The International Development of Social Work Education

A robust infrastructure for education and training is vital for the development of an emerging social work education in developing countries. This book fills a gap in the existing literature by providing analysis of international practice methods which can be used by developing countries to develop their own professional and educational infrastructures.


The authors’ experience of over eight years in Vietnam in enhancing social work education has yielded important information about the contexts, approaches, and lessons learned when disseminating educational systems and content in non-Western countries. Covering improvements to faculty expertise, university leadership, curriculum, and the use of technology with careful attention to cultural contexts, the chapters describe a model of knowledge transfer which can be generalized to other countries and other fields with emerging professions.


International Development of Social Work Education should be considered required reading for all social work academics, students and professionals as well as those working in social and community development.