UA Social Work Students to Study in Hong Kong

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Six social work students from The University of Alabama will take part in a two-week visit to Hong Kong to study social work practices in one of the world’s most remarkable cities.

Through UA’s Capstone International Center, which coordinates the University’s international efforts, and the School of Social Work’s Board of Friends, students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs will examine the roles of different social work agencies in Hong Kong. Students will stay at Hong Kong Shue Yan University.

The students will fly to Hong Kong June 3.

The trip is a first for UA social work students, though UA faculty members have made the trip annually for the last 25 years. Former UA professor Phil Crunk formed a partnership with Shue Yan University to teach master’s level courses in Hong Kong. For much of the partnership, UA faculty taught the first year of their curriculum, while students did an internship in Hong Kong and finished the program at UA.

Recently, the development of Master of Social Work programs in Hong Kong has decreased the exchange of students from Hong Kong, said Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell, professor of social work at UA. She said she sees this year’s trip as the start of a shift in the partnership between the two universities, as UA students can learn in one of the fastest-growing economic environments. Nelson-Gardell said she also wants her students to gain a sense of “cultural humility.”

“[Students] perspectives will be much broader,” Nelson-Gardell said. “Until you leave the U.S., you don’t really realize it’s not the only country on the globe. This experience is about cultural enrichment and will nurture an enhanced way of looking at culture for a social worker.”

Master of Social Work student Kalyn Burgio said she doesn’t have pre-conceived notions about Hong Kong’s government and how social work is practiced, rather, she hopes to bring back ideas.

“My thing was getting to see what they do better than us,” Burgio said. “I’m really glad we’re going to be visiting multiple agencies. They’re more of a collective culture. How do they take care of their older adults? What kind of services do they think their children or older adults need? Just to sit back and watch would be really cool.”