By Reporter
Makerere University has been granted a Regional Resource Center (RRC) status by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) Capacity Building Committee and the Board of IASSW. This institutional milestone and prestigious center will be celebrated in a virtual launch on Thursday 24th June 2021 FROM 2PM-4PM EAT.
Under the Theme: New frontiers for social work in Africa. Opportunities and challenges, the online launch will be graced by The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, The Chair of the IASSW Capacity Building Committee, Dr. Darla Spence Coffey, President of the Association of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA), Dr. Kgomotso Jongman with a key note address from Prof. Gidraph G. Wairire from the Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Nairobi.
The East African Regional Resource Center will be hosted at and coordinated by Makerere University’s Department of Social Work and Social Administration (DSWSA), Makerere University. As the name suggests, the East African Regional Resource Center will primarily serve the East African region, however with its benefits are envisaged to extend to the rest of Africa because it is the first RRC in the African Association of Schools of Social Work context. It will also be the 4th Regional Resource Center (RRC) of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW).
The Makerere University, Department of Social Work Social Administration will work closely with the African Association of Schools of Social Work in a long standing commitment to regional and global social work education and scholarship. The current coordinators of this centre are Dr. Hadijah Mwenyango, Dr. Janestic Twikirize and Dr. Daniel Lumonya.
In a quote, The Head of the Department of Social Work Social Administration at Makerere University and host for the virtual launch, Prof Eddy Walakira, had this to say,
“We are very grateful to the Makerere University administration for granting us the opportunity to host this Regional Resource Centre and also extend our appreciation to the leadership of the International Association of Schools of Social Work for granting us RRC status.
The RRC is seeking wide representation from universities and practitioners from East Africa during the initial stage for establishing the centre. We are looking for enthusiastic academics who have vision for promoting social work.”
You can watch the virtual launch here- http://www.swsarrc.org/
The East African Regional Resource Center virtual launch is sponsored by Makerere University, Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa, International Association of Schools of Social Work, Uganda Technology and Management Institute, National Association of Social Workers of Uganda and UNICEF.
