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Peking University - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University China Social Work Research Centre

Joint Centre

Mission and Aims

The China Social Work Research Centre is a joint initiative established by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Peking University on 11 March 2010. It aims to foster the integration of social work theory and practice, thus to indigenize and professionalise social work, and ultimately make contributions to social problem solving and to the social development at large. The Centre also devotes to build a team of highly trained social work and social policy research professionals, who are committed to the social change of the Chinese Mainland in a long term.

The Centre adopts inter-disciplinary approach to probe into the theory and practice in the areas of economy and social development; as well as social policy and social work professionalization in the post-reform era China. The Centre applies research to inform practice and teaching; and to facilitate continuous professional exchange among students, graduates, scholars and related profession to sustain development and capacity building. For rousing the development of social work in China, the Centre partners with the government, educational institutes as well as relevant organizations to organize high standard training, research seminars, and conferences on social service management, social work education and social work practice.

To impact social development worldwide, the Centre endeavours to serve as an international exchange platform fostering intercontinental collaborations in social work, social policy, social development and other related areas.

Team Members

Co-Directors: Prof. KU Hok Bun, Ben
Prof. DENG Suo

Deputy Director: Prof. WU Qiaobing

Members: Prof. CHUI Wing Hong, Eric
Prof. CHEN Juan
Prof. Angelina YUEN-TSANG
Prof. LIU Neng
Prof. ZHOU Feizhou
Prof. WANG Sibin

Executive Director: Dr YIP Sui Kan, Kan

Office Manager: Ms YANG Jie

Our Partnerships and Major Academic Activities:

China Journal of Social Work - A peer-reviewed international academic journal

The Journal devotes to issues and debates relevant to social work theory and practice, social work education, social development, and social policy in China.

IASSW-RRC

International Social Work Education Alliance (International Association of Schools of Social Work, referred IASSW) is the global social work education and research in the academic community, but also the academic advisory body to the United Nations. The alliance aims to promote social development throughout the world the work of education to improve the quality of social work education, and encourage international exchanges, and through policy and advocacy activities to promote human rights and social development. March 11, 2016, the International League of Social Work Greater China and Southeast Regional Resource Center opening ceremony was held in Yingjie center, marking the Peking University – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University China Social Work Research Center officially became the Regional Resource Center in the Chinese Mainland to provide a good platform to promote social work development.

Keswick Foundation - Social Work Education, Theory and Practice Research

The support by Keswick Foundation has been significant. The firstly launch Master of Social Work (China) programme has equipped educators and practitioners to lead and spearhead the development of social work education and practice in China. With Keswick Foundation’s continuous support, the Centre persists to develop indigenous social work approaches which are culturally sensitive and grounded on practice. The main themes of the studies and researches comprise the theory and practice on social work education; children, youth and family; rural social work; migrant workers; and some current issues, such as social enterprise, solidarity economy, mental health, etc.

Lam Woo Social Work Fund - Training, Visit and Awards

The Fund was set up to meet with the growing demands for social work training in the Chinese Mainland. It supports national conferences; overseas exchange programmes and provides incentives for professional development through the establishment of awards and scholarships.

Li & Fung China Social Policy Research Fund

With generous support from the Victor & William Fung Foundation, the Li & Fung China Social Policy Research Fund was established to foster social development and social harmony in China. The Fund supports the Centre to develop as a major policy research hub linking up scholars from Hong Kong, overseas and the Mainland. Through training workshops and projects, the Centre consolidates and advances social policy research purposely to make impact on social policy formulation and social systems change. It focuses on three major research areas (1) Globalization, Migration and Labour; (2) Solidarity Economy, Cooperatives and Social Enterprises in International Context; (3) Social Policy and Social Change.

Sishan Fund - Academic Research and International Collaboration

Siyuan Foundation and Zeshan Foundation are foundations in Hong Kong and have been supporting various educational programmes in HK and Mainland. To facilitate the academic development of social work programme of Peking University, Sishan Fund was formed to mobilise the social work education, academic research, visiting scholars, and international collaborations activities.

Summer Institute

From 2006 to 2010, the Centre organised four thematic summer institutes in collaboration with the George Warren Brown School of Social work at Washington University in St. Louis in the US and the Department of Sociology at the Peking University to provide a platform for exchange among social work scholars from the Chinese Mainland and the oversea. The thematic focus at the institute includes aging, social development, mental health and rural social work.

