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Dr Francisco Simoes, ISCTE, Lisbon

Francisco Simoes is a PhD in Psychology at the University of Coimbra. He is an assistant researcher and a full member of the Center for Social Research and Intervention at the University Institute of Lisbon. He is also the Chair of the COST Action Rural NEET Youth Network funded by the European Commission and a member of the Coordination Group of the EU Rural Pact. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator of the project Track-In funded by the EEA & Norway Grants. His research focuses on psychosocial aspects of adolescents’ social development and well-being, social support, youth mentoring, youth mobilities, or rural NEETs profile. He has authored and co-authored more than 60 international peer-reviewed papers and reports on these research topics.

Social Inclusion in the Countryside: The Case of Rural Young People not in Employment, nor in Education or Training

Young people Not in Employment, nor in Education or Training (NEET) is a controversial social category and has been widely criticized for being mostly a statistical tool combining young people with very different educational, social, or economic backgrounds under the same label. However, for the past 15 years, NEETs shares have been disproportionately higher in rural parts of the European country, compared to (sub)urban areas, particularly in Southern and Eastern countries. This trend is relevant as it adds to several structural inequalities that are widening the gap between more affluent, urban areas and less affluent, mostly rural territories of the European continent. Recent research efforts driven by initiatives such as the Rural NEET Youth Network have finally started to profile rural NEETs in the context of the school-to-work transition. My presentation details the main individual features of rural NEETs. Following that, I will discuss the current challenges and opportunities shaping rural labour markets which can ultimately shape rural younger generations pathways to the labour force, with many of them stemming from the twin transition. I will conclude by listing a series of research initiatives and policy recommendations that can contribute to strengthening the social inclusion of rural young people in general, including rural NEETs.

Prof Dr Stein Kuhnle, Bergen University

Stein Kuhnle is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bergen, Norway, where he was Professor of Comparative Politics (1982-2017). He is also Professor Emeritus at the Hertie School in Berlin, where he was Professor of comparative social policy (2006-2013). He is an Honorary Professor at Fudan University, Nanjing University, Sun Yat-sen University in China and the University of Southern Denmark. He has published extensively on comparative welfare state development. Most recent books are Challenges to the Welfare State: Family and Pension Policies in the Baltic and Nordic Countries (2021, co-edited with J. Aidukaite and S. E. O. Hort); Globalizing Welfare: An Evolving Asia-European Dialogue (2019, co-edited with P. Selle and S. E. O. Hort); Ageing Welfare and Social Policy: China and the Nordic Countries in Comparative Perspective (2019, 2022 (Chinese edition), co-edited with Jing, T-, Pan, Y., and Chen, S.). Selected previous publications: Normative Foundations of the Welfare State: The Nordic Experience (2005, co-edited with N. Kildal); Survival of the European Welfare State (2000, ed.). He has given lectures in 35 countries and has been a Visiting Professor/Scholar at universities in China, Japan, Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, and the USA.

The Welfare State: The Challenges of Sustainability

It is nothing new that ‘the welfare state’ faces serious challenges. Ever since the 1970s, Western welfare states have by many researchers been regarded as being in crisis, but despite many policy adjustments and important variations among Western welfare states, the overall scope of the welfare state, as measured by social expenditure per capita, has by and large increased. At the same time, we can observe a globalisation of social policy and the emergence of a more active social role of the state in many parts of the world during recent decades. 

But new challenges due to a variety of new security issues and new dimensions of uncertainty have appeared, not least following the unanticipated Russian large-scale invasion of and war on Ukraine and concomitant international political developments. Political unease about the future of the welfare state and scope of social policies in different parts of the world has escalated. Welfare political priorities must compete with increased priorities for defence, cyber security, and issues related to energy, climate, food, and the environment. 

Motivations for state responsibility for citizen welfare and well-being – as well as for the type and scope of responsibility - vary. The fate of the welfare state and social policies is clearly a question of political and normative commitment to what kind of socially active state is desired. What are the economic, political, and moral dimensions of welfare state sustainability? 

Everyone is welcome to attend the conference either in Vilnius or online and join in the discussions by filling in the registration form https://forms.gle/DBfsNEUKD6SPUmum7.

You can check out the conference programme here.

If you have any questions about the registration, feel free to contact Assoc. Prof. Lina Šumskaitė via email .

