Prof. Anastasia Crickley, Former Head of Department of Applied Social Studies, National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUI), visited the Department of Social Work (SOWK) from 25 February to 2 March 2016. Prof. Crickley has been playing an active role in international and regional platforms on human rights and community development. She is also the Vice-President United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and Member, Council of Europe Committee Framework Convention for Protection of National Minorities, and Board of Director (Europe) of International Association for Community Development (IACD). During her stay with the Department, she delivered a public lecture on “Human Rights Advocacy at the UN: The European Refugee Crisis” on 25 February 2016. The topic was timely and well received. There were more than 40 participants which not only included students and faculty from HKBU but also scholars from other local universities as well as community workers.
In addition to the public seminar, Prof. Crickley, representing NUI, signed an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding on academic exchange between NUI and HKBU with co-signatures from both Prof. Atara Sivan, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) of Social Sciences Faculty and Prof. Petrus Ng, Head of SOWK. The signature ceremony was held on 26 February 2016. The addendum was specifically on arrangement of placements for students. In fact, two students from the HKBU’s BSW programme have conducted their social work fieldwork at Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 2015. The addendum has formalised the arrangements. During the week, Prof. Crickley had a meeting with members of the Fieldwork Committee and prospective students who are going for placement in Ireland. She also delivered a workshop on gender and community development to year four' BSW students. Community workers from NGOs were eager to seek for her consultation and Prof. Crickley kindly committed two community visits to Kennedy Town and Tin Shui Wai respectively to exchange with organisers and residents on ideas about community participation and empowerment.
