Dr Ben KU, Associate Professor of APSS and Director of China and Global Development Network, and Ms Kan YIP, Assistant Director (Development and Partnership) of China and Global Development Network recently led a study tour to Israel. In total, 13 students from the Doctor of Social Work programme and four PhD students from APSS went on the tour to Israel with funding support from Keswick Foundation.
With the main theme of “Social Work of Reconciliation”, the study tour was held from 11th to 21st December 2022. The study tour was conducted in collaboration with Borderless Friendship Foundation from Thailand. The highlight of the tour was the two roundtables at University of Haifa and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The schedule was packed with visits to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), foundations, and cultural centres. For example, they visited Beit HaGefen – an Arab-Jewish cultural centre, Muslala in Haifa, an NGO by artists, residents, and community activists of the Musrara neighborhood in Jerusalem, Kaima Organic Farm, Jerusalem Intercultural Centre, Musalaha – an NGO that teaches, trains and facilitates reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and the Rossing Centre for Education and Dialogue.
Students cherished the valuable learning experience and inter-cultural exchange. They were actively involved in exchanging views with the locals, NGOs and experienced practitioners, which further consolidated the knowledge they had learnt in class.
