Gigineishvili Ketevan
Host: Aalborg University; Aalborg, Denmark | Secondment: Aalborg Municipality
Academic supervisor: Prof. Lars Uggerhøj, Practice supervisor: Ann Kühnel Liljenberg
I hold a masters degree in social work by ilia State University in Georgia. Since 2012, I have worked in both direct social work practice and social policy.
My professional experience includes working with people with disabilities, children with disabilities, and vulnerable families. I also served as the Director of the Georgian Association of Social Workers in Georgia, as well as in different local and international organizations supporting/leading initiatives to strengthen the social work profession and social policy in my country.
In addition, I have contributed to several researches and co-authored articles and book chapters in the field of social work. I also worked as a lecturer in Ilia State University on a masters degree of social work faculty.
Research Interests: Social Work, Disabilities, Mental health, Social Policy, social work education
Reiners Carolina
Host: UIBK – University of Innsbruck, Austria | Secondment: CFCECAS (Romania)
Academic supervisor: Prof. Levke Harders, Practice supervisor: Herbert Paulischin
I completed my bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Applied Sciences Münster and my master’s degree in Diversity Studies in the Social Science at the University of Göttingen.
During my studies I have worked as a student research assistant at the University of Applied Sciences Münster and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity.
After my studies I did an internship at an NGO that promotes participation and self-representation among children and young people.
Research Interests: Gender studies; professional research in social work; political mandate of social work
Marinè Clara
Host: ISCSP – University of Lisbon | Secondment: Jovesolides (Spain)
Academic supervisor: Prof. Carla Pinto, Practice supervisor: Amparo Pedraza
I hold a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Buenos Aires and completed a Master’s Degree in Community Social Work, Evaluation and Management of Social Services from the Complutense University of Madrid.
My professional background includes nearly a decade as a judicial employee, providing direct social support on fundamental rights to vulnerable populations. This foundational work is coupled with experience in the education sector and youth engagement, facilitating group learning and applying participatory methodologies.
My project in COCOSO Network utilizes a participatory mixed-method approach to investigate youth perceptions of co-construction in social welfare across Europe. My commitment is to advance research on co-construction as a fundamental pillar for democracy and innovation in social welfare, ensuring that academic knowledge translates into tangible social impact.
Research Interests: social justice – advocacy – youth rights – participation
Montes D’Oco Lisarb
Host: ISCSP – University of Lisbon | Secondment: Câmara Municipal de Amadora
Academic supervisor: Prof. Ana Esgaio, Practice supervisors: Ana Moreno, Rute Gonçalves
Brazilian Social Worker with main practice in the social sector in Porto Alegre (Brazil) and in Berlin (Germany). Holds a post-graduation degree in Ethics and Education in Human Rights (UFRGS-Brazil) and a Master’s degree in Social work from the Erasmus Mundus Advances program (Aalborg University and Lisbon University).
Has professional and research experience in the following topics: immigration and the integration of migrants; gender/GBV and feminist issues; and children’s rights, education and protection.
Research Interests: social policies addressing inequities, critical social work, professional training, community development and co-construction among social services.
Luis Rita
Host: University of Warsaw | Secondment: Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Amadora (Portugal)
Academic supervisor : Prof. Agnieszka Postuła, Practice supervisor: Adriano Fernandes
Social worker from Portugal, with a BSc and MSc in Social Work – master’s research explored the connection between Social Work and Sustainable Development.
Began my professional path in the local government in Lisbon, contributing to the emergency social response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later, I joined one of the largest NGOs in Portugal and Europe, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Portugal, where I worked on advocacy and capacity-building efforts.
I also collaborated with the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in an internship focusing on social rights. I’m a Portuguese representative within IFSW Europe’s Network of New Social Workers, having played an active role in its establishment and growth.
Additionally, I have been involved in the evaluation of social projects and higher education study programs.
Research Interests: Environmental sustainability and ecosocial approaches in social work; Poverty, inequalities and social rights; Participatory methodologies and co-construction.
Chankaew Phongsathon
Host: Democritus University of Thrace | Secondment: Scientific Association for the Care of Children and Adolescents (SYMEPE)
Academic supervisor: Prof. Irene Katsama, Practicve supervisor: Christina Chatzidimitriou
I’m a licensed social worker from Thailand with over seven years of experience in child protection and alternative care for children, focusing on protecting vulnerable children and families, strengthening family and community-based care, and driving policy advocacy across NGOs and UN agencies.
I’m deeply committed to bridge research, practice, and policy to strengthen social work, ensuring that every child has access to safe, nurturing, and lasting family-based care.
Research Interests: Child Protection and Alternative Care for Children
Consolini Célia
Host: Université Paris Nanterre | Secondment: Agence nouvelle des solidarités actives
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Hélène Join-Lambert, Practice supervisor: Claire D’Hennezel
Having worked closely with the social work sector as a Project Officer for the anti-poverty NGO ATD Fourth World in London, and with a background in journalism and sociolinguistics, I have experience in conducting qualitative research informed by lived experience, and supporting vulnerable families.
My PhD focuses on consolidating co-construction strategies in social services, by identifying good practices and experimenting with methods to disseminate them. I am committed to eradicating inequalities and strengthening democracy through relational, anti-poverty and human rights-based approaches.
Research Interests: Anti-poverty practice, participatory approaches, social policymaking
Kalantzakis Nicolas
Host: Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) | Secondment: Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos (EKPSE)
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Vassilis Karagkounis, Practice supervisors: Nikolitsa Darmogianni, Valentini Bochtsou
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Studies and Public Law and a Master’s degree in Political and Social Sciences from the University of Würzburg, Germany.
