Social Policy Conference to Focus On Lithuania’s Response to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis
On 14 October, Vilnius University (VU) Theatre Hall (Universiteto g. 3) will host a social policy conference “The Path of Life and Crises Thereof: (How) Does Lithuanian Social Policy Work?” The event is set to explore the impact and challenges of social policy responses to crises at different stages of life. It will include a plenary discussion where social policy-makers will discuss Lithuania’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
According to VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, the success of social policy also depends on the leadership of universities. “The crises of recent years have shown that if we want to ensure an effective response, we must mobilize and intellectually empower the public, maintain rational cooperation between politics and science, and listen to the comments and suggestions of scientists,” he says.
According to one of the organizers of the conference Prof. Boguslavas Gruževskis from the Institute of Sociology and Social Work, the conference aims to consolidate the academic and practical social policy community on a national scale and provide a platform for an annual discussion on trends, developments, and future scenarios in social policy.
“Efficient responses to social policy issues not only contribute to the economic development of countries but also to the overall development and stability of global societies. Therefore, the now second conference aims to answer the questions of what is a more effective way to deal with the emerging problems of social policy, and which research in the field of social policy call for development,” the Professor said.
This year’s conference will examine how social policy works in atypical crisis situations: the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the inflation spike. The conference will also address topical issues such as vulnerable people’s path to higher education, parental leave policy, the situation of women and young people in the labor market, the links between internet use and mental health among older people, and many others.
The event is open and free to all. It will also be streamed live on the VU Faculty of Philosophy’s Youtube account.
Organized by the Department of Social Policy, Institute of Sociology and Social Work.