If You Try You Can Make It: Role of a Regional Centre in Developing Social Development Curricula for Social Work Education

Abstract

The paper outlines the findings of the evaluation of an international project on social work and social development curricula, which was implemented by the Regional Social Development Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, with a network of social work educators across the Asia-Pacific region. By looking at processes and outcomes of the project, the network members have offered positive feedback and constructive suggestions. Based on this analysis the paper underscores the role of network centres dedicated to enhancing social work intervention with a social development perspective and argues in favour of developing regional centres with committed staff. Such centres have great potential to facilitate communication between social work schools, educators and practitioners, perhaps by acting as a central agent, for the development of social work schools and the profession in the region.