Doctoral alumnus Ngoc N. Nguyen (2015) currently is the head of the Department of Social Work at Thang Long University (TLU), Hanoi, Vietnam. In addition to teaching social work courses, he is also a member of a core group which designs and organizes training courses on teaching enhancement for faculties at TLU.
Dr. Nguyen returned to Vietnam in the same year he graduated from Pitt Social Work and joined the Department of Social Work at Thang Long University in 2017. The department was established in 2004, which was one of the first social work programs in Vietnam after the re-birth of the profession in the country in late 1990s. Now, his department provides professional training on social work for both bachelor and master levels. TLU is also in the process of establishing a doctoral program, which should be approved by Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training sometime this year. He was promoted to the position of Head of the Department of Social Work at the university in 2020.
“In my new role, I am required to move the department to a higher level in terms of teaching, research, practice and international cooperation. Specifically, I am responsible for the quality of both bachelor and master programs, ensuring that the programs are re-directed to professional social work,” said Dr. Nguyen. “I want to focus on international cooperation with other social work programs through activities such as research, student and faculty exchange, and internship. Such activities would help faculties and students in Vietnam have appropriate understanding about professional social work and strengthen their abilities. It is also a good opportunity for international scholars and students to diversify their perspectives about social work.”
To achieve his goals, he is spearheading international efforts by working with faculties at the Department of Social Work, Lineanus University, Sweden to promote academic exchange for faculties and students through such activities as giving lectures on social work research and practice and field placement for students.
Dr. Nguyen hopes to continue to expand his international educational connections by establishing a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. He stays connected to the program through social media, and says he is “a top Facebook fan of Pitt School of Social Work!” He also continues to communicate with the faculty members he worked with at Pitt Social Work during his time in the doctoral program.
“I have to say that graduating from a prestigious institution like Pitt is a great advantage for me,” said Dr. Nguyen. “I am able to apply social work values and teaching methods that I learnt at Pitt to my current job, bringing new perspectives to students and making them properly understand the social work profession.”