Work & Wellbeing – Reimagining Labour, Care and the Common Good

Work and Wellbeing is an interdisciplinary minor exploring the changing role of work in contemporary societies and its relationship to individual and social wellbeing. Connecting perspectives from sociology, psychology, social work, social policy and migration studies, the minor examines how work shapes identity, belonging, inequality, social inclusion and quality of life.

The minor consists of three interconnected segments: Discourses, introducing key theoretical perspectives on work, welfare and wellbeing; Methodology, providing students with tools to investigate work-related experiences and social challenges; and Challenge, where students apply their knowledge to a real-world problem in cooperation with relevant societal stakeholders.

Attention is given to groups facing obstacles or vulnerabilities in relation to work and to developing evidence-based responses that promote inclusion, wellbeing and social participation. This also includes migration and increasingly diverse labour markets, exploring how mobility, migrant status, access to employment, recognition of skills and qualifications, working conditions, and experiences of inclusion or exclusion shape both individual wellbeing and wider societies.

This minor is designed for students and early-career professionals pursuing careers in academia, public services, NGOs, and organisational development, as well as deepening their analytical and methodological expertise and develop applied projects that respond directly to challenges encountered in their professional practice.

Customize Your Learning Journey

Whether you’re ready to commit to the full 30 ECTS Minor or simply want to explore variety of issues concerning work and well-being, you can choose what works for you.

Students enrolled in the full Work and Wellbeing will take three core courses and choose two elective courses

Course Overview

Discourses: Work and Wellbeing	5 ECTS
Research Methods and Techniques	7 ECTS
Challenge: A group project on topic of your choice	8 ECTS
Elective courses: up to 2, various in-depth topics in work and well-being	5 ECTS

Challenge

At the centre of the programme is a mentored project developed individually or in small teams. Participants work on a concrete issue related to work and wellbeing in a real context and translate their research into an applied outcome such as a policy brief, podcast, visual or written essay, curated archive, campaign, or practical toolkit. The project concludes with a public presentation.

Electives

You can further customise your learning experience by choosing two elective courses that explore contemporary transformations of work and wellbeing from different disciplinary perspectives. Topics include post-work scenarios and automation, anthropology of work, health and care, education and transitions to the labour market, equality and inclusion, and labour economics.

All courses are taught in English and designed for interdisciplinary cohorts. 

The minor runs in the summer semester of 2026/2027: from March 1, 2027, to June 11, 2027. The courses are delivered in a hybrid format, combining dynamic online modules with in-person intensives.

Two compulsive in-person intensives will take place at the beginning and the end of teaching: 

March 4-7, 2027, Rijeka
May 20-23, 2027, Cres

How to Join?

These courses are open to:

all students across UniRi who are eligible to take electives. They may be recognized as part of your regular study workload pending approval from your faculty. Our team is happy to support you with that process. More information about: