Latest News and Achievements of APSS (Mar 2023 issue)
Professional Appointments |
Prof. Eric CHUI, Head and Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), has been appointed to serve as a member the following committees:
This sub-committee monitors the trend in the characteristics of drug abuse and drug persons, reviews the progress and effectiveness of government-funded treatment and rehabilitation programmes and advises ACAN on the development of treatment and rehabilitation facilities.
The CYSR is a forum to facilitate multi-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, cross-bureaux/departments’ co-ordination and collaboration to enhance services for young people.
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Dr Lu YU, Associate Head and Associate Professor of APSS, has been appointed to serve on the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, China with effect from 22 Dec 2022 to 31 October 2025. The RGC adopts the use of committees and subject panels to ensure impartiality and effective use of resources when considering research grants and fellowship applications.
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Dr Anson AU, Assistant Professor of APSS, has taken up a seat on the Editorial Board of Sociology, the flagship journal of the British Sociological Association. It is ranked 55 out of 1,345 journals under the ‘Sociology and Political Science’ category in SCOPUS.
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Dr Jenny CHAN, Associate Professor of APSS, serves as Area Editor of a themed issue for The Economic and Labour Relations Review. ELRR, published by the Cambridge University Press, aims to explore rights-, equality- or justice-based approaches to labour relations and social policy.
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Publications |
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New Book Published by Dr Herbary CHEUNG Dr Herbary CHEUNG, Research Assistant Professor of APSS, and a Research Associate at Institut de Recherche sur l'Asie du Sud-Est Contemporaine (IRASEC) in France, has recently published a sole-authored book titled Engendering Migration Journey: Identity, Ethnicity and Gender of Thai Migrant Women in Hong Kong. Read the book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-15975-6
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New Book Published by Dr Denny Kwok-Leung HO, Prof. Yuk-chung CHAN, Dr Hok Bun KU and Ms Kan Sui-kan YIP The book “社會工作實踐研究：案例與評論” is a culmination of papers that were written by social work teachers and practitioners in various colleges and universities in Mainland China from 2017 to 2020, based on a three-year practice research project consisting of multiple project sites across Mainland China. Read the book: https://xianxiao.ssap.com.cn/bibliography/1880140.html
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New Book Published by Dr Anson AU Dr Anson AU, Assistant Professor of APSS, has recently published a sole-authored monograph entitled Mental Health in East Asia: Cultural Beliefs, Social Networks, and Mental Health Experiences. The monograph draws on sociological theory and social networks to examine the phenomenon of mental health in East Asia. Grounded in quantitative, qualitative, and network science, this monograph examines the beliefs and network structures that make up the blueprint of East Asian cultures and untangles their myriad of influences on how people think, feel, and trust with respect to mental health experiences.
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| Project / Grant Award |
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APSS-led Projects to Enhance Mental Well-being in Different Communities Two colleagues received support for their projects under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme, which is coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, to develop innovative social services and related programmes for improving the mental well-being of adolescents and school communities. Principal Investigator: Prof. Sylvia CHEN (Associate Dean of FHSS, Associate Director of Mental Health Research Centre, and Professor at APSS) Project Title: Reducing Social Avoidance and Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour among Adolescents with Special Educational Needs Project Summary: The project aims to foster prosocial behaviour of adolescents with special educational needs (SEN) in transition with the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. Based on a cognitive-behavioural approach, it will implement social anxiety interventions, which will be virtually coached by a therapist. The goal is to develop a gamified prosocial VR intervention for adolescents with SEN. This VR-assisted social avoidance and prosocial behaviour intervention would benefit individuals and society by promoting psychologically and socially healthy young people. Funding Amount: HK$1.9 million Co-Principal Investigators:
Principal Investigator: Dr Angel LAI (Assistant Professor of APSS) Project Title: Healing Together: Building Positive School Mental Health in Post-COVID Hong Kong Collaborative Partner: Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service Funding Amount: HK$1.7 million Online coverage:
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Dr Bryant HUI receives the APS Rising Star Award 2023 Dr Bryant HUI, Assistant Professor of APSS, has been selected as one of the 48 Rising Stars of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), standing out among 200 candidates from 18 countries. This year, he is the only researcher in Hong Kong to receive the honour. Dr HUI is dedicated to examining the key factors that underpin human prosocial behaviour and well-being. He has also been developing effective interventions to promote acts of kindness. The full list of 2023 award winners is available: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards-and-honors/aps-rising-stars/news-rising-stars
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Funding Received to Promote Positive Career Development among Secondary School Students Dr Angel LAI, Assistant Professor of APSS, received funding from Baptist Oi Kwan Social Services for a project entitled “Evaluation on the effectiveness of “Youth Life World Design” – Individual future orientation design and case consultation service”. The funded project is a 3-year intervention research, serving a total of 110 secondary school students, with the long-term goal of revitalising existing career development programmes to be more strength-based and person-centered. |
