Also attending the meeting were Dr. Dang Kim Khanh Ly (Head of the Sociology Department) and other lecturers from the Department.
Speaking at the meeting, Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong expressed his pleasure in welcoming representatives from Hong Kong Polytechnic University to visit the university and provided a brief overview of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Faculty of Sociology, and the Social Work Department. Currently, the field of Social Work in Vietnam is developing strongly. Every year, the Social Work Department of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities attracts significant social attention and is often among the top-ranked majors in university entrance exams. The university's Social Work training program also undergoes frequent changes, adjustments, and improvements to meet societal needs. We highly welcome the establishment of a cooperative relationship; it can be said that the potential for cooperation between the two universities, as well as the two faculties, is immense: developing training programs, exchanging students and lecturers, organizing international conferences, conducting scientific research, awarding scholarships, etc.
Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong and Mr. Benjamin Hok Bun KU discussed potential areas of cooperation between the two institutions.
During the meeting, Mr. Benjamin Hok Bun KU shared that Hong Kong Polytechnic University has collaborative projects with universities worldwide through cooperation agreements between the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the Vietnam Association of Vocational Education and Social Work. This activity is titled "Strengthening Social Work Training Capacity through Short-Term Training in Vietnam".
The goal of these collaborative programs is to provide knowledge and skills to enhance the capacity of social work training in Vietnam. Activities include six monthly online sharing sessions on social work topics such as mental health, social work in the justice sector, interdisciplinary cooperation in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, etc.; and training courses both online and offline. The program is expected to include three online courses on developing social work training programs, social work in mental health care, and social work in the justice sector; and one offline course on research and practice of social work, held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Participants will be officials, lecturers, and social work practitioners from Vietnam and several ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Representatives from the Faculty of Sociology provided further information about plans to organize an international conference on Social Work Training and Social Development (scheduled for February 2023). Both sides discussed specific details and preparatory steps for this conference.
On behalf of the University's Board of Directors, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thanh Truong thanked Mr. Benjamin Hok Bun KU for sharing valuable information about the activities of Hong Kong Polytechnic University related to the Social Work field and also highly welcomed the initiative of the Sociology Department in proposing and implementing cooperative activities. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thanh Truong also suggested that both sides need to have more specific exchanges and urgently prepare for the international conference scheduled for February next year to be held according to regulations and successfully.
