Strengthening of Professional Capacity to Through Social Work Address Challenging Social Situations in the Workplace/China/Sweden Universities Work Together

An initial grant from Sida (The Swedish International Development Agency) and a pre-study done by Save the Children Sweden to match the most suitable Swedish Social Work University with the Department of Sociology (Social Work Training) at the Sun Yat Sen University (SYSU) in Guangzhou has led to the first meeting between Swedish and Chinese scolars. 

The early discussions was on developing SYSU’s social work curricula and individual case work, as  knowledge development and the practical implementation of social work practice will be increasingly important in China  facing rapid change and  new emerging social challenges.

However, a decision was made to do more work together when the Dean of SYSU and two professors visited the Gothenburg University, Department of Social Work in Sweden, in May 2011. They shared professional experience and the Chinese visitors learned about social work in Gothenburg and Sweden, and how civil society organizations there can strengthen the official framework. 

Three Gothenburg professors are expected to visit SYSU in November 2011. Long-term joint efforts are likely to include scholar and student exchanges, seminars and conferences, curriculum development and research. 

CCR CSR will be fully involved, relying on the extensive experience with rights-based work and CSR issues.

SYSU's sociology program is ranked number three in China and the university is among the first in the country to offer professional social work degrees. It has carried out several studies of migrant workers and staffs have been involved in community-building schemes such as promoting rural-urban cooperation.