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Two Funding Support from Public Policy Research Funding Scheme Project Title: Enhancing the Social Participation of Older People with Lived Experiences of Homelessness: A Community Based Participatory Research Co-Investigator: Prof. WALSH, Christine A. (Professor, University of Calgary) Funding amount: HK$460,000
Principal Investigator: Dr Grace Bo Kyong SEO (Assistant Professor of APSS) Project Title: Housing and Early Childhood Growth and Development in Hong Kong’s Low-income Families Project Summary: This project examines how housing circumstances play a role in shaping early childhood growth and development in low-income households in Hong Kong, interplaying with the parental and neighbourhood factors. This research will produce the knowledge of housing-related risk and protective factors of the growth and development of low-income children aged below six that can inform evidence-based policymaking for fostering a healthier home and community environment conducive to children’s well-being in Hong Kong. Co-Investigators: Dr WU, Qiaobing (Associate Professor of APSS, PolyU) Dr HAN, Yaeeun (Assistant Professor, Kyung Hee University, Korea) Prof MUKHOPADHYAY, Anirban (Chair Professor, HKUST) Funding Amount: HK$583,160.4 |
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Tripartite Collaborative Exchange Program among University of Chicago, Peking University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Funding Scheme Principal Investigator: Dr Qiaobing WU (Associate Head and Associate Professor of APSS) Proposal Title: Tripartite Collaborative Research on Social Welfare and Social Services for Migrant/Left-behind Children and Families in China Project Summary: The impact of rapid urbanization driven by massive migration from rural to urban communities in China has been profound, creating challenges both for rural residents (particularly children and the elderly) who have been “left behind” by family members migrating to cities for work, and for rural migrants now living in urban communities. This collaborative research is part of an initiative – “Tripartite Collaborative Exchange Program” –co-directed by the APSS, PolyU, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, University of Chicago, and the Department of Sociology, Peking University. Working together, the three universities are dedicated to strengthening the social welfare and social service systems institutionally and practically in order to promote the wellbeing of children and families in the context of rural-urban migration in China. Co-Investigators: Prof. CHEN, Juan (PolyU) Dr ZHU, Shimin (PolyU) Dr YU, Lu (PolyU) Dr KU, Ben (PolyU) Dr DENG, Suo (Peking University) Dr WU, Lijuan (Peking University) Prof. LIU, Neng (Peking University) Prof. Collen Grogan (University of Chicago) Dr MA, Zhiying (University of Chicago) Prof. HANS, Sydney (University of Chicago) Prof. CHASKIN, Robert (University of Chicago) Funding Amount: HK$1,640,774.42
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Media Report |
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Photo captured by Inmediahk APSS Colleague and Students Bids Farewell to Hawker Bazaar Dr LEUNG Chi-yuen, Teaching Fellow of APSS, led APSS social work students to organise an event on Christmas Eve to bid farewell to the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar, a cloth market which closed on 31 December 2022. Online coverage: Inmediahk - https://polyu.me/3Vi1w04 Line Today - https://polyu.me/3WqtGY0
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Dr Bryant HUI explained why Hongkongers continue to wear masks after relaxation of measure Dr Bryant HUI, Assistant Professor of APSS, was interviewed by Financial Times and shared his views on the attitudes pursued by Hongkongers after the HKSAR government announced the revocation of the mask mandate on 1 March 2023. The majority of Hongkongers were observed wearing masks while heading to school or works. Dr HUI responded that this may be a result of new concept of personal control and social norm perceived by Hong Kong people. Many research have shown that this may be also related to the anxiety toward COVID that comprehensively changed our lifestyle in the past three years. Read the news: https://www.ft.com/content/e5d7fa78-642a-4189-8e83-bdbaad5ee172
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Head of APSS joined PolyU and MCMIA co-organised university-industry collaboration forum to drive Chinese medicine innovation in the GBA Moderated by Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and Co-Director of PReCIT of PolyU (1st from left), the panel discussion was joined by (from 2nd from left onwards): Prof. Vivian Chi Woon TAAM WONG, Honorary President of the Hong Kong Association for Integration of Chinese-Western Medicine; Prof. George WOO, Emeritus Professor and Senior Advisor of PolyU’s School of Optometry; Mr Abraham Yu Ling CHAN, Founder and Chairman of PuraPharm; and Prof. Simon Ming-yuen LEE, Professor of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences of the University of Macau. Press release: English - https://polyu.me/3yjMT3q ; Chinese - https://polyu.me/3L4dwB0 Online coverage: Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ZOHIE2
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Talks and Events |
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Workshop Benefits APSS Colleagues’ Teaching and Learning Development The Departmental Learning and Teaching Committee (DLTC) organised a workshop on 20 December 2022. Prof. Daniel SHEK, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Chair Professor of APSS, and Li and Fung Endowed Professor in Service Leadership Education, shared his insights and experiences on writing and publishing papers on Teaching and Learning. Dr Rodney CHU, Chairperson of DLTC and Senior Teaching Fellow of APSS, introduced the CAVE-cum-Studio Device (CSD), which will come into service on January 2023, and demonstrated its use in the workshop.
