Research
WHAT WE STAND FOR
As a small size niche ACADEMY OF APPLIED SCIENCES we believe that our research should not only be precise and thorough, but also INTERDISCIPLINARY AACCESSIBLE, RELIEVABLE AND TRUTHFUL FOR SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIAL WORK, CARITATIVE SOCIAL WORK, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE PERFECT RESEARCH SETTING.
Are you passionate about your research area and ethused by innovative research ideas in social work and caritative social work profession development? Come and join our team of researchers searching for innovative initiatives and potentialities to reach high level authority of the mentioned profession in interdisciplinary research!
Come and join our team!
Innovation and engagement for social work profession’s development
INSPIRING THE INNOVATIVE AND OUTSTANDING IS IN OUR DNA. We see research as an engagement with society to be developed in the knowledge setting of ancient European anthropological understanding of human being.
Our researchers are constantly questioning established understanding of the human being in the world. Their fundamental curiosity leads to countless new insights and innovative ideas to be developed based on European ancient understanding of personality;
their practical initiative leads to applied innovative products to be used as innovation and social technologies in social work professions’ development, the best example of what is innovative profession of caritative social work developed by the Academy.
Even Pope of the Roman Catholic Church Francis was interested in innovative development of the CARITAS in Master stduy program for social workers.
Discover our RESEARCH STORIES.
Main Key Research Areas
All Key Areas are highly multidisciplinary.
Main Key Areas are divided in two research directions: corporate research direction and individual.
CORPORATE RESEARCH directions:
- Development of European Social Model using the methodology of integrative theology and Patristic anthropology;
- Patristic anthropology and social welfare studies;
- Social welfare studies using Patristic anthropology for modern social work development – mainly innovative profession of Caritative Social worker;
- Social dialogue processes un EU and Latvia (social work macro development) in partnership with EC organization EZA (“European Center for Workers’ Questions”).
INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH directions:
- Research of the history of the Orthodox anthropology and Church development in Latvia;
- Scientific translation of ancient anthropology knowledge texts (4-8th centuries).
The goal Academy is:
- To develop applied research according to the labor market needs;
- To develop studies, research and life-long learning from the anthropological perspective necessary for the future needs of the state and society in Open Science setting;
- To develop innovative applied research in connection with life-long learning in the dynamically changing world.
The long-term research goals are connected with innovation since 1993 and is using special innovative methodology of integrative theology and integrative anthropology to realize the research goals.
The methodology of integrative Patristic anthropology enhances credibility of research and makes it acceptable to the academic and professional community as bringing innovative results for social welfare and social work development in whole Europe.
Interdisciplinary research
ECA has Strategic Development Plan, approved by the Senate and developed for 5 years.
Interdisciplinary research is recognized as one of the solutions for today’s challenging scientific and societal issues. The most important result of interdisciplinary approach that was set in our Research and Dissemination Plan is the development of new innovative profession in the European social welfare system – scientifically and by normative acts accepted as Caritative Social Worker which has not been developed in Europe.
Positive correlation between the interdisciplinarity of scientific approach to ancient anthropological knowledge and ancient publications in Patristic anthropology, and attention to the European Social Agenda Policy documents helped us to reach empirical results for the development of the mentioned new profession.
Among three dimensions – innovation, interdisciplinarity and European antiquity – the profession exhibits the most pronounced positive impact on political attention and importance for Anthropological-Design-Thinking Methodology (ADTM) (please read about innovative research). which is the next innovation developed by ECA, for political attention and development of social work profession in modern Europe highlighting attention of researchers, policy makers and potential of interdisciplinary research.