IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Social work surging in China

The 9th Chinese Social Work Annual Conference was held in Beijing on March 22 by China Association of Social Workers and the China Philanthropy Times. The conference aimed at promoting social work and spreading the message of care and support. This year, the conference discussed the promotion of social work in communities. Gong Puguang, head of the association, said that the number of social work professionals in China has surpassed 1 million, among whom 326,000 are certified. State-owned social work centers have grown to nearly 35,000, and the number of private organizations that offer similar services now totals more than 7,500.

Internet improves kids' book access