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Social Work Education in Nepal: MajorOpportunities and Abundant ChallengesBala Raju NikkuPublished online: 05 Nov 2010.

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Social Work Education in Nepal:Major Opportunities andAbundant ChallengesBala Raju Nikku

This paper discusses the evolution of social work education in Nepal. The history of social

work education and training in Nepal is rather nascent. Imparting social work educationand training is a challenging task in Nepal due to the ongoing political instability, multi-

cultural issues and lack of social work educators, and the lack of a professional association,in addition to the lack of government recognition for the social work profession in the

country. The paper is divided into four sections. After a general introduction, Section 2discusses the evolution of social work education in the context of the development of highereducation in Nepal. The paper describes Nepal and its changing social context, the

challenges for social work and how social work education is meeting these challenges.Nepal’s efforts to realize indigenous and international practices of social work education

are discussed in the third section. The paper indentifies these gaps and a Nepalese model ofsocial work is presented in Section 4. The paper is written on the basis of the author’s

personal narrative of many years’ work in Nepal in order to start a discussion onindigenous and international social work perspectives along with challenges for social

work education in the context of the current global climate of social, political andeconomic changes in order to draw lessons for Nepal and South Asia.

Keywords: Social Work Education; Nepal; South Asia; Indigenous Social Work;International Social Work

1. Introduction

Since the beginningof the twentieth century, socialwork education has grownworldwide,

including throughout the South Asia Region. The imperatives of the internationalizationof social work education and indigenous practice methods and research are both

ISSN 0261-5479 print/1470-1227 online q 2010 Taylor & FrancisDOI: 10.1080/02615479.2010.516984

Correspondence to: Bala Raju Nikku, Head, Department of Social Work, Kadambari Memorial College of Science and

Management, Purbanchal University Affiliate, Kathmandu, Nepal. Tel.: 00977-9851004578. Email: nikku21@yahoo.com,

www.nepalschoolofsocialwork.org

Social Work EducationVol. 29, No. 8, December 2010, pp. 818–830

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challenging and rewarding. The communication revolution not onlymade theworld into

a global village, it has also resulted in a digital divide. While addressing these global and

local challenges, social work today is rightly striving to become an international

profession.In one form or another, social work is taught and practiced in most of the regions

and countries of the world, but one needs to realize that

the universality of social work does not mean that the pattern of social work’sorganisation, roles, and fields of service, modes of educational preparation or degree ofsocial recognition are uniform throughout the world . . . Yet there are impressivecommonalities in the profession’s roles and functions. (Hokenstad et al., 1992, p. 181)

Gray et al. (2008) have claimed that twenty-first century social work represents a

number of parallel and related discourses that co-exist, which many social work

educators are unaware of (see Table 1). Midgley (1990, 1997) described international

social work as a ‘two way street’. Professor Midgley might have meant that social work

educators who are involved in international issues (like human trafficking) have

benefited by learning from their international partners and vice versa. Asamoah et al.

(1997) argued that despite the increasing global changes, the social work curriculum in

many parts of the world remains narrowly focused on domestic perspectives. Thus a

first step toward preparing students for practice in the new millennium is the

internationalization of the social work curriculum (cited from Johnson, 2004, p. 7).Xu (2006) has argued that ‘while social work educators and researchers have

thoroughly discussed and defined international social work, and have documented the

importance of internationalizing social work, they have focused very little on the

international social work practice involved in real world settings’ (p. 680).

International social work is defined as international professional practice and the

capacity for international action by the social work profession and its members (see

Cox and Pawar, 2006). In addition, there are debates over the international and local

standards of social work education and practice. Sungkawan (2009) argues that

in order to set standards of social work education and practice, one needs torecognize the concept of cross-cultural social work or international social work. Theconcept allows us to view social work education and practice could be transferableamong countries with different cultures. (p. 118)

Lyons (1999) analyses the development of international social work, both as offering an

important perspective on practice at the local level and as a distinct form of cross-border

and supra-national activity.

