Austrian Youth Research Conference 2023

MCI department of Social Work as an important cooperation partner

Recently, the Austrian Youth Research Conference 2023 on the topic of youth in times of crisis took place at MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® and Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck.

The conference dealt with questions of young people's ability to act in times of crisis, the importance of youth as a "motor" of social change, how to cope with individual challenges and crises in the life phase of youth, as well as with (social) pedagogical and Social Work possibilities for empowering young people. Thematically, the conference focused on current social, health and ecological crises (Ukraine war, pandemic and climate change) and their impact on youth.

On the one hand, we promoted young scientists by involving our students and graduates in poster presentations, their own contributions and participation in keynotes and panels. On the other hand, our senior lecturers presented current research work.

Department of Social Work:

Our senior lecturers Christina Lienhart, DSA, PhD, and Andrej Kállay, PhD, each presented their current research on child and youth welfare issues. They also moderated a fishbowl discussion between young people with their contributions and representatives from academia as well as a panel.

Social Work, Social Policy & Management master's program:

Elisabeth Lehmer, BA MA (graduate of the master's program in Social Work, Social Policy & Management - year 2020) presented her master's thesis on forced marriage.

Julia Wiesinger and Inga Plum (students of the Master's program Social Work, Social Policy & Management - year 2021) presented the poster on the practice research project from the academic year 2021/2022 on the "AusBildungssituation of young in residential educational assistance during corona ".

Students of the master's program Social Work, Social Policy & Management (year 2022) participated in the course "Social Policy in Austria".

Social Work bachelor's program:

Cordula Hinterholzer, BSC, BA, and David Kaserbacher, BA, (graduates of the bachelor's program of Social Work - year 2019) presented the poster on their concept for a queer youth center in Innsbruck.