Shanghai, China – NYU Silver’s Shanghai-New York MSW Program welcomed its first cohort of students to the NYU Shanghai campus in fall of 2015, early in the development of the social work profession in China. The program was and remains the only MSW program of an American university in China, providing students with an innovative, intensive cross-cultural MSW education. This spring, we joined the NYU Alumni Club in Shanghai in celebrating the program’s 10th cohort with the NYU Shanghai community, NYU alumni and Shanghai-New York MSW students, staff and faculty.
“If a spark flowed out every time a good idea was shared, our classroom would be filled with fireworks,” said Mingwei Ma, MSW ’26, a member of the 10th cohort, in welcoming remarks. “We constantly challenge each other academically to analyze emerging social issues based on each of our unique knowledge, experience and background.”
NYU Silver Dean Michael A. Lindsey expressed pride in Mingwei, her classmates and their predecessors. “You remind me of why we offer this program: your dedication to your chosen careers, your commitment to bettering the lives of others, and your willingness to learn and practice your skills in very diverse environments … Since our original cohort of seven MSW students, the program has made an outsized impact on the global social work community.”
Dean Lindsey went on to introduce NYU Silver’s Constance and Martin Silver Endowed Professor in Data Science and Prevention Ruopeng An, the Director of our Constance and Martin Silver Center on Data Science and Social Equity. Dr. An presented on the Center’s work applying artificial intelligence and data science to social work research, as well as groundbreaking AI-driven projects that he and colleagues have developed to advance social good.
The event also featured the screening of a video celebrating the Shanghai-New York MSW Program, featuring NYU Shanghai leaders, Professor Qingwen Xu, the program’s Director, and students from multiple cohorts.
“Here’s to a decade of global study, a decade of intercultural dialogue on social work theory, research and practice,” said Eric H. Mao, NYU Shanghai’s Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education in his pre-recorded remarks. “I always think of anniversaries as a moment to reflect on past experience, to apply it to the present and to anticipate the future with excitement,” said Joanna Waley-Cohen, NYU Shanghai’s Provost. “That’s what you should all be doing today. Congratulations!”
About NYU Silver School of Social Work
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The School has four campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, and Shanghai.
About the Shanghai-New York MSW Program
NYU Shanghai and NYU Silver’s joint MSW program at Shanghai and New York provides the opportunity for students of any nationality to experience an innovative global MSW education. The program consists of a generalist practice curriculum in Shanghai followed by a specialized practice curriculum in clinical social work in New York City. Extended immersion in Shanghai and New York allows students to critically reflect on cultural, social, and economic similarities and differences between these two environments, and it enhances their learning about and capacity for culturally appropriate practice.