The literature on ‘indigenization’ in social work, which is essentially about importing

social work from the ‘West to the rest’ of the world, supports Midgley’s notion of

‘professional imperialism’. Some authors have nevertheless argued about whether social

work practice can be truly international in nature (Drucker, 2003; Webb, 2003).

‘Indigenization’ and ‘indigenous social work’ are not the same but two separate

discourses. The politics of international social work play out as ‘Western’ perspectives

continue to dominate and ‘local’ cultures continue to resist the onslaught, as is evident

in the statement by Gray and others (2008) that ‘Localization is the antithesis of

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internationalization. Indigenous social work is essentially about the development of

culturally relevant social work for, with and by indigenous peoples’. Taking thesediscourses as its framework, this paper presents the evolution of social work education,

opportunities and challenges in Nepal to further strengthen the social work professionthere.

2. Evolution of Higher Education and Social Work Education in Nepal

2.1. Nepal: A Land Locked Country in Transition

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with about 27 million people. It is a

country of ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities; a country of 82 languages, 100 castesand ethnic groups, and 10 religions. Out of 75 districts, certain ethnic groups have a

relative majority in 14 districts, whereas no particular group has a majority in theremaining 61 districts (Shrestha, 2009). The country has gone through a series of

transitions and is currently rewriting its constitution. The hope is that the new federalstate will address the issues of inclusion, decentralization, balanced and sustainable

regional development and a sense of national unity. This context provides ampleopportunities and challenges for a young profession like socialwork to take root inNepal.

2.2. Development of Higher Education in Nepal

The development of higher education gained momentum in Nepal only in 1951 as it

entered its first democratic era. Until then access to higher education was restricted to afew elite families. Nepal had only two colleges in 1952 but, three years later, the number

had increased to 14; a total of 915 students and 86 teachers attended. The situationchanged after 1951 and several government and private colleges were established

(Hachhethu, 2004). The situation in the higher education sector has further changed afterthe restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990. The opening and expansion of new

universities and research organizations outside the purview of both the government andTribhuwan University had a crucial impact on the development of education in generaland social sciences in particular. The post-1990 period witnessed the mushrooming of

private research centers and NGOs due to the availability of foreign funds (Hachhethu,2004, p. 229). In this context of higher education in Nepal, a young profession like social

Table 1 Parallel and Related Discourses in Social Work

‘Indigenization’‘West to the rest’

Indigenoussocial work:sovereignty, land,cultural,and human rights,and decolonizationdiscourses

Crosscultural;culturallysensitive;culturalcompetence,and ‘rest inthe West’

Internationalsocial work

Emergingdiscourse onsocial work withimmigrantsand refugees

Anti-oppressivediscourse onnon-dominantand minoritycultures

Source: Gray et al. (2008).

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work began to grow due to the initiation of a few committed individuals and colleges

affiliated to universities in Nepal.

2.3. Evolution of Social Work Education in Nepal

This section discusses the evolution of social work education in Nepal over the last one

and half decades. Currently, three universities out of five, i.e. Tribhuwan, Kathmanduand Purbanchal universities, have given permission to their affiliated colleges to offersocial work programs. Table 2 provides a brief idea of the evolution of higher

education in Nepal. The evolution of higher education in Nepal suggests that access forthe masses was only realized after the beginning of democracy in 1990. The growing

number of international agencies, increasing poverty, regional imbalances, and theneed for professional social workers might have influenced the initiation of the first

bachelors program in social work in 1996 under the aegis of Kathmandu University.This was the only Bachelor of Arts in Social Work program in the whole of the country,

until 2005 when Purbanchal University initiated a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)program at Kadambari College and a Masters in Social Work (MSW) program at StXavier’s College. Kadambari College became a member of the APASWE in 2007 and of

IASSW in 2010.Since 2005 the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Purbanchal University has

been offered at St Xavier’s college and is affiliated to Purbanchal University. This collegehas also offered a BA in Social Work degree since 1996 and a one year Post Graduate

