Johnston Hong-Chung Wong

Professor Johnston Wong is a social work and psychology expert at Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University and co-founder of Social Workers Across Borders. With two decades of international experience, he shares insights into disaster response, digital innovation in psychosocial support, and the growing need for global collaboration in social work.

Johnston, after studying Sociology in the Brock University of Canada, started his career in social work and social management in Hong Kong. He acquired extensive experience in applying case, group, and community approaches to youth work, family life education, school social work, civic education, and health education. He has taught at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels and assumed leadership roles in school administration and healthcare management. He is the Chair of the International Committee of the Social Workers across Borders (SWAB). SWAB is an NGO registered in Hong Kong focusing on disaster social work and crisis interventions. Since 2006, he resided and taught social work, social administration and psychology in Zhuhai, China. His teachings concern mainly with socio-medical, socio-legal and social psychological issues.

Social Workers Across Borders is a Hong Kong NGO founded after the December 26, 2004 Tsunami hit South East Asia. The NGO works mainly in post-disaster areas to provide emotional and mental health support.

SWAB sent several teams to the areas affected by the Wenzhou Earthquake in 2008. That was it’s first major project in the Mainland.

Since 2013, SWAB began a training for its “Heart Partner” Mainland China program, which sends people to work in disaster-affected areas. 693 people making up 42 teams have been sent to disaster-affected areas as part of this program.