Social work in a post-migrant society

How can social work succeed in a post-migrant society? Students and lecturers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland addressed this question at the Euregio Ring Conference 2026 at the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences in Dornbirn at the beginning of May. The event brought together participants from Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences (RWU), OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences and combined academic perspectives with practical experience and personal exchange.

The title of this year's conference was "Social work in a post-migrant society: diversity-conscious and anti-discriminatory practice". It focused on the question of how social diversity can be understood, reflected upon and actively integrated into professional social work activities.

Understanding migration as social normality

The keynote speech by Professor Dr. Erol Yıldız from the University of Innsbruck was particularly influential. His central message was to view migration not as an exceptional case, but as the historical normality of modern societies. The post-migrant perspective questions established categories such as "natives" and "migrants" and reveals which experiences and perspectives are often overlooked in social debates.

Eva Grabherr's second keynote also provided insights into developments relating to migration, integration and diversity in Vorarlberg and highlighted current challenges and regional perspectives.

Exchange between science and practice

In the afternoon, various workshops provided space for in-depth discussions. Topics such as intersectionality, structural discrimination, social work that is critical of racism and cultural diversity in youth work were examined from different professional perspectives. RWU was also represented with its own contributions: Professor Dr. Annika Valentin designed a practical workshop on materials and methods for diversity-conscious social work, while Dr. Claudia Boscher and Johannes Steinle provided insights into the challenges of migrant care work in the DACH region.

"In addition to the professional impulses, the open exchange across national borders will be particularly memorable," said Prof. Dr. Valentin. "The conference made it clear how important it is to bring together different perspectives and think together about how social work can actively shape social diversity."