Message from Department Chair
Do you dream to be a helping professional specifically in helping the poor and the vulnerable in society? Do you believe in social justice? Do you have passion and zeal in improving people’s well-being in society?
If yes, you are welcome to apply for our undergraduate program in social work, the first social work programme developed in Hong Kong 45 years ago. Our undergraduate programme aims to prepare students to be professionally competent social workers at the beginner level (advanced training for senior practitioners is conducted by the graduate division), who are committed to the welfare of their clients and to social justice. Students are expected to develop independent critical-thinking skills, identify with the humanistic values and ethics of the social-work profession, maintain a special concern for the vulnerable groups in society, and keep abreast of current social issues. Since our undergraduate social work programme has been accredited by the Social Workers Registration Board, Hong Kong, our students are eligible for the application of registered social workers upon graduation. In the long run, they would become social work supervisors, agency administrators, social service managers, policy makers and social work educators/academics.
The curriculum of our undergraduate programme focuses on acquisition of social work knowledge and application of the acquired knowledge through practice. Students not only have the opportunities to equip themselves with relevant and updated social work knowledge pertinent to understanding and helping of individuals, families, groups and communities but also to practise what they have learned through pre-placement laboratory, agency visits and field placements.
In order to deepen students’ understanding of and sharpen their assessment on the psychosocial needs of individuals, families and communities in need, our curriculum emphasizes on the importance of listening to the voice of our service users in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of social services. Besides, as our department perceives the significant role in bridging the cultural differences between the East and the West, emphasis of our curriculum has been placed on critical review of the applicability of knowledge and skills developed from the West. With the transfer of the political sovereignty of Hong Kong back to our motherland in 1997, it has become increasingly necessary for our students to be well-informed about the development of social work, social welfare and social policies in Mainland and to examine the roles and contributions of Hong Kong social workers in its future development.
Field work education is an integral and invaluable part of professional training. Aiming to broaden the professional horizon of our students, we have encouraged our students to have field placements in Hong Kong, Beijing, Sichuan, Guangzhou and overseas including Vancouver and Calgary in Canada, Taiwan and Singapore.
With the enthusiastic support of the donors from the university, community and our alumni, we have offered many scholarships to students with conspicuously good academic and professional performance. Students feel highly appreciative of the informal learning experiences such as student exchange programmes with universities in the Mainland and Taiwan organized in summer and Christmas holidays.
Our department is proud of having a strong team of dedicated faculty members, part-time lecturers, field supervisors and administrative staff who are committed to quality teaching, knowledge development and knowledge dissemination. We share the common goal and mission in nurturing young people to grow and develop academically and professionally, which in turn will provide quality services for our clients; they will sooner or later assume strong leaderships in the field too.
Joyce L.C. Ma
Chairperson and Professor
Department of Social Work
