The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) participated in the International Conference, “Social Work in Action: Interdisciplinary and Global-Informed Strategies for Bridging and Advancing Sustainable Development in Central Asia”, held from 4-5 May 2026, Almaty, Kazakhstan. The conference was organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Centre for Sustainable Development in Central Asia.
IASSW President, Prof Antoinette Lombard, and Prof Eric Chui from the Department of Applied Social Sciences, PolyU, signed a Supplementary Agreement on 4 May 2026 during the opening ceremony of the conference. This two-year agreement extends the successful three years of partnership between IASSW and APSS, originally signed on 3 May 2023), to support the online learning platform for Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training. This extended collaboration marks an important step towards strengthening global collaboration in social work education and expanding access to shared standards, knowledge, and professional development.
In Plenary Session One, Prof Lombard delivered a keynote paper on the topic: “An Action-orientated Sustainable Development Framework for Social Work: Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals and Global Standards”.
Plenary Two titled, “Capacity Building through Global Standards: From E-learning Innovation to Regional Implementation”, was devoted to celebrating the three years of successful collaboration. Chaired by Prof Angie Yuen, members of the Working Group on the Online Platform, including Prof Annamaria Campanini, Associate Professor Varoshini Nadesan, Prof Antoinette Lombard, Prof Eric Chui, and Dr Rodney Chu discussed and commented on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of the programme. From 2023 to 2026, the platform’s international reach extended to 179 countries, engaged over 4,000 social work educators, researchers, practitioners, and students worldwide.
Looking forward, the collaboration will include extending access to the Online Platform and evolving it from a digital resource into a global hub for capacity building and the sustainable advancement of social work education.
09 May 2026