Degree in Social Work initiated in 2010, both recognized by the Kathmandu University.Ten affiliated colleges of Tribhuwan University currently offer Bachelor of Arts with

social work as a major subject. Both Purbanchal and Katmandu universities offer athree year, semester and credit based social work program, whereas the Tribhuwan

University offers an annual and non-credit based examination system. The minimumqualification to enter a bachelor’s program is completion of a higher secondary degree(12 years of education) from a recognized institution. All these affiliated colleges are

located in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, and are thus not accessible to thoseliving outside the city. There was some effort made to introduce social work at the

higher secondary level so as to spread social work education far and wide throughoutthe school system. However, this proposal has not yet been accepted.1

3. Opportunities and Challenges for Social Work Education and Practice in Nepal

3.1. Historical Roots

Social work in Nepal can be traced back through many forms of voluntary work by

religious and cultural institutions such as guthi (clan based association), dharmashala(free residences for the poor) and patipauwa (public resting place) in Nepal. Almsgiving to the poor and disabled is widely practiced even today. This practice is rooted

in the concept of Dan (charity) in order to please the gods and to seek a better life bothat present and in the next life.

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Table 2 Important Policy Milestones in the Evolution of Higher Education and SocialWork in Nepal

Year Policy development Main focus

1953 Formation of theEducation Committee

The committee stressed a need toformulate a national plan for introducingchanges in national education

1955 The National Education PlanningCommission (NEPC) was created

A major breakthrough was madein the development of education sector

1959 Tribhuwan University (TU)was established

National Education Planning Commission(NEPC) played an important role inthe establishment of TU. Majorpurpose was to meet Nepal’srequirements for skilled human resources

1960 Comprehensive EducationCommittee was formed

Political changes took place inthe country

1981 A Royal Higher EducationCommission was appointed

The commission reviewed the basicfeatures of the National EducationSystem. As a result, in 1982 the MahendraSanskrit University was established

1980s Compared to other levels of education,higher education expanded most rapidly

11.7% growth rate registered

1990s Higher education registered asthe fastest growing sector

10.5% growth rate registered. In 1971 thenumber of students enrolled in highereducation was 17,000 which increased to103,290 in the year 2000

1992 National Education Commission(NEC) was created

Political changes took place due to firstJana Andolan (people’s movement) in1990. The commission’s objectives wereto give a new direction to the educationsystem in the changed context of thecountry following the restoration ofmulti-party democracy

1992 Formation of Kathmandu University Kathmandu University, a privateuniversity, receives state funding

1996 Introduction of BA in SocialWork program at affiliated collegeof Kathmandu University

The first BA in socialwork program introduced at StXavier’s College with an affiliationfrom Kathmandu University.Technical support extended by NirmalaNiketan Schoolof Social Work in India

1997 Introduction of social work asa major subject

Tribhuwan University introduced socialwork as one of the twomajor courses at BA level.The course is offered at PadmakanyaCampus with access availableto women students only

1996 Formation of Purbanchal University Located in Birat Nagar withthe idea to serve studentsfrom the Eastern development regionof Nepal. Currently this universityprovides affiliations with about 100colleges spread all over Nepal

(continued)

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In addition to cultural and religious practices, social reforms initiated during the

1950s have had a profound impact on current social work practice in Nepal. The NepalGandhi Charka Pracharak Trust was founded by Tulsi Meher, known as Gandhi of

Nepal, in the 1950s. Its importance for social organizations and voluntary institutionswas felt with the launching of National Development Plans beginning in 1956. The

initiation of the Social Service Act in 1978 and the establishment of the Social ServiceNational Co-ordination Council (SSNCC), now known as the Social Welfare Council,

were important milestones in Nepal. After the restoration of multi-party democracy in1990 many non-governmental organizations were begun by different individuals. Theywere known as social workers though they did not have degrees in social work.However,

since the start of social work education in 1996 there is now a distinctionmade betweenprofessionally trained social workers (known as professional social workers or trained

social workers) and those who do not possess degrees in social work, who are known associal service practitioners. This distinction is yet to be recognized by the state.

