Department of Social Work

The PG Department of Social Work organized the Alumni Lecture Series 12 on 30th January 2026 at Room No. 902, PG Block from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 32 students were participated. The invited resource person for the programme was Mr. Thanzeer Azhicode alumnus of 2021-23 MSW Batch, Public Relations Officer, Oncology Department, GG Hospital, Trivandrum.
The session was on the topic “Medical Social Work – Healing Beyond Medicine”, Started with a formal welcome speech by Fiba K, first semester MSW, followed by the topic discussion by the resource person. The session addressed an introduction to medical social work, roles and responsibilities of a medical social worker and public relation officer, challenges faced by medical social workers, essential skills and competencies required in medical social work practice. The lecture was highly interactive, with students actively engaging through questions and discussions. The real-life insights shared by the resource person helped students gain a practical understanding of medical social work beyond theoretical concepts. The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Ms. Ayisha Hiba M 1st year MSW. The 12th Alumni Lecture Series was informative, engaging, and beneficial in enhancing students’ professional awareness and career orientation in the field of medical social work.

The PG Department of Social Work organized HUMANTA-26, the International Conference at GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous) on 11th February 2026, marking a significant academic milestone for the institution.

The inaugural session was formally inaugurated by Dr. B. G. Unni, Academic and Research Director, GEMS ASC (Autonomous). The Welcome Address was delivered by Ms. Anitha Parveen J, Head, PG Department of Social Work. The Presidential Address was given by

Dr. Naveen Mohan, Principal, GEMS ASC. The session concluded with the Vote of Thanks proposed by Ms. Gopika M, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work.

 Prof. Imrul Kabir, Department of Social Work, Jamalpur Science and Technology University, Bangladesh and Dr. U. L. Muhammed Ashker, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Malaya, Malaysia, Both international resource persons addressed the conference via online platform contributing global perspectives to the deliberations.Reshma Bharadwaj, Assistant Professor  Social Work Department, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, participated in person and delivered her session as the National Guest Speaker, enriching the conference with her direct engagement and scholarly insights.HUMANTA-26 brought together 109 participants, featuring 30 paper presentations from 18 campuses across Kerala, India, and abroad. Delegates actively participated as presenters and attendees, making the conference vibrant, intellectually enriching, and globally connected.The conference also featured an eminent panel of distinguished academicians, includingDr. Shiju Ealias, Principal, Alphonsa College, Thiruvambady. Dr. Safeer Athekkadan, Principal, MSTM College, PerinthalmannaDr. Vyshakh C M, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Shankaracharya University of Sanskrit, RC Payyanur. Dr. Muhammad Shafi K, Head, Department of Social Work, SNDP CollegeThe conference concluded with the Valedictory Session, during which the Valedictory Note was delivered by Mr. Anas Tharakan, Assistant Professor, PG Department of Social Work. The Vote of Thanks for the Valedictory Function was proposed by Mr. Sarath K, Assistant Professor, PG Department of Social Work.Overall, the conference was a grand success, reflecting the collaborative spirit, and dedicated efforts of the organizing team and participants.

The PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous), is organizing HUMANTA 26, an International Conference on the theme “Transforming Social Work: Addressing Emerging Needs, Scope, and Challenges”, on 11th February 2026 at the Prem Nazir Audio-Visual Theatre and Research Centre.

The conference deliberations focus on key sub-themes such as promoting mental wellbeing and the role of social workers, social work with vulnerable populations, interdisciplinary collaboration, migration, urbanization and community transformation, technology and digital innovations in practice, the future of social work education, family and child welfare, gender-responsive social work, green social work and environmental sustainability, as well as crisis intervention and disaster response.

The conference begins with the inaugural session led by Dr. B. G. Unni, Director of Academics and Research, GEMS Arts and Science College, who formally inaugurates the program and emphasizes the relevance of transforming social work education and practice in today’s rapidly changing world.

