PolyU study shows family resilience can help improve family members’ mental health

PolyU study shows family resilience can help improve family members’ mental health A study conducted by PolyU’s Faculty of Health and Social Sciences has found that at least one in ten core family members exhibited psychological trauma symptoms due to the pandemic.   Dr. Janet LEUNG, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, and Prof. Daniel SHEK, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme) and Chair Professor of Applied Social Sciences, pointed out that family relationships and individual mental wellbeing among respondent families were generally affected by recent stressful events and the pandemic, but family resilience served as a buffer against these impacts. As such, it is important to promote family resilience in order for family members to be better able to support one another during adversities.   Press release: English - https://polyu.me/3uD65ba; Chinese - https://polyu.me/3KKCS3K   Online coverage: Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3jBoPBF Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3xprmXG Sky Post - https://polyu.me/38QwMAQ Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3E94EEF

Social Work Student wins The Outstanding Students Award Scheme 2021

Mr. Sunny LAM, a Year-4 Undergraduate Student in Social Work, received our department’s Outstanding Student Award. He was awarded this prize for his academic excellence and involvement in extra-curricular activities and community service.   Sunny is one of the team captains of the PolyU Taekwondo Team. He was selected as the Champion of the Hong Kong Black Belt Taekwondo Competition in 2019.    Sunny is also an avid volunteer. In 2019, he received the Outstanding Service Award for Tertiary Students from the Hong Kong Outstanding Tertiary Students' Service Association. In 2020 and 2021, he received the HSBC Social Work Scholarship. Outside of Hong Kong. He served as a volunteer team leader in the IDEA Service Trip to Cambodia, and helped with the Vision Screening Project of PolyU School of Optometry as a student helper in 2019.   Congratulations to him on this achievement! 

Launching APSS One Stop Shop Platform to Serve our Society

One Stop Shop (OSS) is a co-creative and co-owned information platform that marks the latest joint endeavour of staff, students, and alumni of APSS. Online media coverage of this news can be found in the following link: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/36rsO0N Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/3qHzqPj 01 - https://www.hk01.com/article/752999?utm_source=01appshare&utm_medium=referral

Third APSS International Scholar Talk Series

Prof. Johanna MAIR, Professor of Organization, Strategy and Leadership at the Hertie School in Berlin and also a renowned scholar in the field of social enterprise, was invited on February 24, 2022 to deliver a speech at the APSS International Scholar Talk Series.   Mr. Warren LUK, CEO of The Good Lab, served as the Moderator of the talk. Over 60 participants attended the online presentation. 

Serving our Society

Outstanding athletes from APSS have lined up to share tips on sports and health to elderly participants of a self-health management programme, implemented by the Wong Tai Sin District Health Centre. The aim of the programme is to use various activities, such as online seminars and exercise demonstrations, to enhance the awareness of hypertension among residents of Wong Tai Sin district. The project was also supported by various organisations and institutions.   Online media coverage of this news can be found in the following link: hket - https://topick.hket.com/article/3179395

Second APSS International Scholar Talk Series

Prof. Rebecca ANG, Professor at the Psychology and Child & Human Development Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, gave a talk on February 11, 2022.   After the talk, Prof. Daniel SHEK, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme) and Chair Professor, and Dr. Ann LI, Assistant Professor, joined the discussion on reclaiming teachers’ psychological wellbeing under the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 120 participants attended the online presentation.

APSS School Talk to Secondary School Students and Teachers

Dr. Kong YAM and Dr. Raymond TAM, Co-Programme Leaders of BA (Hons) Scheme in Applied Social Sciences and Teaching Fellows of Social Work, delivered a school talk to S.4 to S.6 students and Secondary school teachers on January 26, 2022. The talk introduced degree programmes offered by APSS, information about career paths and admission interview tips. The talk also featured student sharing. Over 190 participants attended the online school talk.

Moving Forward Together: MoU Renewed between PolyU, PekingU, and UChicago!

Since 2016, PolyU has established a strong partnership with Peking University (PekingU) and The University of Chicago (UChicago). The Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed between the three parties brought together a wide range of specialty areas and provided unique opportunities for knowledge and skills exchange to enrich education and research.   In the past five years, two research teams involving leading experts from the three universities, had formed to address the issues of rural-to-urban migration and poverty in China. Winter Institutes were organised for students from all three universities to engage in in-depth discussions and gain overseas fieldwork experiences. A total of 22 APSS students, 24 PekingU students and 23 UChicago students have participated in and benefited from this collaboration.   On 2 November 2021, faculty members from PolyU's Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), PekingU's Department of Sociology, and UChicago's Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice (formerly known as School of Social Service Administration) came together to discuss about the MoU moving forward. We are thrilled to share that the MoU has been renewed, paving the way for another fruitful five-year collaboration!   The collaboration aims to advance the development of post-graduate social science education and research in social work, social welfare and social policy in China through facilitating collaborative international collaborative graduate education, scholarly exchange and research in social work.   Faculty members from three universities look forward to fostering a stronger partnership in the coming five years!   Cheers!  

Annual Best Paper Award for Research Postgraduate Student 2021

PolyU Research Reveals that Short-term Study-in-China Programmes Promote Local University Students’ Intercultural Competence and Understanding of Mainland China

To enhance young peoples’ understanding and identification with China, local academic institutions have been organising various exchange programmes between China and Hong Kong. A recent Public Policy Research Project conducted by PolyU revealed that short-term study-in-China programmes enhanced the intercultural competence of local Hong Kong university students. Dr Lu YU, Associate Professor at APSS; and Professor Daniel T. L. SHEK, Interim Vice-President (Research and Innovation), Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Chair Professor of APSS and Li and Fung Professor in Service Leadership Education shared the findings a press conference on 14 December 2020. The short-term study-in-China programmes positively influenced their perception and attitude towards Mainland China, as well as their identification with China. The findings strongly suggest the importance of further promoting short-term learning opportunities in Mainland China for Hong Kong’s younger generation. Learn More News coverage: CRHK NowTV RTHK-English News Headline Daily HK01 Ming Pao On.cc Sing Tao Daily South China Morning Post Tai Kung Pao