Strengthened by challenges: the path of the social work education in Ethiopia

Transforming Social Work Field Education

“…Beyond closing the school of social work, the socialist regime openly discouraged anything related to the social work profession, including methodological approaches and reference materials (Kebede, 2014). As a result, the social work profession was placed at the margins of academic disciplines and many social work professionals were forced to flee the country (Hagos Baynesagn et al, 2021).…”

“…Several factors contributed to the reinstitution of social work as an independent academic discipline at Addis Ababa University. The downfall of the socialist regime facilitated the rebirth of social work in Ethiopia, which was coupled with the new government's goals to liberalize the economy and to expand the number of higher education programs (Hagos Baynesagn et al, 2021). Changes in government policy also paved the way for Ethiopian social workers trained abroad to establish partnerships with foreign universities, which supported efforts to reinstall the schools in the country.…”