Latest Updates - Professor Tsui Ming-sum — Four Decades of Dedication to Social Work Education and Research 2026-09-30

Professor Ming-sum Tsui has for many years worked quietly to bring Hong Kong's social work profession onto the international stage. He served for six years as Dean of the Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences at Saint Francis University. In June this year, he was named among Stanford University's World's Top 2% Scientists for both career-long impact and 2024, making him the only scholar in the field of social work in East Asia to receive both distinctions. This international recognition reflects his more than 46 years of dedication to social work practice, teaching and research.

Professor Tsui began his social work career on the front lines. As early as the 1980s, while serving in a social welfare organisation, he established Hong Kong's first community-based family service centre, the first counselling centre for psychotropic substance abusers, and the first employee assistance programme. From frontline practice to teaching and research, he went on to serve as Professor of Social Work and Associate Dean at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, as well as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the authoritative academic journal International Social Work. Yet throughout his career, his research has remained closely connected to clinical supervision and service practice, reflecting his steadfast commitment to seeking effective solutions for the underprivileged and the profession alike.

For Professor Tsui, social work is more than a profession; it is a mission to walk alongside people as they navigate life's difficulties. Reflecting on what first drew him to the field, he shared, "When I chose this path, it was simply because I saw many people on the margins of society who needed to be seen. Social workers are never distant providers of help, but companions who stand with service users through their lowest moments. If we can bring even a small change to a person's life, then this commitment is worthwhile."

Looking back on nearly half a century in social work, Professor Tsui offered a heartfelt message to the younger generation: "In the face of an increasingly complex social environment, it is important not only to build a solid foundation of professional knowledge and critical thinking, but also to hold fast to empathy and professional integrity. Only through genuine companionship can we become a source of strength and support when others need it most."