Message from the Head of Department

The Department of Social Work was one of the first academic departments established by the Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) when the University was founded in 1971. The Department has played a significant role in contributing to the development of the social work profession in Hong Kong ever since.

The Diploma in Social Work was first offered in 1971 by the University. Over the past 50 years, the Diploma in Social Work has evolved to the now much acclaimed Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) (BSW) programme. The BSW programme was launched in 2002, four years prior to HKSYU being granted University status in 2006 and has been accredited by the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) since then. As of today, the University has trained over hundreds of graduates who have formed a strong pool of professional social workers contributing to the local community.

Our BSW programme is the only one in Hong Kong which offers three fieldwork placements for our students. The three fieldwork placements allow our students to further consolidate their knowledge and provide them with additional opportunities and exposure in different service areas. The importance of generating new knowledge is also an important feature of the BSW programme. Each student has to design and conduct an honors research study on a social work related issue. The honors project has proven to be a great asset for our students in their future career development.

In 2021, the BSW programme was accredited by the SWRB with a validity period of 8 academic years from 2021/22 to 2028/29, which is the longest period of validity period permitted by SWRB. This is a recognition of the high standard of the programme and its teaching as well as the dedication of the University and the Department in providing high quality social work education to the younger generation.

Our hope for our graduates is that they will become competent and compassionate leaders in their respective fields, drawing the unique strength of each individual, adopting an open, reflective and critical mindset and partnering with different professionals, trades, stakeholders and sectors of our community to make a better society for all.

Together with my colleagues, our Department will continue to do our utmost to ensure that our curriculum is updated, our teaching is relevant and our effort to generate new knowledge is vigorous.