The Social Work Education Enhancement Program started the year off with a week-long visit from five Vietnamese partner universities for the Leadership Academy in September. San Jose Staté University is the lead for the SWEEP project, an international consortium of five Vietnamese universities, two government agencies and private sector partner Cisco Systems, Inc. The program funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to strengthen the capacity of Viet Nam’s higher education social work programs to deliver quality education and prepare, job-ready social workers.

The program objectives are to:

• Develop systems to strengthen higher education management and administration,
• Devise processes to enhance faculty development opportunities and programs
• Develop and employ relevant curriculum adaptable to Viet Nam’s changing knowledge and needs.

From Sept. 22-28, representatives from National University of Vietnam at Hanoi’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University of Education, University of Labor and Social Affairs at Hanoi, Hue University and National University of Vietnam at HMC’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities attended the Leadership Academy.

The visitors were welcomed by SJSU President Mohammad Qayoumi and College of Applied Sciences and Arts Dean Charles Bullock, as well as SWEEP directors Alice Hines and Ed Cohen. The guests spent the week in conference meetings at SJSU and visiting some places off campus as well. They attended meetings at Cisco, Vietnamese American Professionals Associations and the County of Santa Clara Mental Health Department. They finished off the visit by watching a Spartan football game at Spartan stadium.

During the three-year grant period, SWEEP will develop and implement undergraduate social work policies and practices, curricula, regional educational centers, technology networks, and faculty development and leadership programs.

The SWEEP team includes:

Alice Hines, College of Applied Sciences and Arts associate dean, principal investigator

Ed Cohen, associate professor of Social Work, co-principal investigator

Soma Sen, associate professor of Social Work, faculty development lead

Meekyung Han, associate professor of Social Work, curriculum development lead

Laurie Drabble, professor of Social Work. management and administration lead

Tuan Tran, SWEEP Viet Nam project coordinator

Hoa Nguyen, SWEEP Viet Nam project assistant

Quyen Grant, SWEEP SJSU project assistant

Patrick Thanh Ngo, Veronica Cavillo, Cindy Nguyen and Diana Nguyen – student assistants