APSS has strengthened its academic ties with Xiamen University through key participation in the opening ceremony and thematic symposium marking the launch of Xiamen University’s inaugural Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programme.
Held on 22 September 2026 in Xiamen, Fujian, the event, themed "Action, Knowledge, and Education in Social Work for a New Era", brought together leading scholars to advance high-level social work education and professional doctoral education programmes.
During the opening ceremony, Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of APSS, Co-Director of PReCIT, ADoRCESGA and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, delivered an address underscoring the vital role and future trajectory of professional doctoral education in social work. Following the ceremony, Prof. Hok Bun KU, Professor of APSS, Director of the China and Global Development Network, and Programme Leader of the DSW Programme at APSS, presented a keynote lecture entitled "Born for the Profession: Theory and Practice of DSW". In the afternoon session, both Prof. CHUI and Prof. KU represented APSS in a roundtable dialogue alongside academics and leaders from Xiamen University and local charity organisations, exchanging insights on DSW educational strategies.
This collaboration reaffirms APSS’s sustained commitment to fostering inter-university academic exchanges and advancing the development of high-quality social work education across the Chinese Mainland and the broader region. Through such strategic partnerships, APSS seeks to build robust educational networks that elevate social work professionalism, policy-relevant research, and doctoral training standards.
