! Note on the schedule. Please be advised that on some Mondays and Wednesdays the lectures will take place also from 5 pm to 6.30 pm in addition to the regular time. The complete schedule of the course is available below.

Course description
In this course students will first be introduced to the right to social security and social assistance, as well as the right to health care. An overview of the relevant international, European and national constitutional instruments will be provided. An overview will also be given on how social security is structured: the concepts and principles governing the personal scope of application, the administration and the financing of the social security systems will be examined. Students will then receive a comparative introduction to the main social protection policy issues throughout the world; this will be achieved by means of a discussion with active participation of the students. After this, students will look at the main challenges welfare systems are confronted with today and in the coming decades; previous research in Western Europe and relating to the BRIC countries will be used to that end. 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 relating to the selected issues. A number of topics will be offered to student groups of three or four students.

Syllabus
Weeks 1, 2 and 3
- The right to welfare, health care and social security as human rights + basic concepts (welfare, social protection, social security and social assistance)
- brief historical approach; the various social risks and benefits
- The personal scope of social protection schemes; the financing and administration of these
+ task
Weeks 6,7 and 8
- The European Union and social security
- Current state of affairs
- Coordination
- Harmonisation?
- The changing nature of work
+ mctest + task: Role game/ Come up with an original idea to promote social protection: multinational groups (3 to 4 students)
Weeks 10, 11, 12
- Old age and survivorship: various approaches
- Unemployment: various approaches
- Work incapacity: various approaches
- Health care: various approaches
Discussion classes, prepared by students
Weeks 12 and 13
Role Game/task presentation + conclusions

Teaching schedule

Learning outcomes
Students participating in this course will acquire basic knowledge of the various approaches to welfare, social protection and social security throughout the world. Moreover, they should be able to take account of 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 various ways on different regions of the world. They should also understand how ethical, economic, sociological and legal aspects co-determine ways of handling the global challenges of ageing and demographic disruption, as well as how a global approach might be combined with locally tailored social protection.
This course will be team taught, and include some elements of distance teaching with the permanent presence of one teacher in loco. There will be ample opportunity for interaction with each of the involved teachers.

Evaluation method
1/2 of the final score will be given in the form of an overall evaluation of the group work paper and its presentation
1/2 of the final score will result from a written multiple-choice exam

Course Requirements
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 get full benefit from the classes and the discussions.

Bibliography
PIETERS D., Navigating Social Security Options, Palgrave, 2019.
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.
PIETERS D., SCHOUKENS P. (2012). Social Security in the BRIC Countries (Link)