Humak hosts SocNet98 International University Week 2026 in Helsinki

A week of European exchange

The week-long event, themed Perspectives and Tools for Community Work and Promoting Agency, brings together around 80 students and 20 lecturers from 14 higher education institutions across Europe to exchange knowledge, visit Finnish service providers, and participate in workshops on community work, youth work, and social innovation. The event is made possible through Erasmus+ funding.

Opening the week, Humak lecturers Kristiina Vesama and Kari Keuru welcomed participants and underlined the value of European educational cooperation. Humak’s SocNet98 coordinator Sari Höylä, who has been part of the SocNet98 since Humak joined the network, highlighted the quality of the week’s field visit programme: “I really wish you enjoy the field visits — we have so many high quality service providers in community work here in Finland.”

Following introductions from all participating schools, the morning moved into team-building activities that got people talking quickly. A values-based group exercise and a bingo activity prompted participants to reflect on what drew them to the field and what brought them to Helsinki.

Rethinking social work in a world in crisis

The opening morning concluded with online greetings from the other three SocNet98 IUW events running in parallel this week, followed by a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Christian Spatscheck. His talk explored the concept of ‘polycrisis’ — the compounding effect of simultaneous crises spanning the economy, public health, geopolitics and the environment. Spatscheck argued that social and ecological challenges in particular cannot be understood in isolation: as environmental crises intensify, so do their social consequences, and social work must integrate socio-ecological perspectives to meaningfully respond. The keynote set a thought-provoking tone for a week focused on the tools and approaches community workers need in an increasingly complex world.

Three interns, one big week

Behind the week is a team that includes three Humak interns who have been coordinating the event since October. As they put it: “We started in October and now all the work is coming to a head — we’ve been in the thick of it! We’re from all over Finland and would never have met otherwise. Humak makes this kind of networking possible in a different way. We met in person for the first time on April 1st, and now here we are, running this week.”

Workshops, field visits and more to come

The programme continues through Friday with workshops by presenters from universities across Europe, as well as field visits to Helsinki-based organisations working in youth work, social services, and community education. The week closes with a joint online evaluation with SocNet98 partner institutions and a diploma ceremony on Friday 24 April.

Further reading