LESSONS FOR PRODUCTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL

PARTNERSHIPS: THE VIET NAM AND HAWAI`I SOCIAL WORK

EXPERIENCEDr. Lorraine Marais, HPU, Hawai`iDr. Bui Thi Xuan Mai, ULSA, VNInstructor Paul Tuan Tran, HPU, Hawai`i

SHORT OVERVIEW OF OUTCOMES OF PRESENTATION

• Outcome 1: Context is everything

• Outcome 2: From theory to practice

• Outcome 3: Complexity but not complicated

• Outcome 4: Remember why we are doing it: STUDENTS

• Outcome 5: Take home a outline for possible cross national

educational partnerships that are culturally competent

WORKSHOP QUESTIONS TO BE EXPLORED IN COLLABORATION

Question 1: What is your reality in regard to contextual factors influencing

cross national educational collaborations?

Question 2: How can we use it for our benefit?

Question 3: Choose one quadrant as a group and share your experience with

the group

Question 4: Reflections on the EPPM: Insights, additions and comments

Question 5: Within your context what would your EPPM model look like? Create an

outline

SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ULSA AND HPU SOCIAL

WORK (CASE STUDY)

• Social Work as a profession: Recognition by VN government 2010 and its

implications

• HPU SWRK Student short study abroad educational trips (2010, 2011 & 2013)

• Involvement of administrative levels of both universities

• ELLTA conference first step towards faculty research collaboration

• Development of “Educational Partnership Practice Model “ (EPPM) based on

“our collaborative story”

FIVE MAIN CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

1. Country Political & Philosophical Structure

2. Socio/Economic Environment

3. Multi-cultural nature

4. Mutuality of Social Problems/Issues

5. Availability of Resources: Human and Fiscal

CONTEXTUAL FACTOR 1: COUNTRY’S POLITICAL & PHILOSOPHICAL STRUCTURE

• Recognition of political structure and philosophy of countries involved in partnership:

• Viet Nam political system based on a communist philosophy• Hawai`i political system based on a democratic philosophy

• Meaning of Cultural Competent practice within the political and philosophical systems

• Understanding there are pro and cons of both governmental systems: • Consciousness of both participants to view each other as equal partners

especially if your country is identified as a “Developed” nation• One important question to ask when partnering up with other political system

than your own country: • “Do we understand what it implies to engage with a different government system

than our own?”

COUNTRY POLITICAL STRUCTURE (CONTINUE)

• Understanding aligned with the political and philosophical systems’ current policies and directions

• VN: SWRK as a profession in 2010 = Major national direction and policy

• The possible political impact it can have when operationalizing the partnership vision, mission and goals to address social issues in host country

• The political system is closely related to the socio/economic systems of the country

CONTEXTUAL FACTOR 2: SOCIO AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT

• Understand the method/theory of the economic system• Hawai’i in principle practice a market economy based on capitalism• Viet Nam in principle practice a hybrid market economy based on

communism/capitalism relying on a central economic management system

• Understand the socio/economic variables• Physical and geographical location• Cost of living• Natural available resources• Tourism and hospitality service industries• Indigenous population• Immigrants population

CONTEXTUAL FACTOR 3: MULTICULTURAL NATURE

• Multi cultural contextual factors:• Different ethnic cultural factors• Language• Socially diverse composition of the population• Indigenous population rights

Example:-Hawai`i: rich cultural history of Native Hawaiian with a cross-roads of many other cultures-Viet Nam: rich cultural history that comprise of 54 different ethnic groups

• Both nations policies on native’s right for equity are on going challenges

• Commonality allows a long term vision for the partnership to unify efforts around common core societal issues

CONTEXTUAL FACTOR 4:MUTUALITY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS/ISSUES

• Understand approaches to solving societal issues are unique to each country

• poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, gender discrimination, child abuse and neglect,

• Understand solutions are dependent on available resources

• Each partner solutions reflects their culture and values so no one particular approach dominate another

• Each partner can learn from one another • other methodologies and incorporate what works for their own practice • thus introducing a new hybrid/methodology of best practices • exciting time for new models to be introduce out of this partnership

CONTEXTUAL FACTOR 5: AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES

• Recognize the availability of resources can determine the sustainability of the partnership

• Government policies• Allocated budget/fiscal availability from the government• Understand how the EPPM can be applied to assess availability of resources

• government and university• department• faculty• student• social media• technology

FOUR PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE MODEL

(EPPM)

• It is an equal partnership• It allows both side to honor each other’s autonomy, cultural differences and self-

determination right

• Multi-dimensional, multi-faceted and multi-leveled to be sustainable

• Patience and persistence are central to the relationship

• Partnership needs advocates at multiple levels: government, university, department, faculty, and students

FROM PRACTICE TO THEORY:EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE MODEL

(EPPM) Figure 1: HPU/ULSA Educational Partnership Practice Model

4. Students

1. Government & University

2. Department

3. Faculty

Five Contextual Factors

1. Country Political Structure 2. Socio/economic environment 3. Multi-cultural nature 4. Mutuality of Social Problems 5. Availability of Resources

(Human and Fiscal) 1.

