Course description
In this course students will first be introduced into the universal, regional and national constitutional human right documents relating to welfare rights, especially the right to social security and social assistance, as well as the right to health care. Then students will get a comparative introduction to main aspects of social protection throughout the world; this will be done by means of a discussion of the principles of social security. After this, students will be confronted with the main challenges welfare systems are confronted with today and in the coming decades; previous research in Western Europe as well as relating to the BRIC countries will be used to that effect. In a last phase we shall focus upon some aspects of welfare involving both ethical, legal, sociological and economic issues. Students will be expected to make group presentations in relation with the selected issues. A number of topics related to either demographic changes or globalisation and sustainability will be offered to student groups of three or four students in week 2. Student groups will make a presentation of the topic in weeks 10 or 11.

The course schedule would be as follows:
Week 1 The right to welfare, health care and social security as human rights; concepts and history
Week 2 The personal scope of social security schemes and their administration;
Week 3 The financing of social security and the risks and benefits; + tasks for students for weeks 4-7 and presentations in weeks 10-11
Week 4 Old age and survivorship: various approaches
Week 5 Unemployment: various approaches
Week 6 Work incapacity: various approaches
Week 7 Health care: various approaches
Week 8 Main challenges for the social security in the coming decades from a European perspective
Week 9 Main challenges for the social security in the coming decades in Brazil, Russia, India and China
Week 10 Demographic changes and how to deal with them: group presentations by students and discussion
Week 11 Globalisation and the sustainability of welfare systems: group presentations by students and discussion
Week 12 Final considerations on the topic of sustainable social protection in a globalized world + Evaluation by the students.

Students having participated in this course should have acquired some basic knowledge of the various approaches to welfare, social protection and social security throughout the world. Moreover they should be able to internalize the diversity of approaches present throughout the world, when communicating with persons from other backgrounds. They should be able to grasp the essence of the major challenges the welfare systems are confronted with and understand how these challenges impact in a various way the various regions of the world. They should also understand that ethical, economic, sociological and legal aspects co-determine the way how to handle the global challenges of ageing and demographic disruption, as well as of combining a global approach to a locally tailored social protection.

Weeks 1-3 will be given in the form of lecture with ample question and discussion possibilities
Weeks 4-7 will be given in the form of interactive lecture, starting from a number of selected policy issues; each student will prepare actively his/her intervention in at least one issue per week.
Week 8, 9 and 12 will be more in a seminar form; lecture with ample question and discussion possibilities
Weeks 10 and 11: students have the floor

Evaluation
1/3 of the points will be given in the form of permanent evaluation;
1/3 of the points will be given on the basis of the group research paper and its presentation
1/3 of the points will result from a written multiple choice exam

Bibliography
Weeks 1-7 will be supported by a reader provided to the students; weeks 8 and 9 will be supported by Schoukens P., Pieters D. (2007). Social security quo vadis? Interviews with social security administrations CEOs in 15 Western European countries. New York: IBM Global Social Segment - IBM Corporation; and Pieters D., Schoukens P. (2012). Social Security in the BRIC Countries (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886368712455608)

A list of possible topics for the student group presentations will also be provided.

No preliminary knowledge on the topic, or on social welfare or social security in general is required; students are however expected to acquire some knowledge and information about their own national approach to social protection in order to take full benefit of the classes and the discussions.