Capacity-Building for Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Educators in the Chinese Mainland: A Practice Research on Building China DSW

Project Location: Chinese Mainland

Project Period: January 2025 – December 2027

Project Description: In response to the establishment of the first Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programmes in Chinese Mainland, the China Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) and the Department of Applied Social Sciences of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University launched this capacity-building and practice research project to support the development of high-quality DSW education that meets international standards. The project aims to enhance the capacity of social work educators and programme leaders by strengthening their understanding of DSW philosophy, pedagogy, curriculum design, practice research, and thesis supervision. Through a series of workshops, professional exchanges, international study visits, academic conferences, and programme evaluation activities, the project seeks to cultivate a community of DSW educators, establish a sustainable support network, and explore an appropriate pathway for developing a distinctive and globally connected DSW education system in Chinese Mainland. The project is expected to benefit educators from universities that have established, applied for, or are planning to establish DSW programmes, thereby contributing to the long-term advancement of social work education and professional practice in Chinese Mainland.

This project has a strong capacity-building and policy-development focus, so for a website audience it is best framed as a landmark initiative supporting the launch and professionalisation of DSW education in Chinese Mainland.