What led you to your career as an academic and researcher? What are your main research areas and interests?
Population aging is a global issue and a great challenge in China. Due to the implementation of strict family planning policy, older adults are facing shrunk family support resources in China. In particular, older parents who lost their only child also lost an important source of support in old age. Research shows that these parents are among the social groups at high risk of exposure to mental health challenges, financial hardships, and social exclusions. I have been motivated to help these older adults both as a social work researcher and an educator to enhance their well-being, especially older parents who lost their only child. My main research area focuses on interventions for coping with loss in old age as well as social work professionalization in China.
Can you briefly introduce your home institution?
Renmin University of China (RUC) is a comprehensive research-oriented university focusing on humanities and social sciences. It also offers a range of courses in the natural sciences, information technology, and environmental sciences. RUC is an important base for training high-caliber professionals in the social sciences and humanities and home to a number of influential research centers and think tanks.
The vision of RUC is reflected in its logo, which is composed of three “人” (ren), a Chinese character that can be translated into person, human, or humanity. The logo stands for “people’s university,” “the spirit of humanism,” and “a focus on the humanities and social sciences.” RUC aims to be a world-class university that trains future leaders, generates cutting-edge research, and promotes global academic exchange.
What aspects of being a visiting scholar at Columbia are exciting to you?
Columbia has great scholars and research teams with expertise on aging, death, and dying. They have developed innovative evidence-based practice tools. It is a precious opportunity for me to share ideas with them and learn from them. I hope to develop collaborations in curriculum design as well as practice and training manuals for social work professionals.
What are your main research activities during your stay at Columbia and in NYC?
I plan to conduct literature reviews on evidence-based social service programs for parents who have lost their only child and explore the roles played by social workers in these services in the U.S. I hope to participate in relevant training workshops and webinars on these topics. I also hope to interview social workers who are helping older parents cope with loss and visit social service organizations that provide related services.
