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ABOUT ME

Alessandro Sicora was born in Trieste, Italy, in 1966. He is social worker and associate professor at the University of Trento, Italy. From 2008 to 2018 he had been lecturer/assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Calabria, Italy where he taught Methods and Techniques of Social Work. From 2014 to 2017 he had taught also Theory of Social Work at the Università Ca'Foscari in Venice, Italy.

His main research interests include: methods of social work, reflexive practice, social policy, violence against social workers, international social work, shame and emotions in social work.

He has a BA in Social Work (1996 - 1989, Scuola Superiore di Servizio Sociale di Trieste, Italy), a MA in Political Sciences (1993 – 2000; University of Trieste, Italy) and a PhD in Sociology, Social Work and Sciences of Educations (2001 – 2004, University of Trieste, Italy; The thesis dealt with lifelong learning, reflexivity and professional skills in Social Work).

From 1990 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2007 he has been director of some small dimension foundations and charities whose statutory objectives are to provide grants to students (Fondazione Ananian) and to assist elderly people (Pro Senectute) and individuals and families in need (Pia Fondazione Scaramangà). From 1995 to 2007 he has been Head of the Training and Research Section of IRSSeS (Istituto regionale per gli studi di Servizio Sociale [Regional Institute for the Study of Social Work]).

With regard to international activities in Social Work education, the most relevant experiences are: the participation in the exchange program between the University of Trieste (IT), the Fachhochschule Braunschweig / Wolfenbüttel and the Institut Régional du Travail Social Poitou-Charentes (F ) (1996 - 2001), the lectures at the master's degree in Social Services of the Graduate School of Human Sciences, Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan (2009), at the "International Post-Graduate Program on Family, Work and Social Policy" developed by ISCTE IUL (PT) and at the Italian-Americans seminars in the Rome Center of the Loyola University Chicago and at University of Calabria (2009 and 2013). He is Marie Curie Fellow and coordinates the Italian research groups of the two EU funded research "Civil Engagement in Social Work: Developing Global Models" and "The public health implications of neoliberal policy and management on professions and vulnerable populations" involving universities in Europe (Italy, UK, Finland, Spain, Portugal), Turkey and all the BRICS (Brasil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).

In 2016 he worked in the research project “For a Better Tomorrow: Social Enterprises on the Move” (FAB-MOVE) funded by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE). It brings together researchers and practitioners from 17 countries worldwide in order to explore the question of how social enterprises can grow and flourish. 

He was also a member of the Steering Committee of the European conference "Social changes and social professions - social change and social professions" held in Parma in  2007 and organized by EASSW (European Association of Schools of Social Work), IFSW (International Federation of Social Workers) and FESET (European Social Educator Training). He coordinated the Steering Committee and Program Committee of the European conference on Social Work Education "Social Work Education in Europe: toward 2025" (Milan, Italy, 29.06 - 02.07.15). He was coordinator of the first (2017) and second (2019) Italian Conference on Social Work research.

He is in the LOC of the World Conference SWESD2020 - Social Work Education Social Development (Rimini, Italy, 2020).

From 2011 to 2015 he had been a member of the Executive Committee of EASSW (European Association of Schools of Social Work). From 2018 he has been Secretary of ESWRA (European Social Work Research Education).

From 2015 he has been President of the AIDOSS - Associazione Italiana dei Docenti di Servizio Sociale (Italian Association of Social Work Educators and Teachers) now renamed as Italian Society of Social Work.

Email: alessandro.sicora@unitn.it

EDUCATION

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Methodology of social work

Which are the most effective methods and tecniques for social workers?

2000 - 2003

University of Trieste, Italy

Doctorate in Sociology, Social Work and Education Sciences

Reflective practice

How to connect Esperience, Reflection and Action? How can social workers leran from their mistakes?

Violence against social and health workers

Why do service users use violence against social and health workers?

Social policies in Europe and the Brics

Social enterprises in Europe, America and Asia

Which are the meso and macro contexts where social workers work?

1992 -2000

University of Trieste, Italy

BA and MA in Political Sciences

1985 - 1989

Scuola Superiore di Servizio Sociale, Trieste

BA in Social Work

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