Seminar for Young Scholars: Children in Multiple Crises

Dr. Mai Beilmann

Seminar for Young Scholars: Children in Multiple Crises brings together young researchers (MA and PhD students, postdocs, and other early-career researchers) studying child vulnerability in different contexts in Estonia and Germany. Throughout the three seminar days, young researchers from Estonia and Germany will present to each other their research varying from child autonomy in medical care to the experiences of child refugees from Ukraine, from child sexual abuse to the COVID-19 effects on children’s wellbeing in schools. Furthermore, to provide a further impulse to discussions, internationally known and recognised childhood researchers Prof. Sabine Andresen and Prof. Dagmar Kutsar will give their input. Prof. Sabine Andresen will also give a public lecture, which is open not only to the students at the University of Tartu but also to professionals working with children in vulnerable life situations. As childhood studies is a well-established research direction at both the University of Tartu and the Goethe University Frankfurt, the seminar allows a lot of room for mutual learning and ample opportunities for networking and generating ideas for further cooperation. Organisers also hope that the seminar will inspire BA, MA and PhD students from Tartu who are interested in childhood research to consider an exchange semester at the Frankfurt Goethe University as the two universities newly established the Erasmus+ agreement.

Seminar for Young Scholars: Children in Multiple Crises takes place 25.–27.08.2024 at the building of the Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu (Lossi 36, Tartu, Estonia). The seminar is first and foremost targeted at young researchers studying child vulnerability in two participating universities. However, the public lecture of Prof. Sabine Andresen on child sexual abuse research and online testimonies of survivors of child sexual abuse is open to all interested in the topic. In particular, we will invite researchers and students of the different disciplines of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Tartu, and the networks of professionals working with child victims of abuse in Estonia. Information about the event is circulated by the project team and the communication specialist of the Institute of Social Studies in the lists for students and employees of the University of Tartu as well as in different professional networks for practitioners as well as on social media sites (e.g., Facebook). Online registration will be made available on the webpage of the University of Tartu. The lecture will be held in one of the lecture halls of the Institute of Social Studies and video recorded by the university’s media team. The video recording of the lecture will be made available on the webpage of the University of Tartu.

Direct: (1) young researchers (MA and PhD students, postdocs and other early-career researchers) studying child vulnerability at the University of Tartu and the Goethe University Frankfurt; (2) internationally known and recognised childhood researchers mentoring the young scholars; (3) students of the different disciplines of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Tartu, most notably students of sociology and social work taking part of seminar and/or public lecture; (4) academic staff of the different disciplines of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Tartu, most notably from the Institute of Social Studies taking part of seminar and/or public lecture; (5) Estonian professionals working with children in vulnerable life situations taking part of seminar and/or public lecture.  Number: 10 + 3 + 20 + 20 + 20

Indirect: (1) students of the different disciplines of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Tartu, most notably students of sociology and social work taking courses taught by lectures participating in this project; (2) audiences of the video recording of the public lecture (incl. Estonian policymakers and professionals working with children in vulnerable life situations).  Number: 250 + 500

1. Seminar for Young Scholars

2. Public lecture by Prof. Sabine Andresen