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APSS Career Talk for Social Work Students
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2022 PolyU Israel Study Tour Dr Ben KU, Associate Professor of APSS and Director of China and Global Development Network, and Ms Kan YIP, Assistant Director (Development and Partnership) of China and Global Development Network, recently led a study tour to Israel. The tour to Israel was funded by the Keswick Foundation. The highlight of the tour was the two roundtables at University of Haifa and Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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First Event to Celebrate APSS’ 50th Anniversary – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Workshop – Full House! Kicking off its 50th Anniversary celebration, the Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) had the pleasure of hosting Dr Samuel LEUNG, our alumnus and former Programme Leader of the Master of Social Work (Mental Health), to deliver a face-to-face workshop on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) at the intermediate level on 31 December 2022. Watch the workshop highlight video: APSS’ 50th Anniversary – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Workshop - YouTube
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Enhancing Students’ Overseas Learning Opportunities To maximise students’ learning opportunities and educational experience, APSS has 12 exchange partners in the 2023/24 academic year for students’ consideration. Exchange opportunities for students’ consideration are:
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First School Talk for 2023/24 Undergraduate Programme The first school talk on BA (Hons) Scheme in Applied Social Sciences (Scheme Programme) was successfully held online on 31 Jan 2023. Dr Kong YAM and Dr Raymond TAM, Co-Programme Leaders of the Scheme Programme, introduced the features and career path of APSS’s Scheme Programme. In addition, they shared some tips for admission interviews. To offer insights from a different perspective, some current students in the Scheme Programme were also invited to share about their school life and educational experiences.
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Three Mental Health Online Expert Talk and Information Seminar Series were successfully held
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The First Talk of the Consul General Talk Series was successfully held Photo album: Click here
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Second Event to Celebrate APSS’ 50th Anniversary – Narrative Therapy Workshop – Full House! In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of APSS, Dr Siu Wai LIT, Principal Clinical Associate of APSS, hosted a face-to-face workshop on Narrative Therapy on 25 February 2023. The workshop targeted helping professionals who were new to Narrative Therapy, as well as those who wanted to explore potential applications of Narrative Therapy in their workplace. Watch the workshop highlight video: APSS’ 50th Anniversary – Narrative Therapy Workshop
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Collaboration with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan Dr Ben KU, Associate Professor of APSS and Director of the China and Global Development Network (CGDN), and Ms Kan YIP, Assistant Director (Development and Partnership) of the CGDN, visited Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), Almaty, Kazakhstan on 21 February 2023, to exchange views and to discuss opportunities of developing a mutually beneficial collaboration. They were warmly received by the Rector of KazNU, Dr Zhanseit TUIMEBAYEV and several faculty members* from KazNU. The visit began at the Al-Farabi Library in KazNU. Read more from CGDN website: https://polyucrdn.eksx.com/load.php?id=578225
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Establishment of a Dual Degree Programme and Staff and Student Exchange with The University of Warsaw, Poland Read more: https://polyu.hk/Bkxof Watch the highlight video: Collaboration with Strategic Partner of University of Warsaw in Poland |
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APSS International Scholar Talk by University of Warsaw, Poland We are honoured to have Dr Maria THEISS, Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at University of Warsaw (UW), to deliver a talk amid her hectic three-day visit to PolyU. The talk, entitled “Who should receive what and why?": Citizens' perceptions of deservingness and distributive justice in a multilayered welfare context”, was held face-to face for the first time in the International Scholar Talk Series on 9 March 2023.
