International Cooperation

Since its establishment, CARITAS – College of Social Work in Olomouc has participated and gradually intensified its participation in a large number of international programmes, projects and activities focused on education of both current and prospective social workers.

These activities primarily include the following:

  • international student education (e.g. Ukraine and Chechnya) in higher professional and bachelor studies, 1997 – 2005
    • this project of Ukrainian student education took place over the years 1997 - 2002 in collaboration with Archdiocesan Charity Olomouc, Charity Vienna and Charity Ukraine, the studies were completed by 8 students
    • this study project for education of one Chechen student from Grozny was successfully implemented over the years 2002 – 2005 in collaboration with the humanitarian aid of Czech Catholic Charity and Charity Vienna
  • professional educational programmes for charitable social services staff from Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro
    • A home care course for 40 workers of Charity Ukraine took place over the school year 1999/2000 within the framework of the international project "Home Care Worker Education in the Ukraine" (in partnership with Archdiocesan Charity Olomouc and Caritas Austria)
    • A home care course for 20 workers of Charity Kosovo and Montenegro within the framework of the international project “Development of Social Help without Borders” which took place in the year 2002 (in partnership with Caritas Austria and Czech Catholic Charity Prague)
  • collaboration with foreign education institutes
    • from 2001 to 2006, the college collaborated with Lithuanian School of Social Work in Kaunas (Kauno lengvosios pramonés ir paslaugu verslo mokykla), five students from each school went on a reciprocal study visit each school year
    • a reciprocal study visit, for students and teachers, within the framework of the Socrates/Erasmus programme. Over 2004 – 2007, our partnership organisation was the University of Applied Sciences in Turku, Finland, and its detached department in the city of Loimaa (8 students and 4 teachers participated in the programme)
    • collaboration with Owensboro Technical and Community College, primarily in the field of internships for Czech and American students and development of joint e-learning courses.
  • provision of a wide range of internships and practical trainings in various countries world wide, we cooperate with institutes in more than 20 countries, students have been offered opportunities to have internships in Armenia, Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Haiti, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Congo, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine, Uganda, USA and Great Britain
  • lectures given by foreign experts to students (e.g. the so-called "Block of Experts" for students of the Social and Humanitarian Work programme) and to social services workers at our Educational and Training Centre

Practical work experience

The professional practical work experience forms an integral part of the education in the Charitable and Social Work and the Social and Humanitarian Work courses of study. It is a compulsory subject and accounts for approximately one third of the curriculum. The work experience is carefully conceived as to its structure and content; from the initial one-week study visit to certain social services institutes to the two-month long internship. Students may choose from 200+ institutes and facilities both at home and abroad. The work experience takes place in non-governmental non-profit organisations (e.g. the Caritas network), as well as in public service and administrative institutions.

Over the course of the work experience, students gradually achieve the competence necessary for the performance of social work at a top-quality level.

The work experience also contributes to the development of the student's value system – i.e. the values held by the prospective social worker.

Tutoring provided to the students over the course of their practical work experience by CARITAS College Olomouc is a continuous process beginning with their admission to the school and ending with the graduation exam. Through this process, the student is directed in the right path towards good practice in social and humanitarian work. During their study, students are advised and guided by the following figures: a tutor and a teacher of the work experience in lectures provided by the school, a mentor provided by the particular institute or facility and an internal/external supervisor. Each of these figures has his or her unique role and specific responsibility; however their joint endeavour, in cooperation with the student, is to set appropriate goals for his/her professional and personal development, to monitor and support his/her progress, to evaluate the actual achievement of their particular goals and to interlink the studies with practice.