The School of Social Development at Tianjin University of Technology is officially recognized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China and is one of the first batch of 'Cooperative Partner for the Ministry of Civil Affairs Policy Theory Research Base' in collaboration with Nankai University. This base is jointly established by the school and the Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It is one of the school's multiple high-level research platforms. Relying on the school's disciplinary advantages in sociology, social work, and gerontology, as well as its long-term research accumulation, the base is dedicated to building a high-level think tank platform in the field of social affairs that integrates "theoretical research, policy consultation, talent cultivation, and social services".
As one of the first batch of cooperative partner, the college works closely with the Ministry on policy research, policy advisory services, and talent cultivation, jointly promoting the study of civil affairs policy theory and the practical application of related research findings. In recent years, leveraging this base, the college has undertaken multiple ministerial-level projects commissioned by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, projects funded by the National Social Science Fund, Humanities and Social Science projects from the Ministry of Education, and Tianjin philosophy and social science projects. The college has been deeply involved in policy pilots and evaluations at both the Tianjin city level and nationwide in areas such as grassroots governance, social security, child welfare, elderly care services, social assistance, and social organization management. It has produced dozens of policy research reports and participated in drafting and reviewing key documents including the "Tianjin Municipal Family Education Promotion Regulations", the "14th Five-Year Plan for Family Education in Tianjin", the "15th Five-Year Plan for Family Education in Tianjin", the "15th Five-Year Development Plan for Women and Children in Tianjin Binhai New Area", the Community Work Law, and the Social Organization Development Plan. Contributed to the drafting of the Ministry of Civil Affairs' policy interpretation on relief, the Tianjin Senior Social Worker Evaluation Measures, and policies related to community social work stations in Tianjin, providing professional training, project planning, supervision, and evaluation for the Social Work Department, Civil Affairs Bureau, Women's Federation, and social organizations. Numerous research achievements have received awards such as the Ministry of Civil Affairs Achievement Award, Tianjin Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award, and Tianjin Higher Education Excellent Decision-making Consulting Research Achievement Award, with several practical outcomes being selected as national social governance innovation cases.
The base currently has 20 core researchers, all of whom hold doctoral (or postdoctoral) degrees, and many have overseas doctoral degrees or experience studying abroad. It includes one recipient of Tianjin's “Five Batches” Talent Program, three recipients of Tianjin's “131” Innovative Talent Program, one vice president of the Tianjin Sociological Society, one deputy director of the Tianjin Senior Social Worker Evaluation Committee, one executive director of the China Association of Social Work Education, and two directors of the Chinese Sociological Society. The base is led by Professor Xu Limin, Dean of the School of Social Development and a “Tianli Distinguished Professor”. Professor Xu has long been engaged in research on social policy and grassroots governance, having presided over more than a dozen projects funded by the National Social Science Fund and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and undertaken dozens of transverse projects for social work departments, the Civil Affairs Bureau, the Women's Federation, management offices, social organizations, and enterprises. She has published five monographs and textbooks, and more than forty papers in SSCI and CSSCI journals, several of which have been fully reprinted in People’s University of China Copyroom materials, earning multiple social science achievement awards. In addition, the base has appointed relevant departmental experts from the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Wang Jiexiu, President of the China Social Governance Research Association and former Director of the Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as visiting professors, who regularly conduct joint seminars and policy consultations to ensure that the research work remains closely aligned with policy needs and practical frontiers.
The base focuses on international academic exchange, establishing stable cooperation mechanisms with the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and well-known universities in the Hong Kong region, regularly inviting experts from home and abroad to offer courses and give academic lectures.
As an important force in the research of national civil affairs, social governance, and livelihood guarantee in Tianjin, the base is striving to become a regional-leading, distinctive, and nationally influential research hub and decision-making support platform for civil affairs policies. In the future, the base will continue to deepen collaborative cooperation with the civil affairs system, strengthen empirical research and policy translation capabilities, and endeavor to become a high-level civil affairs policy theory research and achievement transformation base that serves national strategies, responds to social needs, and leads academic frontiers.
Contact Address: School of Social Development, Tianjin University of Technology
Email : tjxlm(a)126.com