3.2. Diversity in Social Work Curricula

The social work curricula developed over a period of time under three different

universities inNepal show evidence of indigenous efforts to train social workers who arerelevant for Nepal and its growing needs. Past reports suggest that Nirmala NiketanSchool of SocialWork in India helped St Xavier’s college inNepal to prepare a three year

Bachelor of Social Work program, which was subsequently approved by KathmanduUniversity in 1996. Similarly Tribhuwan University Curriculum Development Centre

renamed theirmajor course, which originally had the title ‘social service’ as ‘social work’and added supervised field-work hours as a requirement. In 2005, Purbanchal

University created a subject committee to prepare the social work curricula for bothbachelors and masters programs. The subject committee (the author of this paper is a

member of this committee) was aware of the discourses on indigenous and Westernmodels of social work and utilized the opportunity to reflect on such models. Aftermany discussions and debates, a curriculum that is suitable for the country’s current

needs was prepared and approved by the university (see the Appendix). Analysis ofthe three social work curricula shows that Purbanchal University adopted a social

1997 Formation of Pokhara University Located in Pokhara with the idea to servethe western region. The idea of PokharaUniversity was conceived in 1986 but it wasestablished only in 1997 under the PokharaUniversity Act, 1997

2005 Introduction of Bachelor of SocialWork (BSW) and Master ofSocial Work (MSW) at affiliatedcolleges of Purbanchal University

These courses were introduced ataffiliated colleges of PurbanchalUniversity

Source: adapted from Nikku (2009).

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development model based on rights-based social work, Kathmandu University focused

on clinical social work and Tribhuwan University concentrated more on social service.The social work curriculum of Purbanchal University shifted from a clinical social work

focus to a rights-based model. This social work curriculum would serve as the firstcomprehensive resource available in the country for other colleges, training centers,

government and non-government organizations for the planning and programming ofrights-based training in Nepal and beyond. The course structure, including the relevant

principles, guidelines and references, could be easily adapted to the specific situationson the ground and the target groups to be trained. To provide further evidence of this,the subject committee members invited practitioners, researchers and academics to

provide their inputs and views on the social work curriculum. As a result, child rightsprofessionals fromSave the Children Sweden and government officials from theCentral

Child Welfare Board (CCWB) provided inputs on preparing and inducting coursessuch as ‘Child Rights and Juvenile Justice’ and ‘Family and Social Work’. Further links

were establishedwith other donor agencies. As a result Save the Children commissionedtwo studies and published the research, which strengthened the research capacities of

the social work faculty and enhanced their contribution to teaching (Nikku andKarkara, 2006; Nikku et al., 2006).

The above process suggests that the diversity of social work curricula in Nepal keepsthe core values of social work in focus whilst providing opportunities to furtherindigenize social work teaching in the best interests of students. At the same time, the

lack of coherence and the absence of a Council on Social Work Education has led toconfusion and different quality standards among the schools of social work.

3.3. Recognition for the Social Work Profession and Professionals

The lack of formal recognition for professional social workers by the government is amajor issue. However, due to years of lobbying by child welfare organizations, the

Children Act states that, in cases dealing with children in conflict with the law, a socialworker has to be present along with a psychologist and a judge. The act is, however,

silent in its definition of who is a social worker. There are not many social workpositions that are legally recognized (e.g. medical social workers or school social

workers). Graduate social workers cannot even compete for many government jobs, asthe training is not yet recognized by the Service Commission of Nepal. There is a need

to create a National Association of Social Workers of Nepal which could be a registeredunion of social workers. This union could then negotiate with the government to

recognize the profession and also to protect the rights of social workers and ensureaccountability.

