GBA Social Welfare Development Exchange Programme

Uniting Social Welfare Practitioners, Enabling Impactful Exchange.

Programme Overview

The Programme acts as a vital bridge connecting social welfare and public service professionals between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

Created to nurture professional dialogue, immersive learning and collaborative initiatives, the programme comprises policy seminars, institutional visits, case-sharing sessions, interactive workshops and final presentations.

By enabling exchanges of insights on diverse regulatory frameworks and operational models, the seminar empowers practitioners to tackle shared social challenges, build mutual trust and spearhead innovative cross-border partnerships.

70Senior Social Welfare Leaders from Guangdong and Hong Kong

5Days of Policy Seminars, Site Visits, and Panel Discussions

8Cross-Border Working Groups

15Partnerships Established

63%of Participating Agencies Entered Preliminary Discussions

Featured Programme

GBA Social Sector Leadership Program (Hong Kong Exchange)

Between September 15 and 19, 2025, the Guoqiang Public Welfare Foundation sponsored the GBA Social Sector Leadership Program (Hong Kong Exchange). This strategic initiative was co-led by the Hong Kong Social Welfare Sector Connecting Hearts Coalition (Connecting Hearts Academy) and the Federation of NGOs of Guangdong Province.

The five-day programme brought together 70 senior social welfare practitioners from Guangdong and Hong Kong, comprising 38 from Guangdong Province and 32 from Hong Kong. The majority of participants, serving as heads of regional social service organisations, engaged in systematic learning and in-depth exchanges on key topics, including social welfare services, organisational governance, cross-border collaboration, and philanthropic innovation.

Key Modules

Policy Seminars

In-depth sessions covered key Hong Kong welfare and urban development topics, including social welfare policy, targeted poverty alleviation, transitional housing, vocational and professional education and training, and the Northern Metropolis development—providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of Hong Kong's social welfare framework and urban priorities.

Field Visits

Participants visited landmark sites across Hong Kong—including Hong Kong Science Park, the Northern Metropolis, The Henderson, and TWGHs social enterprise iBakery—to gain firsthand insights into diverse service models and innovations across gerontechnology, AI applications, ESG practices, vocational training, and social entrepreneurship.

Collaborative Projects

Participants formed eight joint Guangdong–Hong Kong working groups to engage in interactive discussions and co-design collaborative initiatives focusing on eldercare services, youth development, disability support, mental health, and social enterprises. Their final proposals were formally presented during the graduation capstone presentation.

Exchange Network

The program established an in-person, professional exchange platform for social welfare agencies in Guangdong and Hong Kong, fostering mutual trust through shared learning and laying a solid foundation for future project collaboration and resource matching.

Feedback

5/ 5

Participant satisfaction rating

The program earned exceptional recognition from participants, achieving a perfect satisfaction score of 5 out of 5. Over 85% of participants reported that the program effectively fostered collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong social welfare agencies, deepened their understanding of service models in the Greater Bay Area, and contributed to driving industry advancement.

By the conclusion of the study, 15 participating agencies reached concrete intentions for cooperation, with an additional 63% advancing to preliminary partnership discussions. Participants broadly agreed that exchange initiatives of this nature should be institutionalized, fostering continuous linkages across policy frameworks, professional services, and social resources.

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