TISSA 2025 Gathers Participants at Lusófona University

The International TiSSA Conference (The International Social Work and Society Academy) is an annual event that brings together academics, professionals, and students in the field of Social Work to discuss relevant and current issues. This year, the conference took place in the new facilities of Lusófona University – Porto University Centre, gathering over 240 participants from 27 different nationalities, most of whom are researchers in Social Work.

Under the coordination of Professor Cristiana Almeida and Professor Diana Dias, several lecturers and Social Work students joined the event’s organising committee, ensuring the smooth running of the conference, which positively impressed its guests. The six-day event featured mornings and afternoons of discussion and critical reflection, with lectures, presentations, debates, as well as moments of leisure and social interaction, such as a guided tour of Porto’s historic centre and group dinners in the city.

The main theme of this year’s conference was “Re-imagining Social Work and Social Justice: The Nexus between Theory, Practice and Dissent”, chosen to question the growing trend towards the de-intellectualisation of Social Work. The aim was to challenge the reduction of research and practice to mere technical tools or conservative models, and instead propose a reconfiguration of the relationship between theory and practice as a critical and dissenting activity, capable of countering hegemonic logics and promoting social justice.

All lectures and debates throughout the event revolved around this central issue. Among the speakers were several lecturers and researchers from Lusófona University, including Ana Paula Caetano, Elisabete Pinto da Costa, Eva Chaves, Hélia Bracons, Jacqueline Marques, Mónica Teixeira, Paula Ferreira, and Rui Cascão.

Particularly noteworthy for their scientific relevance and academic impact were the contributions of the two keynote speakers. Professor Cristiana Almeida presented an in-depth reflection on the evolution of social policies and Social Work in Portugal from 1974 to 2024, within the collective publication The Revolutions of the Revolution – Social Policies and Social Work (2025), co-authored by lecturers and students of FCESE. Professor Cristina Albuquerque enriched the plenary session with her talk “Social Justice in a Fractal World: The Boldness of Dissident Voices on What Cannot Be Silenced”, emphasising the role of critical dissent as a driving force in building effective social justice.

The most remarkable moment was undoubtedly the opening session, attended by Professor Rudi Roose, President of TiSSA and editor of the European Journal of Social Work; Professor Diana Dias, Pro-Rector for Research and Innovation; Professor Isabel Babo, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation; Dr Duarte Silva, member of the General Council of the Portuguese Association of Social Workers; and Dr Fernando Paulo, Councillor for the Departments of Education and Social Cohesion, alongside Professor Cristiana Almeida. All applauded the initiative and the objectives of the event. During his speech, Professor Rudi Roose, TiSSA President, emphasised the centrality of international collaboration as a conditio sine qua non for promoting social justice and the uncompromising defence of human rights. He also highlighted the urgent need to rebuild Social Work in a way that rejects the de-intellectualisation of the profession and reaffirms the inseparable link between practice and theory, seeing them not as separate spheres but as complementary dimensions of the same critical and transformative activity.

TiSSA 2025 not only provided a space for dialogue and reflection on Social Work and social justice but also strengthened the network of contacts between academics and professionals in the field, reaffirming the importance of collaboration and the sharing of experiences in advancing social practice.

View the Event Photos on ULusófona’s Facebook Page

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Catarina Machado

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Catarina Machado

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Catarina Machado

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Catarina Machado