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Overview  

The Doctor of Social Work (DSW) is a professional, practice-based terminal doctorate designed for experienced social workers seeking advanced expertise in professional leadership, administration, and social work education. In line with national strategic policy to build an independent academic system that better drives social development and improves people's well-being, the Ministry of Education authorised universities in the Chinese Mainland to establish professional doctoral programmes in 2022. In 2024, for the first time in China, eleven universities were approved to offer DSW programmes, and these institutions are set to recruit their inaugural cohort of doctoral students in September 2025. This special issue calls for papers discussing the philosophy, pedagogy, curriculum design, teaching and learning, innovative practices, and developmental pathways and challenges of the DSW within the specific contexts of the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong.

Why Submit?

• Visibility: Reach a global audience interested in the intersection of Chinese cultural contexts and professional practice.
• Impact: Contribute to the growing discourse on how local knowledge from Chinese societies informs and enriches global theories.
• Dialogue: Join a community of researchers dedicated to narrowing the gap between “ivory tower” theory and “frontline” reality. 

Key Themes

We welcome original research articles, case studies, and methodological reflections on topics including, but not limited to:

• What is the educational philosophy underpinning DSW programmes in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and how does it differ from traditional PhD education in social work?
• How can DSW programmes effectively integrate practice wisdom, professional experience, and research evidence to prepare advanced social work practitioners and educators? 
• What innovative teaching and learning approaches can enhance professional leadership, administration, and practice competencies among DSW students?
• How can DSW education contribute to the professionalisation and long-term development of the social work profession in Chinese societies?  
• What opportunities and challenges arise during the establishment and implementation of newly approved DSW programmes in Chinese Mainland? 
• What opportunities and challenges arise in localising international DSW models to meet the needs of social work practitioners, educators, and service systems in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong?

 Submission Guidelines

• Full Paper Submission (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
  • Manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words in length and must be submitted electronically via the journal’s official submission portal at https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rcsw20
• Formatting and Style
  • Detailed formatting instructions are available under the Instructions for Authors section on the journal’s website - https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=rcsw20

• Publication schedule: Late 2027

Guest Editors

Hok Bun KU

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

[email protected] 

Camilla LO

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

[email protected] 

Jiangang ZHU

Zhejiang University 

[email protected] 

Contact Us 

For general enquiries, please call +852 2766 7725, or send an email to [email protected].