Mission Statement: Social Work
We design the Social Work program as an interdisciplinary team through constructive negotiation processes, grounded in individual responsibility in research and teaching, and in dialogue with students, university stakeholders, and professionals in the field.
We pursue an inclusive approach. Students should be able to participate equally in their studies and feel comfortable at the university, regardless of gender, background, religion, mental or physical condition, socioeconomic status, age, etc. We are committed to comprehensive accessibility. Diversity is the norm in society; it is our present and our future, which is why we uphold an attitude of respect, acceptance, and empathy.
As a discipline of social work, we shape scholarship by participating in academic, interdisciplinary discourses both within and outside the university and by generating scientific insights through research.
Curiosity opens the door to the world and to scholarship. We are curious and see ourselves as teachers who are always learning. By viewing teaching as a way to spark curiosity, we impart theoretical and action-oriented knowledge, as well as current sociopolitical insights, and facilitate the development of competencies and self-awareness. The program fosters the development of a self-assured, professional social work mindset and a personality characterized by inquiry, critical reflection, and active engagement. In this way, we contribute to education that is fit for the future.
We are experts in knowledge transfer both within and outside the university. A core focus of our program is the reciprocal exchange between theory and practice. Knowledge transfer is not a one-way street, but rather a dialogical, relational process of mutual learning and understanding. To this end, we collaborate with industry partners in Augsburg and throughout the region. We also bring social issues and questions into our university and foster interdisciplinary discourse within the organization.
Practical work takes place locally. Our connection to the region is therefore of the utmost importance to us. With our expertise and innovative spirit, we see ourselves as a driving force in the region. At the same time, we also engage with state-wide, national, and international frameworks for social work and help shape processes at all levels. On the international level, we collaborate with universities, field-based organizations, and associations, and promote exchanges among students and faculty.
Against the backdrop of the most pressing crisis of our century—the climate crisis—with its dramatic social consequences, we see it as our responsibility to initiate, promote, and help shape efforts toward a socio-ecological transformation—that is, toward a sustainable and solidarity-based way of life.
Through teaching, research, and knowledge transfer—as representatives of our university as well as of the field of social work—we contribute to social justice and the protection of human rights.