteria for their international recognition.

The study programs at all three levels aim to enable the students to acquire the necessary skills and competences which will facilitate a smooth transition from an academic context into their professional engagement on the national and international labor market. At the same time, the knowledge acquired at the undergraduate level represents a good foundation for the continuation of their studies at higher levels of studies, as well as their participation in ongoing professional development. The study programs anticipate the modern needs of future social workers. They have been directed toward recognizing the social needs and policies, building social justice, creating social protection and social security for the citizens. The programs offer education for objective views in the process of offering services, with a special emphasis placed on the vulnerable categories of people who are facing challenges as a result of their social and economic status, their ethnicity, gender, age, etc.

By the end of the academic year 2019/2020, 32 generations of students had graduated at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.

From the very start of its founding, and all up to the present day, the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy has carried out educational, research and academic activities in the sphere of social work and social policy, preparing qualified professionals to work in the realms of social, child, and healthcare protection, as well as in education. In the period from 1997 to 2003, there was a Resource Center for homeless children that functioned within the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy, which coordinated the activities of 10 non-governmental organizations that worked on programs for these children. In 1998, the Institute, in cooperation with the UNDP, opened the research-applicative National Center on Ongoing Social Development Education. The Center organized a number of seminars on the permanent education of professionals from the social protection sphere, the NGO sector, local self-government, institutions in the spheres of healthcare and education, as well as others.

The Institute boasts a rich selection of academic publications, with numerous course books and books having been published by the teaching staff. In addition, 1973, at the time of the College of Social Workers, saw the publication of the journal Social Policy: a Journal on Theory and Practice. The final issue of this journal was published in 1985. In 2008 the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy started publishing the Journal of Social Policy. The journal is peer-reviewed, with an International Board of Reviewers, publishing original academic papers in the domain of social policy.

Apart from its educational scope of work, the faculty members at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy actively participate in many research projects as well as consultancy on social policy and social work related affairs.

The Institute of Social Work and Social Policy celebrated its 65th anniversary with an international conference, organized from 19-22 September 2023. http://65swsp.fzf.ukim.edu.mk

A significant segment of the activities at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy is connected to collaboration with national and international academic, governmental and non-governmental organizations. Also, the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy is engaged in the work of: the East-European Regional Association of Schools of Social Work; the European Association of Schools of Social Work; the European Social Policy Network; the LSEE Research Network on Social Cohesion in South East Europe. In addition, the Institute is academic coordinator of the CEEPUS network and the Central European Social Policy and Social Work Network (CESPASWON). Teaching staff at the Institute of Social Work and Social Policy at the Faculty of Philosophy is composed of the following members: Sunčica Dimitrijoska, PhD; Maja Gerovska Mitev, PhD; Suzana Bornarova, PhD; Ivan Trajkov, PhD; Svetlana Trbojević, PhD; Nataša Bogoevska, PhD; Sofija Georgievska, PhD; and Vladimir Ilievski, PhD.