Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China. In 1557 it was leased to Portugal as a trading post. In 1887 the Portuguese finally managed to secure an agreement from China that Macao was Portuguese territory. In 1999 it was handed over to China. Macau was the last extant European territory in continental Asia.

Macao Social Workers Association has limited information on IFSW website

During a short visit to Macau (taking a ferry from Hong Kong and riding a bus on Macau-Hong Kong  bridge back in one day) and through the use of Google search engine I was able to find the following four schools of social work in Macau.

• MAC City University of Macau      https://www.cityu.edu.mo/ado/en/notice/37
• MAC Macao Polytechnic Institute http://www.ipm.edu.mo/teaching_learning/en/progspec_esap_socialwork.php
• MAC The Institute of Social Work (Caritas Macau) http://www.caritas.org.mo/en/service/education-service/ICM
• MAC University Of Saint Joseph   https://www.usj.edu.mo/en/courses/ma-social-work/

All Schools are now included on The Schools of Social Work around the World Asset Map. The literature on the development of social work education in Macau is limited in English. Hui, S.Y. (n.d.) from Social Work Program Macau Polytechnic Institute provides although dated but some information on social work education in Macau before 1990s. More recent youtube TDM Talk Show is available online with Jacky Ho – Social Work Programme Coordinator at the City University of Macau (Ho, 2017). Ho (2017) shares thoughts on current developments in social work education and profession in Macau

Hui, Aspalter, and Lai (2012) developed a paper that examines the Macau welfare model. Macau, a Casino-based economy, has yet to develop an adequate social security system. This paper examines the history, and particularly the recent period since the Handover to Chinese authorities in 1999, of the welfare system in Macau, and compares the current state of the welfare system with that of neighboring countries and territories.

Ho, J. (2017). Jacky Ho – Social Work Programme Coordinator at the City University of Macau. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb94bpWZYNM

Hui, S., Aspalter, C., & Lai, D. (2012). Social Welfare in Macau—Between East and West: A Comparative, Analytical Welfare Regime Perspective. Analytical Welfare Regime Perspective (March 23, 2012). Retrieved from

Hui, S.Y. (n.d.) Social Work Education in the Changing Society of Macau. Retrieved from https://www.macaudata.com/macaubook/book214/html/58701.htm