The program features eminent international and national guest speakers addressing contemporary issues shaping the future of the profession. Dr. U. L. Muhammed Ashker, Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Malaya, Malaysia, and Senior Lecturer at the National Institute of Social Development, Sri Lanka, delivers a session on “Social Work in Global Perspective: Challenges, Innovation, and Future Directions,” providing insights into the profession’s global developments and emerging responsibilities. Prof. Imrul Kabir, from the Department of Social Work, Jamalpur Science and Technology University, Bangladesh, presents on “Social Work in the Era of Climate Change: Interventions for Sustainable Adaptation,” focusing on the role of social work in climate resilience and sustainable community interventions. The national guest speaker, Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, speaks on “Emerging Trends Shaping Contemporary Social Work Practice,” highlighting new directions, challenges, and opportunities within the discipline.

HUMANTA-26 hosts paper presentation sessions that encourage scholarly contribution and research dissemination. These presentations are reviewed and guided by an expert panel consisting of Dr. Shiju Elias, Principal of Alphonsa College, Thiruvambady; Dr. Safeer Atheekkadan, Principal of MSTM Arts and Science College, Perinthalmanna and President of KAPS Malappuram; Dr. Vysakh C. M., Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, RC Payyannur; and Dr. Mohammed Shafi K., Head of the Department, PG Department of Social Work, SNDP YSS College, Perinthalmanna.

Overall, HUMANTA 26 stands as a significant forum for academic dialogue, professional networking, and collaborative learning. The conference reflects the commitment of the PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College, to promoting socially relevant research, innovative interventions, and transformative professional engagement in the field of social work.

The PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous), is organizing HUMANTA 26, an International Conference on the theme “Transforming Social Work: Addressing Emerging Needs, Scope, and Challenges”, on 11th February 2026 at the Prem Nazir Audio-Visual Theatre and Research Centre.

The conference deliberations focus on key sub-themes such as promoting mental wellbeing and the role of social workers, social work with vulnerable populations, interdisciplinary collaboration, migration, urbanization and community transformation, technology and digital innovations in practice, the future of social work education, family and child welfare, gender-responsive social work, green social work and environmental sustainability, as well as crisis intervention and disaster response.

The conference begins with the inaugural session led by Dr. B. G. Unni, Director of Academics and Research, GEMS Arts and Science College, who formally inaugurates the program and emphasizes the relevance of transforming social work education and practice in today’s rapidly changing world.

The program features eminent international and national guest speakers addressing contemporary issues shaping the future of the profession. Dr. U. L. Muhammed Ashker, Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Malaya, Malaysia, and Senior Lecturer at the National Institute of Social Development, Sri Lanka, delivers a session on “Social Work in Global Perspective: Challenges, Innovation, and Future Directions,” providing insights into the profession’s global developments and emerging responsibilities. Prof. Imrul Kabir, from the Department of Social Work, Jamalpur Science and Technology University, Bangladesh, presents on “Social Work in the Era of Climate Change: Interventions for Sustainable Adaptation,” focusing on the role of social work in climate resilience and sustainable community interventions. The national guest speaker, Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, speaks on “Emerging Trends Shaping Contemporary Social Work Practice,” highlighting new directions, challenges, and opportunities within the discipline.

HUMANTA-26 hosts paper presentation sessions that encourage scholarly contribution and research dissemination. These presentations are reviewed and guided by an expert panel consisting of Dr. Shiju Elias, Principal of Alphonsa College, Thiruvambady; Dr. Safeer Atheekkadan, Principal of MSTM Arts and Science College, Perinthalmanna and President of KAPS Malappuram; Dr. Vysakh C. M., Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, RC Payyannur; and Dr. Mohammed Shafi K., Head of the Department, PG Department of Social Work, SNDP YSS College, Perinthalmanna.

Overall, HUMANTA 26 stands as a significant forum for academic dialogue, professional networking, and collaborative learning. The conference reflects the commitment of the PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College, to promoting socially relevant research, innovative interventions, and transformative professional engagement in the field of social work.

The PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous), is organizing HUMANTA 26, an International Conference on the theme “Transforming Social Work: Addressing Emerging Needs, Scope, and Challenges”, on 11th February 2026 at the Prem Nazir Audio-Visual Theatre and Research Centre.

The conference deliberations focus on key sub-themes such as promoting mental wellbeing and the role of social workers, social work with vulnerable populations, interdisciplinary collaboration, migration, urbanization and community transformation, technology and digital innovations in practice, the future of social work education, family and child welfare, gender-responsive social work, green social work and environmental sustainability, as well as crisis intervention and disaster response.

