FSU Social Work Visits Hungary for International Conference on the Professionalization of Social Work

A team of FSU social work faculty including Dean Jim Clark, Dr. Tomi Gomory, Professor Fran Gomory along with Elizabeth Croney, Executive Vice President for Clinical Advancement at KVC Health Systems traveled to Hungary to present at two conferences sponsored by the University of Pécs.

The University of Pécs is the oldest university in Hungary (in existence for more than 650 years) offering many programs, including a well-established social work department, the Department of Community and Social Studies, and an internationally recognized law school. The FSU College of Social Work has had a long-standing relationship with the University of Pécs through frequent research collaborations between Dr. Gomory and Department of Community and Social Studies faculty.

The presentations commenced with Dean Clark’s invited lecture  to an audience of the University of Pécs’ law school’s faculty and students regarding the history of the death penalty in the United States followed by spirited question and answer session with participation by both students and faculty. FSU’s delegation also met with the Dean of Pécs’ law school, discussing the possible opportunities for cooperative ventures between the law school and the FSU College of Social Work. A few days later, FSU’s delegation participated in the Department of Community and Social Work’s international conference, “The Professionalization of Social Work.”

At that conference, Dean Clark gave a well-received keynote address titled: “Thinking about social work education for the 21st Century: Philosophical challenges and pragmatic opportunities in the United States.” Ms. Croney presented a lecture on “Developing high-quality services for children and families: The KVC Kentucky approach.” Professor Gomory ran a workshop on a topic of much interest to social workers in Hungary who are looking to more firmly professionalize their roles entitled, “What are the advantages of getting an MSW degree for social workers in the USA?” And Dr. Gomory ran a Hungarian language workshop on the utility of Feedback Informed Treatment for an enthusiastic group of social workers principally using group treatment working with the mental health needs of the elderly, a largely underserved population in Hungary.

The FSU delegation also had some fruitful discussions with their host, Vice Dean Dr. Márta B. Erdős, regarding future collaborations between our two programs. In between all of educational activities, members of the delegation were able to sightsee and appreciate the historical sites of Budapest and rural Hungary, as well as enjoying Hungarian cuisine.

To view additional photos of the conference: http://szocialismunka.btk.pte.hu/hu/professzionalizacio_szocialis_munkaban_konferencia_1_na