Maria Irene Carvalho, BA and a master's degree in SW from the Instituto Superior de Serviço Social de Lisboa and a PhD in SW from ISCTE Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. She holds a Diploma of Advanced Studies in SW, a Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Society from ISCTE Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, as well as a University Diploma of Specialisation in Educational Sciences from the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon. She is currently doing a post-doctorate at the University of Coimbra on human rights, ethics, and SW. She is associate professor at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences – Universidade de Lisboa. She teaches on the BA in SW, the MA in Advances SW (Erasmus Mundus) and the PhD in Social Policy. She is the co-coordinator of the UCSSPS, the scientific coordinator of the SW degree and the co-ordinator of the internships for the SW degree (in collaboration). She is an integrated researcher at CAPP - Centre for Administration and Public Policies, in the Society, Communication and Culture Group, and her research focus on social work, social policies on health and long term care, social gerontology and SW supervision.