Hong Kong University Social Work Alumni Association
Annual Report (2007-2008)
Our Alumni Association has over the years been upholding the goal in networking the social work
graduates in promoting the fellowship, contributing to the development of our social work program as
well as the University. With full support from the staff of the Social Work Department, our work can be
smoothly carried out. I would highlight some major areas of work in the past year as below:
Membership
With the introduction of the new membership fees, there is a steady increase in our membership in
2007. Up till January 2008, our total membership is 298 with 111 as life members, 81 as ordinary
members and 106 as student members. Apart from the established means in building our membership
drive such as Mentorship Scheme, setting up an e-platform is one of initiatives brought up by our
Executive Board for networking our graduates. This idea would be under exploration and Department
had offered its technical support as necessary. Hopefully, we shall be able to launch it in 2008.
Mentorship
The Mentorship Scheme has been well received by our graduates and social work students. Through
mentorship, our senior graduates are able to link with our Alumni Association on one hand and to offer
their substantial support to our fresh graduates. In the past year, there were altogether 39 graduates
joined us as mentors. They were matched with 45 fresh graduates as mentees (32 BSW graduates and
13 MSW graduates). The Mentorship Sub-committee had arranged gatherings and meetings between
mentors and mentees. In continuing the new attempts introduced last year, we organized 2 practical
skills workshops for our fresh graduates and students, namely, “Proposal Writing for Project Fund”
and “Marketing Strategies for Social Workers “ with altogether 17 participants joined the events.
Study Tour to Macau
There was feedback from our alums who graduated for more than 1 year but less than 5 years that they
were not included in our Mentorship Scheme (there was a minimum year of experience for being a
mentor as 5 years while mentees would be those fresh graduates below 1 year). A new project,
particularly catering the interest and needs of this graduates cohort, was launched. A 2-day study tour
was carried out on 9 – 10 December 2007. The trip, with very reasonable fees and interesting programs,
attracted our alums. There were 26 graduates joining the event. The attempt was proved to be a
successful venture in networking more graduates and had become our members. Through such, they
got more familiar with our Alumni Association and were more willing to join the work of our
Association in the future.
On behalf of our Alumni Association, I thank the Department staff, including Heidi, Sam, Jesslin and
Wing for their tremendous assistance to our work throughout the year. Particular tribute has to be paid
to Heidi for she had given her greatest patience and enormous support to us in our Exco meetings and
all the follow up work. Besides, I also thank our outgoing Board members: Lada Tan, Lung Siu Kit,
Patrick Man and Lau Ka Mei for their contribution in the past years. We welcome the new joining
members into our Executive Board for the coming term.
2008 will be a year full of challenges and opportunities. Our new Executive Board will join hands with
Social Work Department to continue the mission of networking our social work graduates and to excel
the spirit of mutual support amongst our fellow graduates through various means and in different
platforms.
Leung Pui Yiu, Irene
President,
HKU Social Work Alumni Association
February 2008