Parallel to my master’s studies, I completed an interdisciplinary certificate in intercultural competencies, with a focus on gender medicine, sports and inclusion, and critical perspectives on ableism, classism, gender, and racism. I
worked as a student assistant at the Chair of Sociology and Qualitative Methods of Empirical Social Research in Würzburg, where I supported in literature acquisition and contributed to the coordination of an international research network.
My doctoral project explores how community involvement can help combat stigma related to mental health. I will analyse the sensitization and awareness methodologies applied in EKPSE, assess the potential of participatory approaches to co-construct preventive actions, and compare cultural and regional dynamics between urban and rural areas in Greece.
Research Interests: qualitative research methods; sociology of culture, health and media; gender studies & intersectionality
Lupoli Marco
Host: Université Paris Nanterre | Secondment: Fondation Armée du Salut
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Hélène Join-Lambert, Prof. Anna Rurka, Practice supervisor: Blandine Maisonneuve
I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of Western Sydney. Between 2022 and 2024, I was an Erasmus Mundus Scholar completing an International Master in Advanced Development in Social Work (ADVANCES) across six European universities.
I have over ten years of experience as a practitioner and researcher working alongside culturally and racially marginalised communities, and with people living with diverse bodies, minds, and experiences across ageing, disability, mental health, and substance use. My practice is relational and informed by intersectional feminism, critical social work, anti-oppressive and decolonial ethics.
I am passionate about queer party culture as a space of collective joy, embodied resistance, and community care; and I hold a strong interest in traditional ecological knowledge and environmental justice, which I try to bring into my social work practice as often – and as enthusiastically – as I can.
Research Interests: Intersectionality, Participatory Research, Queer Ecologies, Ecologies of Care, Eco-social work, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Relational Ethics of Place, Warm Data, Relational Accountability.
Streicher Katharina
Host: Aalborg University | Secondment: Dan Church Social
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Mette Rømer, Practice supervisor: Jonas Nikolaj Jakobsen
I completed my bachelor and master’s degree in educational science at the University of Innsbruck. During my studies I have worked as a project employee at the University of Innsbruck in the Horizon Europe Project RESPONSIVE.
In addition to my academic work, I am a classical guitar teacher and have been a long-time volunteer with the Austrian Red Cross, serving in various areas.
My PhD project focuses on the impact of intersectionality on the lives of citizens affected by homelessness. The aim is to deepen our understanding of how gender influences the causes of homelessness and the possible agency in overcoming it.
Through co-productive research, I collaborate with citizens to explore their life stories and co-develop sustainable policy solutions. As part of the industrial PhD structure, I will spend at least half of my time at Dan Church Social to ensure the practical relevance of the work. The outcomes of the project will be both academic and practice-oriented.
Together, we will co-create a pocketbook for gender-sensitive outreach work, and in addition to my PhD thesis, I will develop an analytical tool to support social workers in their practice.
Teufelhart Malena
Host: Université Paris Nanterre | Secondment: Fondation Armée du Salut
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Hélène Join-Lambert, Practice supervisor: Claire Oberthur
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Applied Sciences of Vienna and have extensive experience working in social services with children and their families.
After completing a European master’s degree in occupational therapy, I worked at the Institute for Therapeutic and Midwifery Studies at IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences as a Junior Research Scientist focusing on qualitative research.
My work has included interdisciplinary and participatory projects, such as co-creation workshops and Photovoice-inspired approaches with parents and children.
I am particularly interested in creative ways of disseminating research and am committed to integrating co-construction into child protection by bridging research, practice, and policy while challenging systemic inequalities and power imbalances.
Research Interests: Child Protection, Participatory Research, Advocacy, Intersectionality
Krishna Pranesh
Host: University of Warsaw | Secondment: Fundcja Dobra Sieć
Main supervisor: Prof. Agnieszka Naumiuk, Practice supervisor: Aleksandra Belina
As a trained psychotherapist and product manager, I have over 7 years of experience spanning community mental health and AI-powered digital solutions for social change.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Delhi and went on to specialise in Clinical Psychology during my master’s at the School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
I have extensive grassroots experience in designing and implementing community-driven psychosocial support initiatives in the areas of student well-being, gender-based violence, and homelessness. Driven by a passion for scaling my impact, I joined Wysa — an AI-powered digital companion for behavioural health with over 6 million users across 90+ countries.
As Product Lead for Social Impact and Language Accessibility at Wysa, I led the expansion of Wysa’s services in Hindi and Marathi, reaching over 4,000 individuals from underserved communities through partnerships with non-profits, private organisations, and government bodies.
Ritosa Tea
Host: Aalborg University | Secondment: Anziani e non solo (Italy)
Academic supervisor: Prof. Ninna Meier, Practice supervisor: Licia Boccaletti
I completed my bachelor cum laude and master’s degree magna cum laude in Social Work at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Social Work Study Centre.
During my studies I have worked as a Student Assistant at the Department of Theory and Methods of Social Work.
After graduation, I undertook an internship at the Croatian Institute of Social Work and, after that, I worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Theory and Methods of Social Work.
Research Interests: older adults, gender, technology in social care, mental health, intersectionality
Haas Johanna
Host: University of Innsbruck | Secondment: bidok
Academic Supervisor: Prof. Lisa Pfahl, Practice supervisor: Andrea Urtaler
I graduated from a bachelor’s in Health Sciences and a master’s in Arts and Culture from Maastricht University (Netherlands).
During and after my time as a student, I worked as an expert in inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning and co-developed the first university course on Disability Studies in the Netherlands.
Additionally, I was always engaged in Disability activism and (volunteer) work in different ways in my spare time, when I gained a lot of additional hands-on experience in the field.
Research Interests: accessibility, disability history, inclusion, digital tools