Speaker
Dr Jin Huang
PhD, Professor
Saint Louis University; Research Associate Professor, Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis,
Building Financial Capability and Assets
Abstract Narrative
“Aims: This roundtable session aims to introduce the recent development of financial social work (FSW) in China. It is an emerging social work practice area that addresses poverty and economic inequality and promotes social development through financial capability and asset building (FCAB). The session introduces three innovations to shed lights into the ways to provide FCAB/FSW services in the social development field, and explores the future agenda of FCAB/FSW in China.
Objectives:
• Understand the latest development of FCAB/FSW education and practice in China.
• Understand the key roles of FCAB/FSW to promote social development and address poverty and inequality.
• Explore the implications of FCAB/FSW innovations in the global context.
The roundtable panelists take a “field scan” approach and conduct case studies on three FCAB/FSW innovations in social development field. First, Child Development Account (CDA) pilot programs targeting vulnerable children have been implemented in Shan’Xi province, as an example of a child-centered antipoverty approach. The programs created asset-building accounts for low-income children and integrated asset building with family support services (e.g., parenting training) and social media technology. The participatory assessment shows children and families have gained more positive development prospective, increased access to financial services, and improved livelihood strategies. The second innovation is on FSW education. As a university with a strong background on finance and economics disciplines, the China Central University on Finance and Economics (CUFE) initiated a FSW concentration in the social work education program and implemented a new curricular plan. The FSW concentration offered one stand-along introductory FCAB course and infused at least one FCAB module (e.g. long-term asset building and child development, and debt and mental health) to all requisite courses. Specific FCAB content has been included in the requirement of graduate students’ professional practicum. The third innovation is on FCAB practice developed by nonprofit organizations collaborating to server youth and children with disabilities. It creates multiple assessment tools to help social workers and clients understand financial capability status in micro and clinical practice. These innovations suggest that there is a great potential to develop FCAB/FSW services for vulnerable populations. Different strategies could be applied to promote various aspects of the FSW development (e.g., policy, programs, education, and practice). One key to successful FSW innovations shared by these cases is to connect FCAB services with major national plans supported by the government (e.g., the National Poverty Reduction Plan, and the National Medium and Long-term Talent Development Plan) and identify the roles of FCAB services that contribute to the achievement of these national plans.
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Biography
Jin Huang is a Professor at Saint Louis University School of Social Work and a Research Associate Professor at the Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis, USA. He is interested in social policy that supports family and child well-being, with a particular focus on financial capability and asset building policies and programs for disadvantaged populations. Dr. Huang is one of the network co-leads to the social work Grand Challenge of Financial Capability and Asset Building for All. He received his PhD in social work from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis in 2011.
Prof Suo Deng
Peking University
Partnerships in Social Innovation for Social Good
Biography
Suo Deng is an Associate Professor at Social Work Program of Department of Sociology at Peking University (PKU) in Beijing, China. His research focuses on social development and social policy, particularly in the area of asset building, disability and child welfare. He has published articles in international and domestic peer-reviewed journals, including International Journal of Social Welfare, Journal of Social Policy, China Journal of Social Work. Dr. Deng has been leading projects on asset-based policy pilot study in China, financial capability of youth, and child poverty. He has served as Deputy Director of China Social Work Research Centre at Peking University and a board member of China Academy of Social Work.
Mr Shu Fang
Central University Of Finance And Economics
Building Financial Capability and Assets
Biography
Shu Fang, PHD, is an Associate Professor and Director of Social Work Department at School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, China. His research focuses on anti-poverty programs, asset building policies and financial social work development in China. He has published multiple articles in international and domestic peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Fang also serves as the Deputy Director of Financial Social Work Commission, China Council of Social Work Education.
Dr Xiaochun Zhou
Associate Professor
China Youth University For Political Studies
Building Financial Capability and Assets
Biography
Xiaochun Zhou, PHD, is an associate professor of the Department of Social Work in China Youth University for Political Studies. His research and practice focus on the financial capability and financial well-being of youth in China. Dr. Zhou is associate general sectary of the Financial Social Work branch of the China Association for Social Work Education. He received his PhD in the department of Applied Social Science in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Dr Ling Zhou
Beijing City University