Silvia Ferreira

Sílvia Ferreira is assistant professor in Sociology at the Faculty of Economics of Coimbra University, researcher at the Centre for Social Studies and at the Center for Cooperative and Social Economy Studies of the Faculty of Economics. She lectures at undergraduate and at graduate levels in the Sociology degree, master in Sociology, master in Society, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and in the Sociology PhD Programme. She is co-coordinator of the Sociology PhD Programme and of the Post-graduation in Social Economy. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Lancaster University (UK). She has been involved in research on social security reform, third sector and social policy, gender equality in third sector organisations, social entrepreneurship and social innovation in the social and solidarity economy, social enterprises, volunteering and local governance through state/third sector partnerships. Her basic interest has been the evolving nature of the welfare state and of the welfare mixes, more recently, from a sociological standpoint based on complex social systems approaches. Her extension work focuses the relation between the university and society, particularly the third sector/social economy. Lectures at undergraduate and at graduate levels in the Sociology and Economics degrees, master in Sociology, master in Society, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and in the Sociology PhD Programme. Co-coordinator of the Sociology PhD Programme and of the Post-graduation in Social Economy at FEUC. Has been involved in the main international association for the third sector/social enterprise, namely in the International Society for Third Sector Research and the EMES International Research Network. The research interests include the relationships between the state and the third sector, governance, partnerships and the third sector, complex systems theories, third sector and social economy organisations, innovation and social and solidarity entrepreneurship. Has been involved in research on social security reform, third sector and social policy, gender equality in third sector organisations, social entrepreneurship and social innovation, volunteering, local governance through state/third sector partnerships and social enterprises. The extension work focuses the relation between the university and society, particularly the social economy. The full cv is available here.