News & Events

In 21 March 2025, the China and Global Development Network (CGDN) of the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in collaboration with the China Association for Social Work Education, hosted the launching ceremony and first workshop of the “Capacity Building for Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Educators in the Chinese Mainland: a Practice Research on Building China DSW Education” project (the Project) at the Peking University-PKU-PolyU China Social Work Research Centre. 

The event brought together a significant number of experts and scholars, including 74 core teachers from DSW programmes across 40 universities in Mainland China. The primary aim of the Project is to promote high-quality development in DSW education and enhance the professional capacity of DSW educators. This initiative is funded by the Keswick Foundation. The workshop serves as a platform for discussing the future trajectory of DSW education in China.

Prof. KU Hok Bun, Project Leader and Director of CGDN, provided an overview of the capacity-building programme of the Project, including its duration, learning format, and training design. Prof. Antoinette Lombard, President of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, emphasized the DSW programme's role in empowering social work as a key partner in addressing global issues, particularly highlighting China's advancements in DSW standards. Meanwhile, Prof. Irwin Epstein, Professor Emeritus of City University of New York, discussed the programme's potential as a hybrid degree, focusing on the integration of research and practice.

The workshop not only creates a high-end platform for academic exchange but also gathers the insights of various stakeholders to actively promote the high-quality development of DSW education in Mainland China.

Learn More: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/m8LsrGuUrr3UZGD4p2F-yQ