Best Educational Programs: SOCIAL WORK
VOLGA REGION STATE UNIVERSITY OF SERVICE
Department of Social Technologies
Bachelor’s programme
Master’s programme
RUZOVA, Larisa Anatolyevna
Head of the Department
Programme presentation. The Department of Social Technologies (DST) fruitfully and constantly develops international cooperation with foreign partners in the frame-work of the Programme. In 2010, the DST implemented a joint project on training of effective technologies of social work for students, teaching staff and specialists of social sphere with Anne and Henry Zarrow, School of Social Work, Oklahoma University (the USA). The project was carried out within “The Fulbright Senior Specialist Program” grant. Open lectures by R. Hofrichter – specialist of social work, Head of Public Organizationfor Disabled People in Berlin (Germany) – were organized for DST students in 2011.
In 2013, Jerry B. Daniel, Dr. M., Professor, School of Medicine, Mercer University, USA carried out open lectures and master-classes on actual problems of social work organization in the USA (in the framework of international exchange programme of the Fulbright Foundation). Besides, DST teaching staff and students work on socially significant projects in Togliatti. “Theatrical Studio ’Ariadne’s Thread’ for disabled children” project was realized in the framework of the grant of the Foundation for Supporting Children in Need in 2011-2013. The academic process is provided with modern material and technical equipment in VRSUS: computers with high-speed internet access, audio- and video systems, multimedia resources, media library. The Department uses innovative teaching methods: role-playing games, case study, project methods, lectures-discussions, webinars and many others.
Teaching staff. The teaching staff consists of 15 lecturers, included two Doctors of sciences, professors and nine PhDs, assistant-professors. The DST teaching staff won grants of international charity foundations, grants of the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Science; many lecturers are awarded by the Honour Diplomas of the RF Ministry of Education and Science, Samara region and the Council of Rectors of Samara region.
Interaction with the employers. The heads of social service bodies and non-profit organizations of Togliatti are enrolled in academic process. Practical classes are partially conducted in the institutions of social sphere of the city and region. The DST researchers investigate actual life problems of different population groups with the purpose of improvement of social work efficiency. The work is carried out within the research laboratory “Sociology of the City”.