5. TE

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NO

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5. S

OC

IAL M

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Components of the model

DISCUSSION OF EPPMQUADRANT 1: GOVERNMENT

AND UNIVERSITY ROLE• Vietnamese Government’s RoleEnacted national policy for the training of 60,000 social workers by 2020.

• Three general educational goals:1) strengthen resource capacity for Universities which includes the

educational level of faculty

2) mobilizing international support to improve and develop educational program and curriculum

3) develop language and contextual text books and training materials with support from the international communities

QUADRANT 1: GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY ROLE

To achieve those goals the government developed national policies concentrating on:

1) Providing funds for educational initiatives 2) Developing collaboration with international organizations, and universities 3) Providing funding for people/faculty to study abroad or 4) Engaging in exchange programs with professors from cross national universities such as HPU5) Exchange or invite experts from other universities to come to Viet Nam to teach or to do research

QUADRANT 1: GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY ROLE

Hawai`i Pacific University (HPU)

• Vision of the university strategic plan is to become an international renowned university serving mostly Hawai`i, the Pacific and South East Asia.

• Overall in the social work profession, international educational collaboration is highly valued and a target for advocacy

QUADRANT 1: GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY ROLE

University of Labor and Social Affairs (ULSA)

Implementation policy strategies in international collaboration:

Developing international collaboration to learn and to share recourses

Sending lecturers for masters and PhD degrees

Developing curriculum for bachelor and master as well as PhD of SW

Developing curricula in order aligned with international standards but relevant to Vietnam context

Improving field practicum for students in SW education

QUADRANT 1: GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITY ROLE (CONTINUE)

ULSA Training supervisors for the agencies so that they can be involved in

supervising students in the field

Exchange lecture and students

Collaboration in research Collaboration in developing text books, educational material and research articles

Collaborating in presentations at conference and conducting workshops

QUADRANT 2: DEPARTMENT AND SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK ROLES (INTERNAL &

EXTERNAL)The logistics and operationalization of involving multiple departments

Example of HPU: School of Social Work at HPU HPU study abroad office University higher administration

Example of ULSA: ULSA social work department ULSA higher administration

QUADRANT 3: INDIVIDUAL FACULTY & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

• Integration of study abroad with regular faculty required work load:

• If faculty wanted to conduct a study abroad trip with students then they have to ensure that the trip is part of a required course rather than an additional responsibility

• Social Work faculty at HPU has the opportunity to teach an elective course that covers a study abroad trip

• Usually it is one faculty that is the teacher on record of the course

• Other faculty going on the trip needs to negotiate to either receive a course release or conduct it as a “service” commitment

QUADRANT 4: STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

• As study abroad members• personal development• professional development• learners and teachers• providing community service “giving back”

• As coordinators assisting faculty in study abroad trip• developing skills as administrators

• Personal and professional development

QUADRANT 5: ROLE & IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA

• Role of Facebook as social international networking mechanism

• SKYPE for arrangements and logistics

• Creation of multiple Facebook pages on social work events in various countries

• Connecting local social services across international boundary

TEN MAIN LESSONS

1. You need an advocate to ensure sustainability and continuation

2. Commitment for the long term: persistence and patience

3. Finding internal and external resources to support partnership

4. Develop strategic plan for both long term and short term that have measureable outcomes

5. Finding creative solutions to minimize distance and language barriers

TEN MAIN LESSONS (CONTINUE)

6. Application of cultural sensitivity and competence

7. Realistic about the priority of the initiatives & faculty’s willingness to commit

to it

8. Include past and current students

9. Have follow up plan if initial participant(s) is no longer point of contact

10. When the road gets rough remember why we are doing it

FOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

1. Short and long term planning is central

2. “Sell” your partnership to both internal and external

3. Advocate for inclusions on a university wide level

4. Commit to continuous learning for students, programs and faculty while integrating the partnership in the educational programs and curriculum

LET’S PRACTICE!!!

DISCUSSION, Q & A

MAHALO