Abye Tasse was a refugee from Ethiopia, becoming a French citizen in 2000. After posts as a sociocultural animateur and journalist and following social science and social work studies in Toulouse, Montpellier, Rouen, Le Havre and Paris, he gained a PhD at L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. After a variety of senior posts in social work education in France, he took up professorships and advisory posts in Ethiopia, Mauritania and Comoros leading the development of new social work education programmes. He was president of IASSW, 2004-08.

What do you think the award will mean to you?

I will know when I receive it what it will imply emotionally. Professionally, it is about recognition by peers of my contribution to social work around the world. I will be the first from the African region to receive this award, so it acknowledges the contribution of international social work education from Africa. The most important aspect of this recognition for me is that maybe it will open up doors for others, showing that international social work contributions come from different parts of the world. Armaity Desai from India received the award in 1992, but since then the awardees have been concentrated in Europe and the US.

It is an acknowledgement for past political support I was granted in developing schools of social work in different parts of the world, in Ethiopia, Mauritania. People who helped me are also recognized by it.

What activities have been of major importance for your professional career and its impact on social work and its education?

Besides working as social work educator, I worked for over six years as an animateur sociaux culturelle [social worker] in France, in a very marginalized area when I was young. While teaching in France, my school became a member of a big three-year programme supporting child protection in Romania. We supported eight Romanian universities in different parts of the country for several years, developing practice education; previously it was more theoretical. I also supported schools of social work in Cameroon when I was in France.

Then came the development of schools of social work in Ethiopia and Mauritania.