AUS-EU International Exchange Program

Australia - European Union Social Work Scholarships

Project Summary

Project Title: The Meanings and Practices of Social Work: cross-national comparisons (MPSW)
Duration: 1 November 2009 - 31 October 2012
Field: Social Work
All eight partner universities offer social work related courses in English.

Summary of Program and Project Activities

The MPSW consortium between 4 European and 4 Australian universities where social work is taught aims to strengthen social work education and practice by recognising social work as an international professional while also recognising that the legal and organisational meaning of social work and related practices, and the identity of 'the social worker' will be influenced by the national and cultural context. The project will encourage the exchange of students enrolled in one of the following: Bachelor of Social Work (Honours), Master of Social Work (Qualifying - Graduate Entry), Master of Social Work (post-qualifying - course work or research), after their fourth semester/trimester to undertake a cross-national comparison of social work. Exchanges by academic staff will develop and improve collegial and institutional relationships, and provide opportunities for curriculum development that recognises social work as a professional with local, international and global interests. Exchanges by administrative staff will develop and improve understanding of the governance of social work education in different contexts including organisational practices in intake, selection, and student support, and field education arrangements. There will also be opportunities for comparative research by students and staff into the two identified areas: professional governance, and social problems as contextually-influenced. Student and staff will also evaluate our innovative pedagogy of positioned learners challenged by 'difference'. Finally it is intended that students and staff alike will be able to develop appropriate curriculum and support services including mentoring of international students whose countries are not participants in this project, but who enrol in courses through other forms of partnership.

In summary, the activities will include:

The exchange of students and staff between Australian and EU partners
The provision of cultural and language preparation, social and academic support, and mutual recognition of academic achievements within the principles and pedagogical approaches outlined above
The improvement of undergraduate core units offered in social work programmes at participating universities to include international and global perspectives and the development of three new core international social work units
The development of sustainable international networks between partner institutions and strengthening of the outcomes that will improve social work as an international profession.

Participating Australian (AUS) and European Union (EU) Institutions

Deakin University, School of Health and Social Development, Victoria (Lead University)	University of Salford, Community, Health Sciences and Social Care, England (Lead University)
CQUniversity, Human Services and Professional Practice, Queensland	VIA University College, Department of Social Work, Denmark
University of Sydney, Faculty of Education and Social Work, New South Wales	ELTE University, Department of Social Work and Social Policy, Hungary
Curtin University, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Western Australia	Uppsala University, Department of Sociology, Sweden