ERIS Conference 2025

MCI Social Work research on the European stage

Under the theme “Building Resilience in Social Work in a Divided Society,” the European Research Institute for Social Work (ERIS) recently held its European research conference at the Faculty of Social Studies (FSS) of the University of Ostrava (CZ).

The MCI was represented there by Moritz Reisberger. As a teaching & research assistant at the MCI Department of Social Work and the Center for Social & Health Innovation (CSHI), he has been leading a TNF research project (Tyrolean Science Fund) for two years that focuses on the effects of multiple crises on Social Work practice in Tyrol.

During the ERIS Conference 2025, Moritz Reisberger shared important initial findings from project phases that had already been completed in a presentation. This gave participants at the European research conference local and practical insights into the current state of Social Work in Tyrol. Following the presentation, the international plenary session of researchers, practitioners, and students engaged in a joint discussion.

In particular, the current challenges faced by beneficiaries and clients on the one hand were compared with the crisis-ridden conditions of Social Work institutions and facilities on the other, from an international perspective. The conclusion: everyday Social Work practice is confronted with international, national, and regional challenges at various levels in and with crisis-ridden conditions, and addressing these challenges requires a return to the profession's own values, norms, and principles.

The project team, and thus the MCI Department of Social Work and the Center for Social & Health Innovation, benefited from this international exchange and the opportunities for knowledge transfer and further analysis in ongoing research projects, and looks forward to further conference dates.