3.4. Nepal Council of Social Work Education (NCSWE)

The lack of an agreed-upon curriculum and its enforcement by a Council or similar

professional body is a major issue in a transition country like Nepal. As explained inan earlier section, there are three universities offering a social work course in their

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affiliated colleges which each have their own focus and quality standards. A cross-

sectional analysis of the curricula shows a huge variation in terms of compositionand approaches to social work education and field practicum. To achieve minimum

standards and to ensure the quality of social work training, the formation of aCouncil of Social Work Education in Nepal is urgently needed. The Department of

Social Work at Kadambari College has made a request to the University GrantsCommission of Nepal to take the lead in forming such a body. Once such a body has

been formed and is active in Nepal, the colleges offering social work courses willhave to collaborate and improve their teaching standards. This body will also help tolobby the state authorities to create designated social work jobs in various service

sectors.

3.5. Building Alliances

The schools of social work in Nepal are trying hard to build alliances with the media,universities, bureaucrats, donors and with other schools of social work globally. Social

work educators have realized that building alliances is an important feature of theinternationalization of social work in Nepal; however, an association of schools of

social work in Nepal is yet to take shape.

3.5.1. Celebrating World Social Work Day to raise public awarenessIn 2008 and 2010 various colleges offering social work courses came together under

the leadership of Kadambari College and implemented different activities to mark theWorld Social Work Day celebrations. The objectives were to share and publicize the

work of the social work students and faculty in these colleges and to build solidarityamong different stakeholders. Another objective was the translation of international

social work values into local practices. The global theme for the 2010 day was ‘MakingHuman Rights Real: The Social Work Agenda’. Under this broad international themethe social work colleges in Nepal came up with a theme entitled ‘Social Work in Nepal:

Quest for Identity’. The organizing committee was able to bring the Minister forEducation to the inaugural ceremony and a member of the National Human Rights

Commission of Nepal for the closing ceremony. In addition, the committee soughtsupport frommany organizations and as a result Nepal Scouts, a national organization

(established in 1952), and TDH Foundation, an international organization, cameforward and supported different activities. The committee also received a message

from David Jones, the President of the IFSW, expressing solidarity and wishing Nepalisocial workers success in their endeavors.

I am very pleased to send the greetings of the International Federation of SocialWorkers (IFSW) to social workers in Nepal and my best wishes for a successfulConference. I am well aware of the social challenges faced by the people of Nepal butalso the great beauty of your country! I have flown over your country several timesbut hope to be able to visit you on the ground one day . . . Please accept my bestwishes for this World Social Work Day 2010. I hope that the conference helps tostrengthen the profession in Nepal, enabling you to celebrate this day with dignity

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and confidence, motivated by a commitment to make human rights real and to buildthe social work agenda for a confident professional future. (Dr David N. Jones, IFSWPresident, Northampton, UK, 10 March 2010)

One of the reviewers of this paper has raised an important question that:

Nepalese colleagues and youngsters have made a timely and strategic use of ritualactivities to promote social work. This leads to a question as to whether social workstudents are equipped with both the traditional and modern intellectual resources toinitiate the collective expression of solidarity? Examples to promote publicawareness at the grassroots level are important illustrations of indigenizing effortswhich are culturally relevant and effective to produce changes.

The above observations made by the reviewer of this paper are relevant. The timing of2010 World Social Work Week (16–19 March 2010) in Nepal interestingly coincidedwith the historical and socio, economic and political changes that were taking place in

the country. At that moment the lawmakers of the Constituent Assembly were workingto re-write the constitution for the republic of Nepal. Taking this opportunity the

committee presented a signed appeal and a draft social work policy paper to theHonorable Member of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, Mr Gauri

Pradhan, to recommend that the Nepal government develop a social work policywhich will regulate the conduct of social workers, secure their rights and bring

recognition to social work as a profession.

3.6. Many Voices but One Vision

As is evident, since social work education in Nepal is controlled by a few university-affiliated colleges, there are different views regarding ways to strengthen social work

education there. Few are of the opinion that social work education in a country likeNepal should be based on the country’s priorities and should not import Westernmodels. Some scholars state that social work education is confined to students from

elite families and is only available in Kathmandu city, and hence social work educationshould be offered as a course within higher secondary education to provide access to a

wider audience. Interviews with social work graduate students suggest that social workin Nepal should meet international standards and criteria so that they can gain

employment even in developed countries. Interviews conducted with differentstakeholders and speeches at different occasions suggest that there are diverse views

but the common goal is to craft a vibrant social work profession in Nepal by creatingopportunities for social work education in different universities.

