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When we look upon our work in comparison to other competitors in the field of science in Latvia we were the first HEI who has organized international consortium of three universities – Lapland University (FI), Klaipeda University (LT) and ECA (LV) - Doctoral school to be provided in Klaipeda University and Lapland University for social workers and Caritative social workers with institutionally agreed program.

THE AIM OF DOCTORAL SCHOOL is to initiate in Latvia the understanding of social work not only as a practice but also as a science. We invited social workers who graduated from the master study program for pre-studies in Doctoral school in ECA to apply for accredited Doctoral study program in Lapland University.

ECA is working on education of social work specialists and policy makers to understand that social work as profession has much longer history than the beginning of the 19th century, - background of social work as profession was laid back in the 4th - 8th centuries in the so-called Alexandrian University and Antiochian Patristic anthropology – in anthropological concept of personalization, i.e., understanding of client.

On the mentioned academic background ECA is developing innovative profession in welfare studies direction - client-oriented social work profession called Caritative social work.

We are providing education in our Doctoral school together with Klaipeda University in corporative team including Klaipeda University (LT), University of Cologne (DE), guest professor Kyosti Urponen (FI), guest professor Klaus Kiessling (DE) - together preparing doctoral students for studies and graduation in Lapland University (FI).

ECA has special plan together with Klaipeda University and Lapland University to ensure step-by-step development sustainability of doctoral students.

Second task in this regard is to reach the goal that social work as science should be included in national Classification of Fields of sciences (“Regulations on Latvian scientific fields groups, scientific fields and sub-fields”, Cabinet of Ministers Regulation on September 27, 2022, Nr. 595).

Being a HEI with applied research goal and our strategic specialization, we are institution that is advantageous doing everything for success of doctoral program to be established in future. It includes regular collaboration between Lapland University, Klaipeda University, and international recognized social work scientists with a goal to develop, in the context of industry, social work profession as valuable internationally, specially adapted for the risk, post-secularized society we are living in right now.