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APSS International Scholar Talk by Prof. Ka Tat TSANG from the University of Toronto For the third International Scholar Talk Series in the academic year 2022-23, Prof. Ka Tat TSANG, Professor of Social Work at the University of Toronto, delivered an online talk entitled “SSLD: An Intervention System for the Post-Professional Era” on 17 March 2023.
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Holding a Social Enterprise Puzzle Challenge Activity for the First time Students from APSS guided visitors through the stories of social enterprises and start-ups. Visitors were also invited to play a puzzle game, which aimed at introducing two business model development toolkits for social enterprises. Visitors gained an appreciation and greater understanding of how social enterprises could benefit our society. If you want to team up with others, please fill out the e-registration form: https://forms.gle/Rp3N3vbxirjYAjQn7
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Second School Talk for 2023/24 Undergraduate Programme The second school talk on BA (Hons) Scheme in Applied Social Sciences (Scheme Programme) was successfully held online on 24 March 2023. Mr Kenny SO, local renowned lyricist and Social Worker, has shared his view in social work and rehabilitation service. The speaker had inspired the participants to become a good social worker in future. Dr Kong YAM Co-Programme Leaders of the Scheme Programme introduced the features and career path of APSS’s Scheme Programme to all participants.
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Staff Corner |
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Long Service Award 2022 warmly received by 17 APSS Colleagues In total, 17 colleagues received the Long Service Award 2022, and they are: Dr Allen DORCAS (15 years) Dr Anita KOO* (15 years) Dr Chi-yuen LEUNG (15 years) Dr Rosetta WONG (15 years) Dr Wynants HO (15 years) Dr Kong YAM (15 years) Miss Carol FUNG (15 years) Miss Sui-kan YIP (15 years) Mr Sung-ming CHOW* (15 years) Mr Kin-kong HO (15 years) Mr Ivan KWOK* (15 years) Mr Jackson CHO (15 years) Prof. Juan CHEN (15 years) Prof. Sylvia CHEN (15 years) Mr Wilney YAU (30 years) Mr Yim-shek HO (35 years) Ms Shirley YEUNG (35 years) * Colleague completed his/her last day of service at PolyU It is a privilege and honour to have our long-serving colleagues dedicating their skills, knowledge, and expertise to serve APSS and PolyU. Thank you for their invaluable contribution over the years. We look forward to celebrating future successes together!
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Student Corner |
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(From the left: Prof. David SHUM (Dean of FHSS), Mr LAU Yat Nam, Miss LAU Wing Kiu, Prof. Eric CHUI (Head of APSS)) Outstanding Student Award and Presidential Student Leadership Award 2022 The Presentation Ceremony for Outstanding Student Award and Presidential Student Leadership Award 2022 was held on 20 March 2023. Congratulations to two APSS students for their latest award: Outstanding Student Award 2022 Miss LAU Wing Kiu Presidential Student Leadership Award 2022 Mr LAU Yat Nam |
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(Right-hand photo, from left to right: Wellesley Chun Yui LEUNG, Brandon Chiu Yeung CHAN, James Tsz For LO) Bravo! Year 3 Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SPSE) Students Shine APSS is proud to announce that a team of APSS Year 3 students, including Brandon Chiu Yeung CHAN, Wellesley Chun Yui LEUNG, and James Tsz For LO, from the BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship (SPSE) programme won the Stage One award (HKD 20,000) of the PolyU Micro Fund 2022-23 Cohort 1. The team has subsequently been admitted to the HKSTP Ideation Programme (HKD 100,000). With support and professional advice from Dr Raymond TAM, Programme Leader of BA (Hons) in SPSE, and Mr Ken CHAU, Project Associate of BA (Hons) in SPSE and also an alumnus of APSS, the team showed remarkable skill in the competition. Their effort in all rounds of assessment ultimately put them ahead of more than 100 teams to win the award.
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Two APSS students awarded the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship Ms Kan Shuen CHIU, BA (Hons) in Social Work, and Ms Wanzi SONG, BA (Hons) in Social Policy & Social Entrepreneurship, were awarded the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI). Organised by Mitacs, the GRI is established for undergraduate students to take up a 12-week research internship from May to August 2023 under the supervision of faculty members from Canadian universities. Each nominated student should select one discipline-related project. Ms CHIU chose to work on a project entitled “Passive victims but empowered actors: Building an older-adult-specific training module in disaster settings” at Dalhousie University. Ms SONG would be doing her research internship at McGill University, as she chose to work on a project entitled “From Vulnerability to Resilience: Highly Skilled African Immigrants' Experiences in the Quebec Labour Market”.
