History of the Department

Department of Labour was created at the College of Economics in Bratislava in 1964 when Department of National Economic Planning split into three departments: Department of Fundamentals of National Economic Planning, Department of Labour and Department of Investments. Department of Labour focused on a wide range of labour issues and provided education at the Institute of National Economic Planning and in the field of study National Economic Planning.

In 1968 two separate departments merged into Department of Labour and Investments, which was joined with two other departments – Department of National Economic Planning and Department of Prices. This resulted in creation of Department of National Economic Planning and Prices which had three sections:

Section of National Economic Planning:

• Section of Prices
• Section of Labour.

Between 1970 and 1990 the Section of Labour provided study of labour issues with emphasis on national economic aspects of this field.

Reorganization of the faculty in 1990 resulted in creation of Department of Employment and Social Development, which a year later became a part of created Department of Economic Policy. In 1992 the Section of Social Development and Labour separated from Department of Economic Policy and thus the Department of Social Development and Labour was created, which exists in this form up to the present. New social and socio-economic conditions required elaboration of a new conception of study and gradually the curriculum has been adapted and a number of new subjects have been created.

Department of Social Development and Labour currently guarantees the study programme "Human Resources and Social Management" in Bachelor’s degree of study, and study programme "Social Development and Social Policy" in Master’s degree of study. The department also provides doctoral studies at Faculty of National Economy.

Within the field of study National Economy the department provides the following compulsory subjects: Social Policy and Development, Employment Theory and Policy, Social Security, Personal management and development of human resources, Knowledge management, Social Labour, Quality of Life, European Social Policy, Education Economics, Health Policy, Methodology for Creation of Projects and 6 optional subjects for students of Faculty of National Economy at University of Economics in Bratislava. The department offers students some subjects taught in a foreign language as well. Teachers at the department pursue their pedagogical activities not only at the Faculty of National Economy, but also at other faculties within the University of Economics.

Department of Social Development and Labour pays great attention to PhD. students as well.

All the subjects guaranteed by the department are covered with study literature provided by the departments’ teachers.

The development of university teachers at the Department of Insurance

Department of Social Development and Labour has also two professors emeritus: Prof. Ing. Jozef Mihálik, DrSc., and Prof. PhDr. Ivan Laluha, CSc.

Science research activities at the department in the 1970s and 1980s focused on the fields of labour, social policy and development of human resources. The department participated in the national plan of fundamental research, research programmes of ministries, and it was in close cooperation with Czechoslovak Labour Research Institute and Ministry of Labour. After 1990 the department members joined in the foreign research project "Labour Market and Social Cosequences of Economic Reform in the Slovak Republic" and the project of EU-ACE Brussels "European Human Resource Manager" with the participation of professors from universities in Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland. The lead coordinator of these research projects was prof. Ing. Jozef Mihalik DrSc., who was the head of the department at that time. In the recent years the scientific research of the department has been focusing on three main areas:

1. theoretical and practical problems of social development,
2. theoretical and practical problems of individual elements of social development with emphasis on labour market, social security, HR management and quality of life,
3. economic and social environment in the process of globalization at present and in the future.

The output of science research activities in the last five years includes successful completion of six VEGA projects, one project of European Social Fund, a research project of the European Commission, several internal grant projects and one Internal grant of young research workers. In 2008 the department members participated in creation of Vision and Strategy of Development of the Slovak Society for the Slovak government. Currently there are four ongoing VEGA projects and two IGPMVP projects.

The output of science research was used in pedagogical process and elaborated in monographs, university textbooks, scientific papers published both in SR and abroad, contributions presented at international scientific conferences, and in national and foreign scientific and academic magazines.

In its pedagogical and scientific research activities the department uses also external colleagues from central administrative bodies, Slovak Academy of Sciences, foreign universities, as well as research institutions. Every year the department organizes international scientific conferences with the participation of prominent practitioners and experts from Slovak and foreign universities. Department of Social Development and Labour cooperates with several foreign universities including the University of Economics, Prague (Czech Republic), Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic), Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary), Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria) and Afyon kocatepe Universitesi (Turkey).

The department in its more than 40 years’ history has developed a unique study programme and has been preparing experts in the field of labour and social development who exercise their skills at all levels of public administration.

List of the department directors since its creation till today:

* Between 1970 and 1990 the Section of Labour was a part of Department of National Economic Planning and Prices.