Board, Auditors and Office

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? My task as a Research Professor at the University School of Nursing and Occupational Therapy of Terrassa (Autonomous University of Barcelona) enables me to strive to provide better OT education through coordination tasks, innovative teaching and research. I graduated as BSc OT from Ilia State University’s (ILIAUNI) European Project, pushed by ENOTHE. This education permitted me to contribute to the project development and establishment of OT role in Georgia. My professional experience in Spain includes the creation of projects in social settings with vulnerable populations. I received PhD from the University of Girona, with an international mention from the University of British Columbia. My research interest belongs to social determinants of health, mental health workplace policies, ethical aspects of occupation, moral identity work, and recovery-oriented practices.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? My passion and enthusiasm for generating innovative projects, research and teaching. The strategic thinking through action and strong teamwork are my management aspirations. I’ve used to collaborate with OT-circles worldwide, especially Eastern and South Europe, and Canada, and other professionals. I can offer networking as a skill, having fluency at least of 5 languages.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? I share the values of the cross-border strategy design, that foster interprofessional, intercultural, and international research, education and praxis. I see sustainable educational actions with social impact, participatory action approaches, and knowledge transference as the vision and tools. The inter-ACTION of the students of different levels and with diverse abilities in the digital era of networking is our future. I believe the strategic partnerships are necessary to re-invent ourselves in front of the 4th Industrial revolution among other needs of contemporary reality.

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE), TUNING; ENOTHE Strategy; ENOTHE Finance (income generation); ENOTHE 2022 Annual Meeting contact person; OT-Europe (Register of Experts).

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Two main achievements so far: (1) Contributing to the knowledge on how to support older adults to engage in daily activities that involve the use of digital technology; and (2) Contributing to the education and professional development of occupational therapists for more than a decade.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? Commitment to serve and fresh ideas inspired by multiprofessional and multicultural collaborations, pedagogical interests, and experiences as an occupational therapist, educator, international contact person, program manager, and researcher.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? I would like ENOTHE to be a reliable resource and hub for occupational therapy educators in Europe where they could share and test their ideas on pedagogics and content in occupational therapy education in all three education cycles. I would also like to see ENOTHE as a leading network for establishing collaborations and building partnerships to address current and emerging issues relating to occupational therapy and sustainable health and welfare through education.

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Finance (income generation); COTEC-ENOTHE 2024 Congress contact person; ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE), TUNING, Webinars.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Being promoted as Assistant Professor at the Division of Occupational Therapy (OT), at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), taking on the role of ENOTHE board member, and being a member of the internationalisation group at my division. These roles involve strengthening OT education, leading pedagogical innovations and transformation of the OT curriculum to respond to global challenges, and fostering discussions regarding diversity, collaboration, and intercultural awareness.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? My experience of studying and working with diverse occupational therapists and programs in North and South America, and Europe. In addition, I have collaborated in diverse international projects which have provided me with opportunities to gain experience in innovative methods, as well as build partnerships with practitioners, organizations, and researchers. Building on this work, I hope to contribute with my skills and what I have learned abroad to support students and peers in their educational development and projects.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? To support ENOTHE development as a platform that enables collaborative work and knowledge exchange between their members and beyond to enhance OT education. I would also like to see ENOTHE as supporting OT Europe to respond to future professional and societal challenges.

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE), TUNING, Summer School, Webinars, Projects; ENOTHE Membership Ambassador; ENOTHE Annual Meeting 2023 contact person

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Successful clinical work as an occupational therapist. Research about occupational therapy with patients with neurological disorders. Teaching occupational therapy. Head of Occupational Therapy Program at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Taking on the role of ENOTHE board member.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? Experience gained in designing a study program of occupational therapy and maintaining its sustainability in “new” countries. Collaborative experiences among studies, science and practice.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? To have more occupational therapy training institutions to be members of ENOTHE. That by members participating in ENOTHE activities it would reduce the distinction between new and experienced countries. Increased role of ENOTHE in expanding the role of occupational therapy in new areas, especially in countries with less experience in occupational therapy.

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Finance (treasurer); ENOTHE contact person for the Baltic region; ENOTHE 2022 Annual Meeting contact person; COTEC-ENOTHE 2024 Congress contact person; ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE) TUNING.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Currently, I am working in the Occupational Therapy Department at the Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol (Innsbruck, Austria) and in psychosocial consultancy for people in vulnerable situations due to the COVID pandemic, such as e.g. refugees and migrants. Next to graduating from the European Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, one of my main achievements over the last years has been being part of the growth of the SPOTeurope network as a Student Representative and as Student Board Member. During that time, I have hosted workshops about SPOTeurope and was involved in projects such as the first ENOTHE student summer course, SPOTeurope’s StayHome campaign or the student involvement in the COTEC-ENOTHE congress.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? I bring in four years of being involved in SPOTeurope and two years of being part of the ENOTHE board. Therefore, I have an insight into current developments, as well as regarding ENOTHE but also regarding the students’ viewpoints across Europe. Moreover, I can offer ENOTHE my passion for internationalisation, my voice and ideas as a young colleague, the motivation to learn and grow and my team work and networking skills. Last but not least, since ENOTHE is registered in Austria, I can help out with my German and local organisation skills.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? My dream for the future of ENOTHE is to be responsive towards current developments such as social, environmental and digital changes and challenges, in order to provide occupational therapy students an education that is preparing them for their future. To fulfill this dream, I aim for the further development of ECOLE as well as towards a strong collaboration between members and students and within the OT Europe umbrella.

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Strategy; ENOTHE Governance and Association Documents; ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE), Summer School, Webinars; ENOTHE Outreach: Newsletter, Social Media, Website.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Currently I am working as a lecturer in the field of Occupational Therapy at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Before becoming a lecturer, I worked as an occupational therapist within the neurological field, mainly focusing on the cognitive diagnose fase. Next to being able to teach and to join students on their journey of becoming an occupational therapist, I graduated from the European Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Within this period my interest in internationalisation, with all its aspects, rose. Therefore, I am also more than happy of getting more and more involved in international projects within the university and extern.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? I think that I can bring in very personal perspectives to ENOTHE. Since I am originally from Germany but did my Bachelor’s abroad and followed an international master’s Program, I am convinced that all these perspectives and personal experiences form my international understanding and support my interest in this field. Next to that, I am a very structured person and team player, aiming for a smooth and transparent communication.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? I am convinced that students of the future must be educated internationally and culturally sensitive to realise current, as well as future issues. To achieve this, my ambition is to make these topics visible and, most important, accessible to all students and educators. Therefore, I aim ENOTHE to become a platform for educators, as well as students within Europe to create an inspiring community in collaboration with OT-Europe to learn, discuss and develop with each other.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Being a member of ENOTHE and SPOTeurope, as well as having the opportunity to represent the student’s voices within these two boards.

What do I have to offer to ENOTHE? Bringing in my passion for internationalisation, student perspectives, and my enthusiasm to contribute ideas that will help grow the ENOTHE network into different countries and the development of OT-Europe.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? Cultivating the partnership between SPOTeurope and ENOTHE and thus a strong collaboration between students and OT lecturers/researchers to prepare OT students for the future. Another dream would be to connect and support students with international events to broaden their horizons about Occupational Therapy globally. As a student board member, another aim would also be to create more miniSPOTs across Europe and in other countries and connect OT students from other countries to increase student networking

Roles/Duties for the year 2021/22: ENOTHE Strategy; ENOTHE Annual Meeting 2022, 2023 contact person; ENOTHE SPOT and Student engagement liaison; ENOTHE Centre of Learning & Exchange (ECOLE).