The Institute of Mission Work at St. Elizabeth University offers unique studies focused on helping people in need, with field placements that truly change lives around the world.
The St. John Paul II Institute of Mission Work and Tropical Health offers an exceptional alternative to conventional social work. If you are looking for meaning that goes beyond routine tasks, and you see helping others as more than just a job, this programme is the right choice for you. Our goal is to prepare professionals who can truly change people’s lives directly in the field.
This study programme offers a comprehensive view of the human person and their needs. In addition to the foundations of social work, students study missiology, Catholic social teaching, cultural studies and social anthropology. We also place emphasis on healthcare disciplines, including nursing and first aid.
[image caption:] Mission Nairobi
Teaching builds on a 25-year tradition that began at Trnava University. After Professor Krčméry founded St. Elizabeth University, the programme became established in Bratislava, where it continues to draw on the rich legacy and professional experience of its founder.
Here, you don’t learn only from books. The programme is primarily focused on practical work in the most challenging conditions and in excluded communities. Students have the unique opportunity to complete placements within humanitarian projects around the world, with particularly strong roots in Africa.
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In Kisumu and in the capital, Nairobi, students work with street boys or help at local schools. Africa was close to Professor Krčméry’s heart, and this mission lives on through projects that change lives where help is needed most.
Although the programme is open to recent secondary school graduates, we consider the ideal student to be someone aged 25 to 35. This work requires a level of personal maturity that, for most people, develops around the age of twenty-five.
However, the programme is open to a wide age range, from 19 to 50. Older students are very welcome, as they bring valuable life experience. The only barrier at an older age tends to be family and work commitments, which can make long-term placements abroad more difficult.
[image caption:] Mission Slovakia
We disprove in practice the myth that studying missiology is only for believers. The programme does not require any particular religious affiliation and is open to anyone willing to accompany people in need. Whether you are Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox or have no religious affiliation, if you want to help restore people’s dignity, you will feel at home with us.
[image caption:] Mission Nairobi
Teaching also includes spiritual reflection and the study of history, which helps us avoid the mistakes of the past. The essence of our work can be summed up in three key words: Acceptance, Going Out and Joy.
After graduating, your path leads to charitable organisations, church institutions and the non-governmental sector. Our graduates become true pillars of stability for their communities. They help people in need, accompany them through life’s situations and actively contribute to improving their quality of life.
