“I am always very proud when I introduce myself like this: “Hello, I am Nino Danelia, a social worker, a representative of the first generation of undergraduate social workers in Georgia.” Nino Danelia is one of the first graduates of the BA Program in Social Work of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at TSU. Her work has been related to social work and children’s welfare for more than 14 years. Presently, she is studying for a Master’s Degree in Education (Learning, Technology and Society) at the University of Bristol in the UK.
 

“I knew nothing about social work. I saw my future work in a completely different field. Actually not only me, but nobody knew anything about it, because it was the first year when social work was taught at the university level in Georgia,” Nino says. According to her, she initially chose the introductory social work course out of interest, but by the end of the course she already knew that her future profession should be connected with social work.|
 

“I still remember when the first-year students met with an invited guest from Sheffield-Hallam University. His introductory speech began as follows: “If you want to be good social workers, do not feel sorry for the people you work with, but get angry at the environment that made those people vulnerable and do your utmost to change that environment.” It was on that day I finally realized that I wanted to be part of this change and, as we, people of our profession used to say, “to become an agent of change,” Nino notes. After completing her studies, she worked as a practicing social worker and professional supervisor of social workers at various local and international organizations and government agencies. In 2013, together with her colleagues, social workers, she founded the organization Initiative for Social Change. 
 

“In Georgia, academic undergraduate and graduate programs in social work are one of the “youngest” programs. For me, it is the strength of this program, because the teaching methods or the experience of academic staff differ from other programs,” Nino clarifies. According to her, both BA and MA Programs in Social Work are one of the unique programs that allow students to simultaneously acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Besides the fact that the majority of subjects involve discussing and working on practical cases (at the level of individuals, communities, organizations and policies) and working independently on various course projects, all students undergo practical training during the learning process. Practice is a mandatory part of the academic program in social work. Students work at various social service providers throughout their studies.
 

“I think this is what makes this program special. For me, as a student, it was especially important that students at TSU were given the opportunity to participate in various educational projects implemented with foreign partner universities, to attend various seminars, lectures, workshops or summer schools, to familiarize with and learn from those countries that have proper and good welfare systems,” says Nino. The opportunity to meet with the head of the program, practice coordinators and discuss various issues with them makes the program unique for her. 
 

“For me, social work is not just a profession, it is an opportunity to express my values ​​and vision every day. Even at the end of the most exhausting and stressful day, my profession gives me an opportunity to be satisfied with the positive changes we make in the lives of individuals or groups.” During the last years, Nino continued her work in World Vision, where she studied the needs in the school education system. It was this experience that prompted her to acquire knowledge in the field of education and technology. Her determination further strengthened amid the pandemic as she supported schools on a daily basis to meet the challenges. Now, with the scholarship of the International Education Center, she is studying in Great Britain and after graduating from the university, she plans to synthesize past experience and new knowledge in both formal and informal educational environment. 
 

“While working on the ideas of various educational technologies, I always try to see how these technologies will improve and change the lives of various vulnerable and marginalized groups. I want to help improve the quality of people’s social functioning through technology-enriched instruction, so that they can reveal and develop their abilities as much as possible,” adds Nino Danelia.