Professor Angelina Yuen-Tsang was President of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) from 2008 to 2012. She was a dynamic leader yet unassuming in character, being IASSW’s first President ever to be elected from the Asia-Pacific region. During her four-year tenure, she and her Board members initiated many milestone projects, including the establishment of IASSW Regional Resource Centers; initiation of the peer review program consultation process; establishment of the education committee of IASSW to steer capacity building programs; bundling of Board meetings with capacity building programs in countries where social work education is emerging; and launching, amongst others, the e-magazine, Social Dialogue, to foster international exchange.
Recognizing that the core mission of IASSW is to promote the development of social work education around the world and to represent social work education in the global arena, Professor Yuen has dedicated herself to build IASSW, pledging unwavering commitment to this vision. She has brought together educators and provided in IASSW a forum to transform thinking about social work education through global sharing, training, and networking.
In order to promote exchange and partnership between Chinese universities and their overseas counterparts, Professor Yuen had played a key role, together with China Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) and Council for Social Work Education, USA (CSWE), in facilitating the development of the China-US Collaborative from 2012 and 2017. She also secured funding to catalyze and support various Capacity Building Programme for social work educators in Vietnam during her Presidency and beyond. Her life-changing involvements in the development of social work in China and other Asian countries are indeed commendable.
Professor Yuen was especially instrumental in the development of social work education in Mainland China and worked closely with Peking University and the CASWE in steering the development of social work education in China. In 2000, she was instrumental in launching the first Chinese Master of Social Work Programme in collaboration with Peking University, with the aim to nurture a critical mass of social work educators so as to spearhead the future development of social work and social work education in China. The many graduates of the programme have subsequently become key players in advocating and leading the professionalization of social work in China. To date, social work has become a recognized profession in China with over 300 social work degree programmes and 150 MSW programmes spreading all across China. She was also the Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the China Journal of Social Work launched by Routledge in 2008, which was the first academic English language journal focusing on social work development in China. She is now the Co-Director of the Peking U – PolyU China Social Work Research Centre, Honorary Advisor of the China Association of Social Work Education, Hon. Advisor of the China Social Workers’ Association, Executive Committee member of the All-China Federation of Women, Honorary Advisor of World Vision (China) Foundation, and Co-Chair of the Hong Kong Social Service Professional Alliance of the Guangdong-HK-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Professor Yuen was active in the international arena having served as Executive Board Member, Honorary Secretary, and Vice President of the Asia and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE) from 1985 to 2000, and facilitated the movement for capacity development in social work education in China and the region through this platform.
Professor Yuen, Angie as she is affectionately called, graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1975 with a Bachelor in Social Science, and she went on to obtain a Master in Social Work (MSW) at the University of Toronto, a Master in Education (MEd) at the University of Manchester, and a PhD in Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. She worked as a front line social worker and taught at the National University of Singapore before joining the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a Social Work Lecturer in 1986 where she served for 32 years prior to her retirement in 2018. She was Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences before she became Vice President of the University in 2010 responsible firstly for institutional advancement and partnership, and then for student and global affairs. During her tenure as Vice President, she initiated the establishment of the Global Youth Leadership Institute to nurture students to become socially engaged global citizens, and she was the Founding Chair of the University Social Responsibility Network initiated by PolyU, which endeavors to foster social responsibility as a core mission of universities worldwide.
Professor Yuen has played an active role in the social work and education community in Hong Kong, as in many parts of the world. Besides focusing on the advancement of social work education and research in PolyU, she had also played a key role in the professionalization of social work in Hong Kong. She was President of the Hong Kong Social Workers Association from 2000 to 2004, was keenly involved in the establishment of the Hong Kong Social Workers’ Registration Board 2001, and chaired its Committee on Qualification Assessment and Registration during its formative years. She is now Honorary President of the Hong Kong Social Workers’ Association, Board member of its Foundation, and Honorary Advisor of its Academy of Social Work. Professor Yuen has been actively involved as Board member of numerous welfare organizations and charitable foundations in Hong Kong including the YWCA, Sheng Kung Hui (Anglican Church) Welfare Council, World Vision (Hong Kong), Keswick Foundation and MINDSET Charitable Trust. She has served in many education-related Boards and committees and is now a member of the University Grants Committee. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded Justice of the Peace in 2002, and the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2008 by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
After her retirement, Professor Yuen continues to be passionately involved in the development of social work education programmes in China, Vietnam and Kazakhstan on a voluntary basis. Seizing the opportunities unleashed by the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Professor Yuen has taken a keen interest in promoting exchange among social work educators along the Silk Road, with a view to fostering cross-border collaboration, inter-cultural understanding and international partnership through social work education. She remains a staunch supporter of the development of social work and social work education around the world.
