Founder of Agape new honorary doctor

Matilda Brinck-Larsen began her career in the 1990s focusing on mental health and substance abuse among children and young people. But when she saw how Sweden's legislation on asylum and social services affected unaccompanied minors, she set up thevoluntary organisation Agape to support those disqualified from state and municipal support. Today she works full-time in that organisation.

For her work to promote the mental health of children and young people, she has been awarded the Psynk Prize. She has received the GP-Sporten Honorary Award and the UEFA Grassroots Award for her work with the football team Sandarna C, and the ChildX  Award for her work with unaccompanied minors.

Matilda Brinck-Larsen has been engaged as a guest lecturer at the Department of Social Work and has taught in several courses in the Social Work Programme. She has contributed to course literature and is involved in two different research projects at the department.

The motivation for the honorary doctorate reads:

"Matilda Brinck Larsen's work on the rights of marginalised groups has had a major impact and contributed to drawing attention to the situation of young people. She worked for several years as a manager of accommodation for unaccompanied children and young people and started the football team "Sandarna Lag C", to find a meaningful context for young unaccompanied people. Brinck Larsen has also founded the voluntary organisation Agape, which focuses on supporting unaccompanied young people who have been disqualified from state and municipal support. She already participates in several courses and research projects at the Department of Social Work. Her solid knowledge and experience of social work with young people and marginalised groups provides a unique contribution to both education and research at the University of Gothenburg."