CHECK IT OUT! APASWE: No. 30 (2018)

UUM Social Work Week

The Social Work Programme in the School of Applied Psychology, Social Work and Policy, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) organized a week-long Social Work festival in conjunction with the Social Work month in March.  The Social Work Week celebration events were held on March 18 – 22, 2018, with the theme “Community and Environmental Sustainability: We Care!”  Among the events held were Batik Fun Walk, cycling, Sign Language Workshop, Forum on Domestic Violence, blood drive, sharing of useful life hacks and tips from the elderly, telematch, aerobic workouts, and lucky draw.  Charity and food booths were also set up on the compound of the School of Applied Psychology, Social Work and Policy throughout the week.

The Social Work Week was successful in promoting Social Work among campus community.  Through Batik Fun Walk, Social Work students and lecturers dressed up in batik attires and walked around campus while carrying Social Work posters and distributing flyers.  The Sign Language Workshop and Forum on Domestic Violence created awareness on current social issues in the community and among clients.  One of the panelists of the Forum was an alumnus working as a medical social worker in a local hospital.  The Social Work Week festival was also aimed at bridging the gap between students and lecturers through fun and informative activities.

The Social Work programme of UUM was established in 1997 and has produced almost 4000 graduates since its inception.  Graduates are currently working in social work related fields such as government sectors and hospitals, and also in non-government organizations (NGOs).  The strength of the programme is the diverse expertise and specializations of the faculty members, which give students the freedom to choose many social work electives that are useful for their career paths.  The programme also works closely with the Malaysian Department of Social Welfare, Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW), social services agencies, and NGOs to ensure that the programme maintains up-to-date with current social issues, policy development, and progress in the field.

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