Sociology and Social Work Professions: Current Situation and Prospects

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi speaks at the seminar.
 

In his opening remarks at the seminar, Professor Hoang Anh Tuan acknowledged the outstanding achievements of the Faculty of Sociology in both training and research over the past 30 years. The Faculty is a leading institution nationwide in training in Sociology and Social Work from bachelor's to doctoral levels; and has implemented numerous short-term training programs for officials from local authorities and government agencies. In particular, the Faculty has achieved outstanding results in implementing research programs at all levels and is one of the units with the best international publication records of the University in recent years. The seminar is significant as a summary of the Faculty's professional achievements in the fields of Sociology and Social Work, and also serves as an opportunity to connect and open up a new phase of cooperation with domestic and international partners.

Professor Hoang Anh Tuan (Rector of the University) delivered the opening remarks at the seminar.
 

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi delivered a speech reviewing the development and contributions of the sociology and social work sectors in addressing social issues in Vietnam such as poverty reduction, mental health, addiction treatment, prevention of domestic violence, support for vulnerable groups, and overcoming the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's livelihoods.
In particular, for the social work profession, after 10 years of implementing Project 32 on the development of the social work profession in Vietnam from 2011-2020, the greatest achievement is the official issuance of the code for the social work profession and the establishment of a legal framework for its development. To date, 55 colleges and universities offer training in this field, and social institutions and schools have also built a team of staff specializing in social work. This profession is receiving increasing attention from society. The staff of the Sociology Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, have made a significant contribution to these positive results.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi presented 30 gifts to students of the school who are facing difficult circumstances.
 

In the next phase of development, building on the achievements made, and in the context of the Government's issuance of Program No. 112 dated January 22, 2021, on the development of social work for the period 2021-2030, the social work sector has great potential for more comprehensive and in-depth development, not only focusing on areas such as poverty reduction and education, but also expanding to include social work in the fields of justice, courts, prisons, hospitals, etc.
The Deputy Minister requested the Faculty and the School to strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and other functional units to implement several tasks: summarizing and evaluating practical activities in social work, thereby advising and making policy recommendations to relevant agencies on what needs to be added or adjusted to further develop this profession in the coming period; developing training programs and providing professional training for social work staff in localities, ministries and agencies; aiming to implement a national-level research project on the role of social work in community development; strengthening international cooperation in social work...

Dr. Michael Krakowski, representing GIZ, shared information about the project “Social Goals in Sustainable Green Growth in Vietnam,” implemented by GIZ, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities since 2016. The project aims to enhance the capacity to integrate social and gender perspectives into policy development and implementation; and to promote capacity building for future policymakers and public administrators in Vietnam. The project is considered to have produced an excellent set of materials, including textbooks on Policy Analysis and Social Impact Assessment in both print and electronic formats.

Dr. Michael Krakowski also expressed his gratitude to the team of experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities who directly participated in the development of the social impact assessment curriculum, especially the online learning module for this content. The development of this pilot electronic module will provide lecturers and students with more flexible access and the ability to use this tool to integrate the social aspect into effective policy analysis.
On behalf of the project team, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thai Lan (Faculty of Sociology) presented the outstanding results of the project: More than 50 faculty members of the University participated in capacity-building training courses and professional workshops supported by the project; compiled one reference book on social impact assessment of policies, compatible with and integrated into the teaching program of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; developed a proposal for teaching materials on policy analysis and social impact assessment of policies; connected and expanded cooperation with domestic and international universities and institutes...
 

The delegates took a commemorative photo.

Following the opening session, delegates discussed the following topics: The current situation and direction for social work development policies in Vietnam; Trends and opportunities in social work in Vietnam and the world; Some key issues in sociological research and training; Observation - a method for creating qualitative data in sociological and social work practice; The theoretical potential of sociological theory for social work; Assessing social work human resources and implications for training development in Vietnam...