Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA)

ASWDNET has signed a three-year, non-monetary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA). ASSWA is a continental body that brings together member schools of social work to advance social work education, research, standards and institutional collaboration across Africa. By contrast, ASWDNET is a membership network of individuals — including academics, practitioners, students, librarians and development professionals — working in social work and broader social development fields.

This MoU formalises a collaboration that began in 2022, when the then Secretary of ASSWA, Dr Sharlotte Tusasiirwe, initiated closer working relations between our organisations. We acknowledge her leadership in laying the foundation for this partnership. We also recognise Susan Muchiri, who has recently taken over the role and continues to support the strengthening of ties between our networks. The agreement provides a structured framework for joint planning and implementation while confirming that it is non-monetary in nature, with each organisation meeting its own operational costs unless otherwise agreed in writing.

A growing continental network

ASWDNET now has over 150 individual members from across Africa and continues to grow. Through this MoU, we will jointly convene key annual initiatives, guided by a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from both organisations. The collaboration enables us to bridge institutional membership (through ASSWA’s schools of social work) and individual professional engagement (through ASWDNET’s diverse membership base), strengthening continental reach and impact.

Ubuntu Pedagogy Masterclass – 13 March

Our next event, jointly convened with ASSWA, is the Ubuntu Pedagogy Masterclass on 13 March. This session will focus on advancing Ubuntu-informed teaching and learning approaches within social work and development education. We encourage you to register and to invite colleagues and partners to participate. Event details and registration are available here:
https://africasocialwork.net/events/#ubuntu-pedagogy-masterclass

We also invite those who are not yet members to join ASWDNET and become part of this growing community:
https://africasocialwork.net/become-a-member-join-mtandao/