Ms Kan Shuen CHIU said, “It is an honor for me to be selected as one of the interns in the program. The project I have chosen is related to the concept of empowerment and the aging issue worldwide. I am always interested in these two topics and I would like to dig further into the topics and issues. The internship is a great opportunity for me to understand more about the issues and how social services are conducted in Canada, as I can personally travel and explore around the nation. Through the overseas internship, I hope to broaden my horizons, learn more about social work approaches, and gain a better understanding about the welfare policies adopted in Canada.”
Ms Wanzi SONG said, “When I first read the project’s title, From Vulnerability to Resilience: Highly Skilled African Immigrants' Experiences in the Quebec Labor Market, a number of questions arose about what challenges the immigrants might encounter despite being high-skilled, to what extent the difficulties will affect their integration into the labor market, and so on. To dig deeper into these issues, I decided to apply for this project. Since interviews will be used in this project to collect data, I really expect to have an opportunity to communicate with African immigrants face-to-face or online. I also hope to explore the city of Montreal as much as possible in my spare time.” Congratulations to Kan Shuen and Wanzi! APSS will continue to support students to gain a global vision and enrich their learning experiences throughout their studies.
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APSS Newsletter on Student Exchange and Non-Local Experience – Latest Issue! The latest issue of APSS Newsletter on Student Exchange and Non-Local Experience is now available on departmental website. There were some recaps such as celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival with international students and sharing from student who went to Finland for exchange and students who came to Hong Kong from Finland and UK. Furthermore, the Global Classroom launched by Global Engagement Office (GEO) was introduced as a summer outbound activity in 2023. Go check out the newsletter: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/apss/experience-and-opportunities/current-students/student-exchange/
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APSS PhD student won IAGG Student Travel Scholarship We are pleased to announce that PhD 3rd year student Mr Alex CHAN Siu Wing received the student/early career scholar travel scholarship for the upcoming IAGG Asia-Oceania Regional Congress in Yokohama, Japan. International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) is one of the largest and oldest international organisations in the field of gerontology. We congratulate Alex for being one of the five recipients of this highly acclaimed award.
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Having Fun outside Classroom – A Chinese Character Ink Rubbing Workshop All incoming exchange students, local and non-local students were invited to join a Chinese Character Ink Rubbing workshop organised by APSS Student Exchange and International Affairs on 16 March 2023. Special thanks go to Miss Nancy SONG, our Year 3 undergraduate student (majoring in Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship), for teaching us the history and techniques of ink rubbing.
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Research Student Attachment Programme (RSAP) 2023 Through the Research Student Attachment Programme (RSAP) 2023, APSS PhD students will be going on a three- to six-month exchange in world-renowned universities. Also, PhD students from internationally acclaimed overseas universities will visit APSS. This year, APSS is proud to announce the following outgoing and incoming PhD student arrangements: Outgoing Student to University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA: Ms Xiaoyan CHEN is a 3rd year PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Edward CHAN (Chief Supervisor) and Dr Camilla LO (Co-supervisor). Ms Chen will spend three months at the School of Social Work, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Prof. Richard M. TOLMAN will serve as Ms Chen’s host supervisor at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Prof. Tolman is an outstanding scholar in the field of family violence. Outgoing Student to National University of Singapore, Singapore: Mr Bo LI will spend six months at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Li is a 3rd year PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Juan CHEN (Chief Supervisor) and Dr Chengpang LEE (Co-supervisor). Dr Natasha HOWARD will serve as Mr Li’s host supervisor at NUS. Dr Howard is an interdisciplinary health policy and systems researcher, focusing primarily on low and middle-income countries. Incoming Student from The University of Chicago, USA: Miss Linyun FU is a doctoral student from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at The University of Chicago, under the supervision of Prof. J. Curtis MCMILLEN. Miss Fu’s research focuses on promoting the well-being of rural children in China through a social-emotional learning-based intervention. Miss Fu will visit APSS for three months to collaborate on multiple projects on the resilience of migrant children with Dr Lu YU, who will serve as Miss Fu’s supervisor. Incoming Student from University of Antwerp, Belgium: Mr Benjamin Muhoza KANZE is a doctoral student from the University of Antwerp, under the supervision of Prof. Tom DE HERDT. Dr Karita KAN will supervise Mr Kanze during his three-month attachment at APSS. Mr Kanze’s thesis aims to examine the mechanisms of accumulation and the extent of economic inequality in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During his attachment at PolyU, he also aims to finish writing of two manuscripts, participate in APSS events, and disseminate his research findings in seminars.
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