GSSC 2014 - the Global Social Sciences Conference 2014

On 10-12 April 2014, the Global Social Sciences Conference 2014 will be hosted by the Department of Social Work at Hong Kong Baptist University.
This conference is jointly organized by the Department of Social Work at Hong Kong Baptist University, the Department of Social Work at National Taiwan University and the School of Social Work at China Youth University for Political Sciences (the order of these institutions does not reflect any particular priority).
Theme of the Conference
Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of various kinds of global challenges. The outbreak of financial crisis , the spread of pandemic diseases, worsening poverty and social inequality, growing discrimination among ethnic groups alongside increasing rates of migration, further deterioration of the environment and outbursts of military intervention and political catastrophes are among the major examples of challenges which place demands of various kinds and different scales on the social work profession . The growing expectation of social improvements on different fronts while states in different regions are shedding their social roles in response to global and domestic dynamics adds to the already growing burden on the profession. Acknowledging the diversity of responses to these challenges among different cultures and localities, the local responses of social work educators and practitioners are assets to be captured and shared. Reflecting upon the global challenges and echoing the call for social development by international social work communities, the following theme was selected for the conference:
“Social Development confronting Global Challenges: Action, Policy, Planning and Social Work Interventions”
The conference aims to promote the sharing of experiences and knowledge among the international community of researchers, academics, educators and practitioners concerned with social work in areas related to social development in response to global changes.
Hong Kong is a global city in Asia that exhibits both the bright and dark sides typical of such cities and unique particularities. Such a unique combination makes it a place worth exploring for academics, researchers, educators and practitioners interested in the complex relationship of social and economic development as well as the responses of individuals and communities to the breathtaking pace of changes due to globalization (whatever definition of this one prefers). The social work community embedded in such a context has developed in different ways to foster the development of the service users and the city in the past decades. We hope to provide an opportunity for conference participants to investigate the different responses of the social work community in the city and to have direct experience of the city life and people of Hong Kong.
We look forward to meeting you at the Global Social Sciences Conference 2014 in Hong Kong.
Organizers of the Conference
Department of Social Work,
Hong Kong Baptist University
Department of Social Work,
National Taiwan University School of Social Work,
China Youth University For
Political Sciences