History

The history of the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy goes back to 1970, when the Seminar for Social and Legal Protection of Youth was created. The director of the department at the time was Prof. dr. Gerda De Bock, professor of the course “Legislation on youth protection”. The national and international study of youth protection at Ghent University was the impetus for the study of social work.

In 1974, the Seminar for Social and Legal Youth Protection transformed into the “Seminar and Laboratory for Youth Welfare and Adult Education.” Together with this change, social work education was introduced as a new programme within the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. In addition to the study of youth protection and services, the research in this programme included the study of social work, social-cultural work with young people and adults and community development. After Gerda De Bock retired in 1983, this programme was further developed under the leadership of Prof. dr. Eugeen Verhellen and Prof. dr. Willy Faché.

The Ghent University departments were created in 1992. The Department of Social Intervention, Culture and Leisure Studies replaced the Seminary and Laboratory for Youth Welfare and Adult Education. During this transformation, the social welfare programme was integrated in the educational sciences.

After the retirement of Willy Faché and Eugeen Verhellen, the Department of Social Intervention, Culture and Leisure Studies was led by Prof. dr. Maria De Bie and renamed as the Department of Social Welfare Studies. Together with the introduction of the Bachelor-Master structure in 2004-2005, this department created an academic master in social work. The department developed this master in collaboration with the professional social work programmes of the Ghent University Association (Arteveldehogeschool, Hogeschool Gent, Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen). The programme was based on the research in social work, social pedagogy and family education.

In 2012-2013 the department extended its research in intercultural education and history of education. From 2015 onwards, the study of the philosophy of education joined the department, which was then renamed to today’s Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy.