Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development held in Royal Dublin Society, in Dublin, Ireland from 4th  to 8th July, 2018. It is the largest and the most recognized international social work conference where up to 2,500 practitioners, researchers and educators from around the world join together to explore the latest developments in social work and social development. SWSD 2018 Scientific Programme explored “Environmental and Community Sustainability: Human Solutions in Evolving Society” in the context of the UN Goals for Sustainable Development, 2016 – 2030.

This year I had the honor to join the TRU Professor Emerita, Dr. Jeanette Robertson, and TRU social work student Ani Dingamtar to be part of the TRU team and share my research on using memoir assignment in teaching international social work course with global social work community. I also was invited to share my current research on mapping Schools of Social Work around the World in the second presentation during the conference.

Here is a brief photo report from the conference:

I was fortunate to attend a major international social work conference with my student. It was even more meaningful to be the only social workers who were born in Ukraine: I am from Western Ukraine and Ani from Eastern Ukraine. As an individual life member of the IASSW from Ukraine, I hope one day there will be stronger Ukrainian presence at the international events but for now, I will keep raising the concerns Ukraine face while being at war with the neighbouring state to maintain its current borders. I am thankful for TRUSU funding that allowed Ani to offset some of the conference course and my annual professional development fund that partially covered my participation at the conference.

International Conferences allow me to connect with social workers from around the world. It is also a reunion opportunity where I meet my colleagues from both Canada and internationally that I admire and learn from every day to keep inspiring my students.

Thank you all for your inspiration, ideas, connection. Already looking forward to the next 2020 conference in both Rimini, Italy and Calgary, Canada. Hope by 2022 the unity will be restored!

Sasha Kondrashov, PhD