Research Projects：

Responding to Key State Policies in Xi’s Era: A Synthesis of Social Work and Social Development, and the Way Forward

Rural Revitalisation, focusing on ecological agriculture, rural land development, and collective economy
Rural-Urban Integration, focusing on Hukou and housing reforms, new-type urbanisation, and rural-urban relations
Made in China 2025, focusing on vocational training, the new generation of migrant workers, and the new economy
One Belt One Road, focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative, regional variations, and social work development

Migrant Labour

Protecting Migrant Workers' Labour Rights and Labour Relations in the Process of Social Reform
The Political Space for New Generation of Migrant Workers under the Process of Urban-Rural Unification
The Challenge of New Generation of Migrant Workers and Development under the ‘World Factory’ Model
Policy Research in the Changes of the labour system and labour dispatch
Social support for migrant children school
The Living Condition of Second-Generation of Migrant Workers: From the perspective of Class and Civil Rights
Corporate Social Work and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSW-CSR)

Rural Social Work

Urban and rural cooperational promotion of fair trade and rural social work
Social work intervention strategies in rural community development
Urbanisation and Farmers’ Livelihood Strategies
Sociological study of the farmers' professional cooperatives

Children, Youth and Families

Identification of new family model that emerge during the migration process
“Y.E.S” Youth Social Work Research Project
Investigation of how family dynamics operate in various family model
The study of the relationship between family dynamics and migrant adaptation
Practice and Reflection of Chinese model of Family Social Work

Social Work Education

A Study on the Re-emergence of Social Work and Social Work Education in the Chinese Mainland amid Tensions and Opportunities
Social work resources research in Beijing
Oral History of the development of Social Work Education in the Chinese Mainland

News and Activities

18 September 2026 社会工作实践工作坊（一）
8 September 2026 Interviewed by Katrina Northrop for The Wall Street Journal, in “Chinese Company Draws Fire for Laying Off 100 Grads a Month After Hiring Them” [華爾街日報, 中國公司星宇股份因解僱100多名入職僅一個月的畢業生招致批評].
8 September 2026 Interviewed by Gabriel Crossley for The Economist, in “Unemployment is Becoming a Way of Life for China’s Young”
20 August 2026 Bringing Together Diverse Forces to Build a New Ecosystem for Medical Social Work Development — Shunde Regional Exchange Event on Advancing Medical Social Work
29 July 2026 DSW Fellowship project introduction
28–29 July 2026 Capacity Building for Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Educators in Chinese Mainland — On-site Training Workshop V
06 July 2026 Congratulations to the PKU-PolyU China Social Work Research Centre for achieving an “Excellent” rating in the 2025 Peking University Annual Review (See News)
4–5 May 2026 Plenary speaker and paper presentations at the International Conference “Social Work in Action: Interdisciplinary and Global-Informed Strategies for Bridging and Advancing Sustainable Development in Central Asia” (Kazakhstan) (See News)
17–18 April 2026 Practice Research on Developing Indigenous Social Work in Chinese Mainland (VI) - Zhoushan
19 April 2026 Interviewed by William Langley for The Financial Times, in “Chinese Migrant Workers Return Home as Urban Jobs Grow Scarcer”
25–27 March 2026 Capacity Building for Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Educators in Chinese Mainland — On-site Training Workshop IV: Designing and Teaching DSW Core Subjects
16 December 2025 "Social Work Research for Practice, Development and Transformation: Centennial Symposium on Social Work at Peking University" was Successfully held on 6-7 December 2025 (See News)
4–5 December 2025 Capacity Building for Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Educators in Chinese Mainland — On-site Training Workshop III: Designing and Teaching DSW Core Subjects
29 November –2 December 2025 Practice Research on Developing Indigenous Social Work in China (V) - Zhoushan
20 November 2025 Interviewed by William Langley for The Financial Times, in “Chinese Manufacturers’ Shift to Flexibility Leaves Gig Labourers Exposed”
30–31 October 2025 Practice Research on Developing Indigenous Social Work in China - Xi'an
28 September 2025 Interviewed by Patrick Body for Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB Knowledge), in “China’s Employment Transition: Adapting to a New Phase of Growth”
22 Sept 2025 Interviewed by Christian Shepherd and Rudy Lu for The Washington Post, in “China is Learning to Accept Alternative Modes of Work”
27–28 July 2025 Practice Research on Developing Indigenous Social Work in Chinese Mainland X - Lanzhou
23–24 July 2025 學習、行動與書寫——社會工作實踐研究沙龍
02 May 2025 Exciting London Study Tour for Doctor of Social Work Students (See News)
17 April 2025 “Solidarity Economy in Practice Symposium” Successfully Held in Beijing (See News)
03 April 2025 Visiting Bishkek State University named after K. Karasaev (BSU) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Foster Academic Collaboration (See News)
27 March 2025 Capacity Building for DSW Educators in the Chinese Mainland Kick-off (See News)
27 March 2025 The 13th Lam Woo Distinguished Social Work Awards Ceremony cum Symposium on Urban-Rural Integration in the Path of Chinese Modernization and the Development of Social Work in the New Era Successfully Held (See News)
13 January 2025 Success Achieved at the 2nd International Conference on ASEAN Social Work and Social Development (See News)
09 January 2025 Register Now! The 2nd International Conference of the ASEAN Social Work and Social Development 2025 “Social Work Horizons: Charting the Path with Research and Practice” (See News)