4. Conclusion and Way Forward

The world is linked in many ways that are difficult to separate. Professional socialwork in Nepal is in its infancy and is linked with both international and local events.Social work must be seen as a new, developing and relevant profession in/for Nepal.

Thus social work educators, practitioners, and policy makers must define and developthe profession within both the changing economic and political environment in the

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country and changing international trends in human services. The timeline of social

work education in Nepal suggests that indigenous and international social workpractices are not isolated perspectives but are complementary to each other, as in the

case of Nepal in crafting its own model of social work education and practice within theSouth Asian Region. The Nepalese experience suggests the use of a ‘two way street’ as

mentioned by Professor Midgley. The activities that are being implemented are rootedboth in local and international spaces, not as sporadic events but as strategies to

strengthen the social work profession in Nepal.Further growth of the social work profession in Nepal will be a function of the

traditions, aspirations andpolitical transitions that are influencing the roles and functions

of trained social workers. Under-utilization of social work talent due to its low societalrecognition in the country will have an impact on the overall development of the

profession.On the positive side, social work education has begun but it is yet to gain a fulluniversity-level educational status.

The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for self-reflection among trainedsocial workers, practitioners and policy makers. A critical evaluation of current social

work training is urgently needed. Social work training in Nepal should progress fromclinical and community development approaches of social work to macro social work

issues using rights-based approaches. The rationale is that the traditional ‘individualcentered model of social work practice’ is only of limited relevance in poor, conflict-stricken and transitional countries like Nepal.

4.1. In Search of a Nepalese Model of Social Work

Nepal is a land-locked country which has suffered from a recent decade-long Maoistinsurgency and many decades of autocratic and monarchical regimes. Due to social,

economic, political and cultural transitions, every sector in the country has been affecteddirectly or indirectly. Children, women, elder citizens and persons with disabilities have

become themost vulnerable.Toaddress this, socialwork educationneeds toprepare socialworkers who are equipped with appropriate skills. Significant challenges are ahead but

ample opportunities are also in hand.It is too early to claim aNepalesemodel of social work. The broader aim is to develop

such a model based on both indigenous and international social work as two pillars to

create robust social work education and training opportunities in Nepal. Social workeducators in Nepal, though few in number, are confident that social work as a

professionwill flourish. They have been constantly reflecting on amodel that is suitablefor Nepal. As a result, in addition to the core courses of social work, courses like child

rights, family and social work, and law and social work were included in the Bachelor ofSocialWork course curriculum of Purbanchal University. The guiding principle behind

this inclusion is the belief that the traditional ‘individual centered model of social workpractice’ is only of limited relevance in poverty- and conflict-stricken countries likeNepal. The efforts to internalize the indigenous and international approaches of social

work inNepal can be justified on the basis that social work is and should be a contextualprofession.

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Social work as a young profession in South Asia certainly requires new orientations,

directions, solutions and actions to become more effective in meeting the ever-growing

challenges in the region. There is a need for the integration of new ideas, concepts and

knowledge into social work training. It will take time for social work in Nepal to grow

and mature, but the help of the international social work community will go a long

way to ensuring this. Social work educators in Nepal do not need to reinvent the wheel

but should continue to develop high practice standards and professional identity.

I conclude that promotion of social work education and practices should not only be

the concerns of colleges and universities within Nepal but should also concern

other academic institutions, and more importantly international associations like the

International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the InternationalCouncil on Social Welfare (ICSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers

(IFSW) and regional associations like the Asian and Pacific Association for Social

Work Education (APASWE) and the International Consortium for Social

Development–Asia Pacific (ICSD–AP). These international and regional organizations

can play a vital role in strengthening indigenous social work models in countries like

Nepal, and can facilitate their internationalization.Healy (2008) writes that ‘although indigenization has increased local variations in

method and increased attention to local problems, globalization has heightened

professionals’ awareness of common issues and increased opportunities for

communication and exchange’ (p. 201). The evidence suggests that countries like

Nepal can and should benefit from crafting an ‘indigenous and international model’ of

social work education. The justification for this model of social work is based on the

fact that social work is and should be an indigenous and an international profession.

