We had the pleasure of hearing presentations by Professor Sara Serbati from the University of Padova and Petra Kouvonen, PhD and Rector of the Swedish School of Social Science at the University of Helsinki. They discussed what can be learned from long-term research processes in practice and how to create sustainable change at the practice, local, and national levels.
In their presentation, Sara Serbati shared insights from a programme in the field of Child and Family Social Work that, over 15 years of ongoing work and knowledge production, has successfully contributed to policy changes and legislation in Italy.
Petra Kouvonen’s commentary drew on extensive experience in knowledge translation across various societal levels. Kouvonen emphasized that combining research and practice is never a one-way process but that it requires active and continuous translation of knowledge across different levels. Bridging research and practice also depends on intermediary organisations that both study interventions in practice and support the application of research findings. In Finland, the Helsinki Practice Research Centre is one such organisation.
For all those interested in bridging research and practice — watch, reflect, share, and use the recording below as you wish!