Special Interest Groups (SIG)

Special interest groups (SIGs) are a platform for the development of research and educational activities at the international level. Special interest groups provide space for Exchange of information and ideas and collaboration in specific area of research interest.

SIGs under ERIS work within an approach based on knowledge co-production, which will be developing and applying social work research findings to policy and practice. Each SIG can offer a pan-European perspective (local, national, and international) to the specific topics of interest.

*The result of cooperation of members of special interest group can be, for example, a joint article, book, research, or educational project, etc.

Basic guidelines for the  activities of special interest groups:

  • Each SIG has its own coordinator – "chair".
    • It is possible for the SIG to be coordinated by two people – "co-chairing".
  • Membership: Any employee or student of a partner university or associate member can become a SIG member. Any individual member can be a SIG member.
    • Applications for membership are sent directly to the chair/co-chair.
    • It is necessary to immediately inform the SIG chair about a possible termination of membership in the SIG. The list of SIG members is continually updated.
  • Each SIG has its own work autonomy. It means that the number of meetings, their form (online/face-to-face) and agenda are designed by a chair. The chair may accept proposals from SIG members.
    • A chair can invite new members and also guests (experts in a given topic) to the SIG meeting (e.g., for the purpose of a workshop, lecture, etc.).
      Invitations of new members outside the ERIS network are mainly focused on creating opportunities for new collaborations, e.g., development of joint projects or recruiting new members to ERIS.
  • The group will meet twice per year, minimally.
  • Chairs are in very close contact with the ERIS management board. Meetings between ERIS management and chairs take place at least twice a year. Brief minutes are taken from each SIG meeting, which are then sent to ERIS management (no later than three weeks from the date of the meeting). ERIS management can propose tasks for the SIG, the implementation of which is then agreed by the chair.
  • The chair will always inform about the SIG's activities at regular ERIS meetings. If the chair can't attend a regular ERIS meeting, he/she will pass the information on to ERIS management.

  • The process of proposing and approving a new SIG:
    • Any ERIS member can propose a new SIG by contacting the ERIS office via online form.
    • Creation of a new SIG is decided by ERIS management together with the chairs of existing SIGs in a vote. A majority of all votes is needed to form a new SIG.
      • Basic voting rules: Voting can be anonymous upon request. It is possible to abstain from voting. If someone is in a conflict of interest, he/she does not vote.

List of the SIGs

Putting children first
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Chair: Karen Mills (UK)

Co-chairs: Veronika Mia Racko (CZ), Emily Chetty (UK)

Scope and Activity

The ERIS network supports its international collaboration with a number of Special Interest Groups. The group Putting Children First is comprised of members from seven partner nations. We are currently developing joint teaching projects and resources to help develop students’ understanding of the context and practice of work with children and families across Europe. We are considering possible joint projects in the field of research, including presentations at the forthcoming ERIS conference.

Children and Families Podcast

The group has developed a set of podcast resources on topics related to child protection and safeguarding in different European countries. Each podcast discussion takes as its starting point three key questions

  1. What are the central ideas/concepts of child protection in the country?
  2. What legislation governs child protection in the country?
  3. What are the children‘s struggles in child protection?

The podcast recording will be accompanied by a glossary and a set of questions for students to respond to.

We hope that once complete these can be lodged on the ERIS website as a resource for our students across the ERIS network.

Child Protection Virtual Showcases

Within the SIG, we are developing an international research project titled “Child Protection Virtual Showcases.” This project originated from the joint monograph on child protection, for which SIG members provided information about their respective countries. One of the initial ideas was to make this information more accessible to a wider audience, particularly to young people.

From this, in 2024, the idea emerged to create virtual exhibition spaces presenting key aspects of child protection systems. Visitors can freely move around, interact with objects, and explore information presented in multiple formats – including text, images, audio, and video. The exhibitions also feature AI avatars that can speak any language and explain the materials presented. This concept, proposed by Dr Anastasia Karpunina, was supported by SIG members and later endorsed by ERIS Director Prof. Chytil.

In 2025, the project expanded to include six ERIS member countries – England, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Finland – followed by Ireland, which brought the project beyond the ERIS network. Since then, South Korea, India, Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, and Thailand have expressed interest in joining. Vietnam and Hong Kong are also expected to participate soon. The project has therefore grown into a global initiative.

Each country’s showcase includes country-specific data, legal frameworks, governance structures, key social work interventions, innovations, and landmark research. The virtual platform is freely available to social work educators and students worldwide. Those interested in accessing the exhibition are welcome to contact Dr Anastasia Karpunina directly at a.karpunina@sheffield.ac.uk.

The potential of the virtual showcases is currently being tested in a pilot study led by Dr Karpunina. If successful, the next step will be to create showcases for every country in the world, ensuring that students and educators can access verified, high-quality information for teaching and research purposes.

Inclusive communities
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Chair: Anita Gulczyńska (PL), Laure Lienard (FR)

Social and community workers face the challenge of redefining their roles in the process of co-creation of modern, sustainable cities, and to work on equal footing with economists, urban planners, architects, and engineers.

Our SIG is focused on unveiling areas of socio-spatial exclusion and their variants in contemporary cities. We are interested in groups and communities that experience the intersectional impacts of unfavourable exo- and endogenous processes, the accumulation of which constitutes a high risk for social marginalization. Through the creation and implementation of interdisciplinary research methodologies, we will strive to discover the complex experiences of these groups and communities, as well as their resistance and resilience to overcome the barriers to equal life opportunities. Our interdisciplinary and international team will aim not only to understand these citizens' experiences, but also to foster empowering actions as part of our research projects.

Social work with migrants and refugees
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Chair: Marketa Seidlová (CZ)

This SIG focuses on current challenges and best practices with migrants and refugees in an increasingly complex global context. The target of our actions is to support and empower refugees and migrants, as well as to foster integration into a host society and promote anti-discrimination practices in order to reduce barriers for migrants in standard services and general administration. Different contexts (in different countries) of social work with refugees and migrants as well as different actions on all levels are studied in order to learn from each other. Social work science and theories serve as a base for generating knowledge for action. We are also focused on the effects of climate change and vulnerability of migrants and refugees, and human rights.

Ethics of social work and its new challenges
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Chair: Jelena Petrucijová (CZ)

Ethics is an essential part of the social work profession. The aim of the group is to analyse:
a) historical changes in the value dimension of social work and its current state, b) ethical decision-making of social workers with a focus on the area of professional dilemmas, c) new ethical challenges faced by social workers in times of new societal challenges and the implementation of new tools and methods, e.g., the implementation of new information technologies, including AI.


Updated: 05. 01. 2026