For the few social work educators that are working in Nepal ‘teaching social work is a

science, an art form and a passion’ (East and Chambers, 2007).

Acknowledgements

This paper is a revised version of the paper presented at the National Conference on

Professional Social Work in India: Contributions to Welfare and Development, organized

by the Department of Social Work, Bharathidasan University, Khajamalai, Tamil

Nadu, India on 11--12 February 2010.

Note

[1] The Department of Social Work at Kadambari College submitted a proposal in 2009 to includea course on social work under the higher secondary (10 þ 2) system managed by the HigherSecondary Education Board of Nepal. The Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) wasestablished in 1989 under the Higher Secondary Education Act. The report of the NepalNational Commission of Education (1992) reiterated the earlier recommendation to includethe 10 þ 2 program in the education system, and also viewed it as the first step towardsspecialization.

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References

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Publications, New Delhi, India.

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vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 53–81.

East, J. & Chambers, R. (2007) ‘Courage to teach for social work educators’, Social Work Education,

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Gray, M., Coates, J. & Yellow Bird, M. (2008) Indigenous Social Work around the World. Towards

Culturally Relevant Education and Practice, Ashgate, Burlington, VT.

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Mandala, Kathmandu.

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University Press, USA.

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international perspective’, in Profiles in International Social Work, eds M. C. Hokenstad et al.,

NASW Press, Washington, DC, Chapter 13.

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Healy’s continuum as strategic guide’, International Social Work, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 7–24.

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Midgley, J. (1990) ‘International social work: learning from the third world’, Social Work, vol. 35,

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Appendix

Table A1 BSW Curriculum, Purbanchal University

Semester I (15 credits) Semester II (15 credits)

History and Philosophy of SocialWork (HPS 112) (2 credits)

Introduction to Nepali Society (INS 123)(3 credits)

Sociology for Social Work (SSW113) (3 credits)

Social Case Work and SocialGroup Work—II (SCG 123) (3 credits)

Social Case Work and SocialGroup Work—I (SCG 113) (3 credits)

Community Organisation (COM 123)(3 credits)

Human Growth and Behaviour (HGB113) (3 credits)

Academic English (ACE 122)(2 credits)

Academic English (ACE 112) (2 credits) Neighbourhood Camp (NHC 121) (1 credit)Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (SWP 112) (2 credits)

Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (3 credits) (SWP 123)

Semester III (15 credits) Semester IV (15 credits)

Psychiatric Social Work (PSW 233)(2 credits)

Social Work Research (SWR 243)(3 credits)

Social Welfare Administration (SWA 233)(3 credits)

Rural and Urban Community Development(RUD 243) (3 credits)

Social Action (SOA 233) (2credits)

Family and Social Work (FSW 242)(2 credits)

Child Rights (CHR 232) (2credits)

Development Communication (Lab) DEC 242(2 credits)

Nepali (NEP 233) (3 credits) Rural Camp (RUC 232) (2 credits)Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (SWP 233) (3 credits)

Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (SWP 243) (3 credits)

Semester V (15 credits) Semester VI (15 credits)

Social Development (SOD 352) (3 credits) Social Work in Industry (SWI 362) (2 credits)Management of Voluntary Organisations (MVO353) (3 credits)

Juvenile Justice (JJS 362)(2 credits)

Law and Social Work (LSW352) (2 credits)

Research Dissertation and Seminar (RDS 366)(6 credits)

Introduction to Gender Studies (IGS352) (2 credits)

Block Field Work (BFW 363) (2 credits)

Urban Study Camp (UCS 352)(2 credits)

Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (SWP 362) (3 credits)

Social Work Practicum and SkillsLab (SWP 343) (3 credits)

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