Objectives


Many of the persons who start to work in social security administrations have got a mono-disciplinary education (law, economics, sociology, etc.); they often receive an in-house training in their specific field of activity but lack a general knowledge of the general principles shaping their work-field. Hence, the Summer School provides in a multidisciplinary way a first initiation in the general principles of social security. It allows the participants to understand better the theoretical framework in which they operate daily.

This training course deals with social security in its broadest sense, including cash benefit schemes, pensions and health care systems. The programme provides a general introduction into social protection from a legal, economic, sociological and administrative perspective. As well as being multi-disciplinary, the course is also multi-national. Throughout the courses, a strong comparative element is present. By providing the different approaches to social security that co-exist within Europe, the school will enable the participants to understand better the general principles that shape social security. They will be able to situate better their own system in the broad spectrum of social security systems. The programme also pays attention to the role of international bodies such as the European Union.


The staff of the programme is composed of social security professors from various European countries.

Programme

The Summer School consists of four compulsory courses, two optional courses (out of which one has to be chosen by the participants), and two compulsory seminars. All subject matters are taught is English. The units deal with:

- Basic principles of social security policy
- Social security comparison and social security systems in Europe
- International and European social security law
- Social security economics
- Social security management and IT
- Social protection philosophy

Two seminars integrate the various units around one or more central topics. One seminar will deal about the “Co-ordination of social security systems in the Balkan”, the other about “Converging social policies in the Balkan” Participants will have to prepare a presentation on a certain topic. Participation and presentation by the participants will be evaluated by the tutors; these evaluations will be part of the general evaluation of the participants.

A certificate will be presented to the participants who attended the classes and seminars on a regular basis; a diploma will be handed over to those who passed the evaluations successfully.

The programme for the edition 2008 of the Summer School has been provisionally set up in the following way:
 

COMPULSORY COURSES 

• Unit 1: Basic principles of social security policy (Jos Berghman)

• Unit 2: Social security comparison and social security systems in Europe (Paul Schoukens)

• Unit 3: International and European social security law (Grega Strban in collaboration with Sixto Molina)

• Unit 4: Social security economics (Tine Stanovnik)

OPTIONAL COURSES[1] (one to be chosen)

• Unit 5: Social Security Management and IT (Steven Segaert)

• Unit 6: Social protection philosophy (Gijs Vonk) 

SEMINARS 

• SEMINAR 1: Co-ordination social security (with 4hours of intro by G. Strban)

• SEMINAR 2:  Social policy: converging social security systems in the Balkan region (with 4 hours introduction by P.Schoukens and local participants)

TIME TABLE 

Teaching staff of the summer school for the year 2008:

Academic Directors of the Programme

- Prof. Paul Schoukens (K.U. Leuven – European Institute of Social Security)

Lecturers

- Prof. Jos Berghman (K.U. Leuven – European Institute of Social Security)
- Prof. Paul Schoukens (K.U. Leuven – European Institute of Social Security)
- Prof. Tine Stanovnik (University of Ljubljana)
- Steven Segaert (e-Governance Academy Tallinn)
- Prof. Grega Strban (University of Ljubljana)
- Prof. Gijs Vonk (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)
 

Practical Information

The opening of the programme will take place the evening of 24th August, Sunday at:

Hotel Vučko
Olimpijska br. 1, 71 423 Jahorina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: +387 57 206 306, 206 300Fax: +387 57 206 301
www.bb-vucko.com
 

The classes will be held at Hotel Vučko