Internationalisation in Social Work Education: Development of a Study Abroad Course

Abstract

The challenges of the global community, as stated in the World Millennium Project, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, are greatly related to issues imbedded in social work pedagogy, such as social development, educational inequality, status of women, gaps between the poor and the rich, population and available resources. Internationalisation of a social work educational unit, including students and faculty members is crucial for advancing educational content and competencies related to human rights. Internationalisation is a complex multi-dimensional issue, as it involves the accreditation of the organisation and institution. A well-planned and logical approach is essential to achieve a successful and
meaningful internationalisation of a social work educational unit. Following suggestions propounded by the American Council on Education, the authors developed matrices for a logistics model and a curriculum model for social work educators. The authors have utilised an example of the collaboration process with a Japanese university.

DOI: 10.32444/IJSW.2023.84.1.19-38