Stefan Barbara

Stefan Barbara serves as a Junior Researcher at the Ilse Arlt Institute for Social Inclusion Research within the Department of Social Sciences at University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. His academic profile reflects strong engagement in social work research with particular focus on socio-digital competencies, circular economy applications, and migration studies.

• 2012: Studied Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Vienna
• 2008: Studied Political Science, University of Vienna
• 2012-2015: Scholar, Sociology, Institute for Advanced Studies
• 2015-2017: Fellow, Institute of Political Science, University of Vienna
• 2016/2017: Two-semester stay abroad, Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Políticos da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Since 2020: Research Associate at the Ilse Arlt Institute for Social Inclusion Research

Barbara's research centers on the intersection of social work, digital transformation, and social inclusion. His work critically examines socio-digital education in professional contexts, circular economy applications through a social justice lens, and participatory methodologies in social research. He investigates how digital spaces can be designed to support apprentices' professional development while addressing inclusion challenges.

His publication record (2020-2025) reveals consistent focus on socio-digital competence development in vocational training, particularly through the 'Digital Spaces' project. Recent work expands into circular economy applications within social work contexts ('Green Social Work') and critical examinations of migration experiences. His methodological approach emphasizes participatory and documentary methods that engage students and practitioners as co-researchers.

Barbara actively contributes to multiple research projects including 'SOAL', 'GEMLEHÖF - Living well together in Schneebergland', 'Digital Spaces', 'Circular Economy for Everyone', and 'From Below: Single Parents in the Context of Self-Organised and Social Work Support'. These projects demonstrate his commitment to applied research addressing contemporary social challenges through collaborative approaches.