AUAS: Judith Metz Elected Chair of ESWRA

Judith Metz, professor of Youth Spot at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, has been elected chair of the European Social Work Research Association (ESWRA). For the next two years, she will lead this association, the aim of which is to strengthen research into social work in Europe.

INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

In the Netherlands, research into social work often takes place at regional level. At the same time, researchers are asked to contribute through their research to the knowledge base on social work as a practice and a discipline. For researchers, it is therefore important that they are able to exchange their findings with colleagues in other countries and to learn how research into comparable issues is being carried out abroad. ESWRA facilitates such international exchange of social work research.

ABOUT JUDITH METZ

As head of the Youth Spot research group, Metz is involved in the professionalization of youth work – a profession that calls for the ability to interact with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. It is partly her experience as a professor in the field of youth work that makes Metz a suitable chair. Metz: “ESWRA is a young European association. I hope to be able to use my experience of carrying out research and cooperating within the professional, programme and academic triangle within a context of complexity and superdiversity to reinforce mutual learning within ESWRA about the various traditions within social work (research).”

PROFESSOR AS CHAIR

The position of chair is always held for a period of two years. Since the foundation of ESWRA in 2014, this position has been held by a senior lecturer – now for the first time by a professor. “Professors have a duty to contribute through applied research to the professionalization of the vocations for which the universities of applied science are training students”, Metz elaborates. “I suspect that I have a greater focus on the relevance of the research to the professional practice of social work and the programmes. I am also the first Dutch woman to hold this position. I hope to raise the profile within Europe of the social work research carried out in the Netherlands.”

2021 CONFERENCE IN AMSTERDAM

ESWRA’s flagship is its annual European Conference for Social Work Research; a highly regarded international conference on research into social work. The conference is being organised by a local committee in cooperation with ESWRA’s board. “The board pays attention to the distribution within Europe, quality assurance and the contribution made by the conference to strengthening social work as a profession and an academic discipline”, Metz says. Following previous editions in Portugal, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, the conference will take place in Amsterdam in 2021, and is organised by AUAS.

More about Judith Metz

More about the Youth Spot research group

This release was first published 26 April 2019 by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences