About Us
Our vision
To create a future where international social work students and graduates are recognised as valued contributors, supported in their professional identity formation, and empowered to lead change across cultures and communities.
To build a thriving community of practice where culturally diverse social workers grow together, generate collective impact, and shape a more just and compassionate society.
Our purpose
Facilitate professional communication and collaboration among Chinese-speaking social workers across different sectors and regions;
Promote the sharing of resources, knowledge, and culturally informed practices to improve the quality and accessibility of services delivered to Chinese and multicultural communities in Australia;
Support the career development, training, and professional growth of members through workshops, mentorship, networking, and continuing education;
Advocate for cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion within the broader social work and community services sectors;
Build a supportive peer network that fosters wellbeing, collegiality, and cultural identity;
Collaborate with other professional bodies, universities, and community organisations to advance research, innovation, and culturally safe practices in social work.
Our team
ACSW is a professional, non-for-profit organisation managed by a committee of volunteers, responsible for governance and decision making. The current committee members are:
President: Jiayu Liang
Secretary: Karl Wang
Treasurer: Bowen Guan
Learning and Development Specialist: Megan Li
Compliance and Operation Coordinator: Jiayin Xu
Our development
Our story began in 2019, Jiayu moved to Melbourne as a new social work graduate and connected with Jiayin, an early‑career social worker then. Their conversations about career pathways inspired the creation of an online group chat to support Chinese‑speaking social workers navigating the Australian workforce.
By 2021, the community had grown into a collaborative learning space. Megan, a mental health social worker, led a series of online workshops featuring cross-sector collaboration such as Child Protection, NDIS, mental health and other areas.
In 2023, monthly online workshops continued with guest speakers from diverse practice areas, including contributions from Megan, Jiayin, Karl, and Bowen. As the community expanded, a second group chat was created in 2024, and Karl joined the organising team as a workshop host.
Throughout 2023–2024, members expressed a strong desire for face‑to‑face networking and a more formal structure. In March 2025, the five founding members—Jiayu, Karl, Bowen, Megan, and Jiayin—came together to establish an association dedicated to supporting Chinese social workers in Australia.
In August 2025, ACSW was officially registered as a not‑for‑profit organisation. Three months later, we hosted our first in‑person event, which sold out all 60 tickets within 24 hours and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Today, we continue to grow, offering regular workshops and new learning series, including our latest focus on assessment skills.