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

This year we offer a unique opportunity to publish your conference paper in the scientific journal Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice (STEPP). STEPP is indexed in Scilit Web of Science Journal Citation Indicator 0.06, Q4, 5.11 percentile, category Social Work 84/88 (2021), BASE, Cabell’s directories of Academic Journals, C.E.E.O.L., CNKI, CORE, EBSCO, Dimensions, DOAJ Seal, ERIH-PLUS, Google Scholar (h5-index 5, g5-index 6), HEAL link (Hellenic Academic Libraries Link), Index Copernicus International, JournalTOCs, Lituanistika, QOAM, ROAD, Redalyc, ScienceGate, ScienceOpen. You can find more information about the journal STEPP on the website (https://www.journals.vu.lt/STEPP). If you would be interested in this opportunity feel free to contact Journal’s Deputy Editor in Chief Jurate Charenkova (her email: ) who is also a member of the local organizing committee.

Additionally, all the accepted abstracts will be published in the conference book of abstracts.

On November 10, 2023, the Department of Social Policy invites you the 3rd annual social policy conference “Social Policy Responses: From Old Issues to New Challenges” at the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University. The Social Policy Conference is organised annually with the aim of consolidating the academic and practical social policy community on a national scale and providing a platform for the annual discussion of social policy trends, developments and future scenarios. This year, for the first time, the conference is organised internationally.

This year’s conference aims to provide an international analysis of social policy responses, impacts, challenges, and opportunities in addressing both the “old”, classic social policy challenges, such as ageing, poverty, inequality, social protection for specific groups, migration challenges, environmental and human rights issues, as well as the new challenges stemming from unique geopolitical and economic factors. These new social challenges include the COVID-19 pandemic and its social, political, and economic consequences resulting from the imposed restrictions, the war in Ukraine, and the impact of subsequent economic sanctions. The cumulative psychological, social, economic, and political impacts of these social problems create distinctive challenges for social policy responses and solutions, necessitating the development of innovative social policy tools. 

We have the pleasure to welcome the keynote speakers:

• Prof Dr Stein Kuhnle, Bergen University The Welfare State: The Challenges of Sustainability

• Dr Francisco Simoes, ISCTE, Lisbon Social Inclusion in the Countryside: The Case of Rural Young People not in Employment, nor in Education or Training

Discussing social issues and social policy with researchers and policy practitioners is crucial for advancing social policy research and improving the practical applicability of policies for the development and sustainability of society. Everyone is welcome to attend or join us online and participate in the discussions: https://forms.gle/DBfsNEUKD6SPUmum7.

There are no fees for participating in the conference. Please note that the event will be recorded and photographs taken during the event will be shared on Vilnius University media channels. The conference's working language is English (without translation). All speakers will receive a certificate of attendance.

Conference venue: Aula Parva (Universiteto 3) and the Faculty of Philosophy (Universiteto 9), Vilnius, Lithuania.

If you have any questions, contact a member of the conference organizational committee assoc. prof. Jūratė Charenkova via email .

This Conference is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT, Agreement No. S-MOR-23-4) and the Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University.

I International Social Policy Conference

SOCIAL POLICY RESPONSES: FROM OLD ISSUES TO NEW CHALLENGES

PROGRAMME

10 November 2023

Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University
Venue: Aula Parva, Universiteto 3, Vilnius, Lithuania
Faculty of Philosophy, Universiteto 9, Vilnius, Lithuania

About the Faculty - Faculty of Philosophy (vu.lt)

Download conference programme (pdf)

This Conference is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT, Agreement No. S-MOR-23-4) and the Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University.

On November 10, 2023, the Department of Social Policy organizes the 3rd annual social policy conference “Social Policy Responses: From Old Issues to The New Challenges” at the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University.

The aim of the conference this year is to analyse the responses, impacts, challenges and opportunities of social policy in response to various global and personal crises. Every crisis, whether it be psychological, intrapersonal, societal, or global, has the potential to either weaken or strengthen the person, community or nation by providing new insights and opportunities. During a lifetime, one can face both normative and non-normative crises on personal, group, and community levels. Additionally, in the last couple of years, we experienced several global crises—firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns; then, the invasion of Ukraine and the outcomes of following economic restrictions. Crises are characterized by a variety of psychological, social, economic, and political outcomes for individuals, groups, and communities, which in turn offer new challenges, opportunities, and directions for social policy theory, practice, research, and education.

Discussing social problems and social policy with researchers, policymakers and practitioners develops social policy research and enhances the practice towards the more sustainable functioning of society. The conference is organised to consolidate the community of social policy academics and practitioners on an international scale and to provide a platform for the annual discussion of relevant social policy challenges, trends, developments and future scenarios.