ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the history and status of social work and social work education in Vietnam, in the context of other neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Workforce development in both the social work profession and in social work education has become a major focus in the country, and there is a multi-pronged approach. Vietnam shares much with other Asian countries about the emergence of the social work profession and educational infrastructures. China, for example, serves almost as a blueprint for the evolution of the profession in Vietnam. Other neighboring Southeast Asian countries - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar - experience social problems that plague Vietnam, such as drug abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, child abuse, and trafficking of people, among others, which serve to compound the problems in these countries resulting from civil strife, and violence against sub-populations. The principles are important in understanding how to analyze needs and develop action plans to improve the social work educational infrastructure.
