This article examines the links between international development (ID) and social work (SW) from an interdisciplinary perspective. We assess the extent to which ID and SW are linked in practice, teaching and research through the four-dimension concept of disciplinary convergence that encompasses problems, paradigms, people and products or solutions. Based on a literature review, an analysis of course offerings and collaborative autoethnography, we argue that although there is some convergence of the two disciplines at the level of practice, this is less the case in teaching and research. Moreover, we show that convergence can have negative aspects as both disciplines maintain a technical approach that is often at odds with the deeply political issues they wish to address. Finally, ID would benefit from being enriched by certain elements of SW to strengthen its understanding, teaching, and practice, and ultimately better respond to current social issues in a transnational world.