Angie is a well sought after keynote speaker and conference presenter. Recently (2019) she delivered a public speech Cultural Practice and Social Transformation: The Transformative Power of Social Work Action Research at the Al-farabi National University of Kazakhstan, Almaty. She is also an avid writer and had published many books and articles. Her recent paper with Professor Lynne Healy on transformational leadership, using IASSW as a case in point, exemplifies her involvement in capacity building for social work educators in China, Vietnam and around the world. In their article, Yuen & Healy noted that IASSW is “blessed with a host of transformational leaders who are vision-driven, committed, courageous, innovative, and who aspire for the higher common good.” These qualities of leadership in Angie and others, had propelled IASSW forward despite the changing demands and challenges facing an uncertain world.
When asked what drives her, Angie replied that it’s a sense of purpose or calling to ensure the whole of Asia and the developing nations are better represented in the world’s social work stage. There is the vital need for greater awareness, opportunities and access for these social workers and social work educators on the international platforms. Thus, her mission is to build capacity through education and training and to empower social workers and educators to participate more in international dialogues. We salute Professor Angelina Yuen-Tsang as an inspiring leader and passionate social work educator of the world.
— Prepared by Professor TAN, Ngoh Tiong
Prof Angie Yuen’s research focuses on University Social Responsibility, Youth Leadership and Service Learning, International Social Work, Social Support Networks and Community Care, and especially Social Work Education and Social Work in China.
Her numerous books and publications naturally reflected her specializations and interests.
The Books included:
Wang, S.B. & Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2008). Balancing Tensions between the Global and the Local: Challenges and Opportunities Confronting the Development of Social Work Education in China. Paper presented at the 34th Biannual Congress of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW): Transcending Global-Local Divides. 20-24 July 2008, Durban, South Africa.
Xiong, Y.G. & Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2008). Contextualizing Social Work Education and Developing Social Work Profession in China: Reflections on Western Social Work Theories and Models. Paper presented at the 34th Biannual Congress of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW): Transcending Global-Local Divides. 20-24 July 2008, Durban, South Africa.
Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A., & Ku, B. (2006). A Thousand-li Journey is Started by the First Step: The Case of the Development of Indigenous Social Work Education and Practice in China. Paper presented at the “Indigenous Social Work and Education around the World” Workshop. St. Thomas University, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Xiong, Y.G., Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A., & Wang, S.B. (2005). Social Welfare Policy & Social Work Practice in China: Past, Present & Future. Paper presented at the 18th Asia-Pacific Social Work Conference in Social Work. Korea Association of Social Workers, 21-24 September, Seoul, Korea.
Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A., & Sung-Chan, P.L. (2004). A study on the cultural themes in the narratives of Chinese women experiencing marital crises. Paper presented at the Global Social Work Congress 2004, “Reclaiming Civil Society.” Adelaide, Australia: International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work.
Tong, X., Sung-Chan, P.L., & Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2004). Struggling for Labour Rights of Marginalized Workers in the Midst of Massive Unemployment in Urban China. Paper presented at the Global Social Work Congress 2004, “Reclaiming Civil Society.” Adelaide, Australia: International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work.
Sung-Chan, P.L., & Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2004). Educating reflective educators-practitioners in the Chinese cultural context: Challenges, conflicts & possibilities. Paper presented at the Global Social Work Congress 2004, “Reclaiming Civil Society.” Adelaide, Australia: International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work.
Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A., & Sung-Chan, P.L. (2002). Towards a culturally-sensitive social work curriculum: A study on the cultural themes in the narratives of Chinese women experiencing marital conflicts and its implications on social work education. Paper presented at the International Conference on “Promoting Participatory Practices.” Montpellier, France: International Schools of Social Work.
Sung-Chan, P.L., & Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2002). An action research into the use of experiential learning in enhancing theory and practice integration competence of post-graduate social work students. Paper presented at the International Conference on “Promoting Participatory Practices.” Montpellier, France: International Schools of Social Work.
Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2001). The practice of empowerment: Partnership relationship between APASWE and the China Association of Social Work Education in the development of social work education in China. Paper presented at the 16th Asia-Pacific Social Work Conference. Singapore: Asia and Pacific Association for Social Work Education.
Lee, M.K., Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A., & Wang, S.B. (2000). The rebirth of social work in China. Paper presented at “Sociology and Chinese Society in Transition: A Conference on the Legacy of Yang Ch’ing K’un.” Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Yuen-Tsang, W.K.A. (2000). Historical debates on social work education in the West and their implications on the future development of social work education in China. In Journal of the China Youth College for Political Sciences—Special Issue of the Proceedings of the Biannual Conference of the China Association of Social Work Education, pp.16–24. (In Chinese)