Opening Address By SUSS Provost Professor Robbie Goh at the Social Work Academia-Practice Symposium 2026

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development

Mr Patrick Lau, Chairman, Board of Directors of Allkin Singapore

Distinguished Speakers, Colleagues, Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. Good morning and a warm welcome to the biennial Social Work Academia-Practice Symposium 2026, organised jointly by Allkin Singapore and the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

2. Hosted here in SUSS by our School of Social Work and Social Development, this symposium brings together more than 200 practitioners, academics, and thought leaders. I thank you for your presence today and for sharing our commitment to strengthening the social work profession and advancing meaningful impact for the communities we serve.

3. This year’s theme “Reimaging Social Work Ecosystems: Leadership, Capability-Building and Digital Adaptability”, is timely and important. It reflects sector realities that have been brought by, among other things, rapid technological changes, evolving social needs, and growing work complexity.

4. In such an environment, strong partnerships between academia and practice are crucial. At SUSS, this belief shapes how we approach our work: bridging theory and practice, and preparing practitioners to respond to complex, real-world challenges. The University has a particularly applied social dimension – you can see that in our curriculum and all our activities, including today's symposium.

5. The academia side provides research, frameworks and evidence-based insights while practitioners bring lived experiences, community knowledge, and a deep understanding of human relationships. When these perspectives come together, they create a powerful synergy that informs practice and strengthens our abilities to shape responsive and effective interventions. This is especially evident in the age of digital innovation, and I think technology deserves special mention as its potential to bring a lot of efficiencies and enhancements to social services delivery. We need to ramp up our training in and utilisation of IT and AI so that those in the helping professions can be freed to focus on their clients, never losing sight of the human high touch that must be preserved. Here again, SUSS can be a strong a partner for the sector, providing training in areas like IT and AI for social services and following up with research on use cases and efficiency.

6. In today’s programme, from keynote sessions to workshops and simulation-based learning approaches, we can see how digital tools can be harnessed in practical, meaningful ways to build competence and improve practice.

7. At the same time, these advancements raise important questions about ethics and the preservation of trust and empathy in client relationships. Navigating this evolving landscape requires both rigour and practical wisdom, drawing on the strengths of researchers and practitioners alike; and on disciplines such as Philosophy, Sociology, Communications as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

8. Ultimately, reimagining social work ecosystems requires us to strengthen our collective capacity to respond to change through collaboration, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to the communities we serve. It goes beyond adopting new tools or approaches.

9. In many ways, this symposium embodies that intent. Since its inception in 2013, SWAPS has established itself as a platform that brings academia and practice together to foster meaningful dialogue, share insights, and co-create solutions. Through today’s presentations, sharing and discussions, we can deepen our understanding of the challenges we face and take forward ideas that strengthen practice across the sector.

10. On behalf of the University, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our co-organiser, Allkin Singapore, as well as our speakers, partners, and all of you for attending and supporting this event.

11. I wish you all a meaningful and engaging day of discussion and exchange. Thank you.