The conference begins with the inaugural session led by Dr. B. G. Unni, Director of Academics and Research, GEMS Arts and Science College, who formally inaugurates the program and emphasizes the relevance of transforming social work education and practice in today’s rapidly changing world.

The program features eminent international and national guest speakers addressing contemporary issues shaping the future of the profession. Dr. U. L. Muhammed Ashker, Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Malaya, Malaysia, and Senior Lecturer at the National Institute of Social Development, Sri Lanka, delivers a session on “Social Work in Global Perspective: Challenges, Innovation, and Future Directions,” providing insights into the profession’s global developments and emerging responsibilities. Prof. Imrul Kabir, from the Department of Social Work, Jamalpur Science and Technology University, Bangladesh, presents on “Social Work in the Era of Climate Change: Interventions for Sustainable Adaptation,” focusing on the role of social work in climate resilience and sustainable community interventions. The national guest speaker, Dr. Reshma Bharadwaj, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, speaks on “Emerging Trends Shaping Contemporary Social Work Practice,” highlighting new directions, challenges, and opportunities within the discipline.

HUMANTA-26 hosts paper presentation sessions that encourage scholarly contribution and research dissemination. These presentations are reviewed and guided by an expert panel consisting of Dr. Shiju Elias, Principal of Alphonsa College, Thiruvambady; Dr. Safeer Atheekkadan, Principal of MSTM Arts and Science College, Perinthalmanna and President of KAPS Malappuram; Dr. Vysakh C. M., Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, RC Payyannur; and Dr. Mohammed Shafi K., Head of the Department, PG Department of Social Work, SNDP YSS College, Perinthalmanna.

Overall, HUMANTA 26 stands as a significant forum for academic dialogue, professional networking, and collaborative learning. The conference reflects the commitment of the PG Department of Social Work, GEMS Arts and Science College, to promoting socially relevant research, innovative interventions, and transformative professional engagement in the field of social work.

The PG Department of Social Work hosted the 12th session of its Alumni Lecture Series on January 30, 2026.

• Topic: "Medical Social Work - Healing Beyond Medicine".

• Speaker: Thanzeer Azhicode (2021-2023 Batch), PRO at the Oncology Department, GG Hospital, Trivandrum.

On January 15, 2026, the first-year MSW students of the PG Department of Social Work of GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous), Ramapuram, took an active role in a fundraising and awareness programme initiative as part of Palliative Care Day. The event, organised in collaboration with the Palliative Clinic, Kadungapuram, aimed to raise funds and spread awareness about the vital role of palliative care in the community.Total 16 number of students were participated and they were divided into groups and assigned to various strategic locations across Ramapuram, Padapparambu, and Kadungapuram. At each location, they interacted with the public by clearly explaining the purpose of the campaign and encouraging voluntary contributions. The activity commenced at 9:30 AM and continued until 4:00 PM, with students actively engaged throughout the programme. The efforts of the students resulted in the collection of a substantial amount of ₹35,000, which was handed over to the Palliative Clinic, Kadungapuram, to support its services. The programme received positive responses and active cooperation from the local community, thereby making the initiative a commendable

The PG Department of Social Work, in collaboration with the PG Department of Commerce, organized a Workshop on Inferential Statistics for Social Work Research for second-year MSW students on 22nd December 2025, from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. The programme was conducted at Room No. 902, PG Block. The resource person for the workshop was Mr. Mohammad Ansar, Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, VISTAS University, Chennai, and Assistant Professor, PG Department of Commerce, Germs Arts and science College (Autonomous). The session was organized with the objective of strengthening students’ understanding of statistical concepts relevant to social work research, particularly in the context of their third semester paper “Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for Research. The workshop began at 9.30 a.m. and was conducted in an interactive manner, encouraging active student participation throughout.
Ms. Anitha Parveen j Head, PG Department of social work formally introduced the resource person, following which Mr. Sarath k Assistant Professor PG Department of social work presented an overview of the session and the program concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Shehma, Second year MSW Student. During the session, the resource person explained the basic concepts of statistics, including the meaning and importance of statistics in research. Clear distinctions between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were discussed. Key measures such as mean, median, and mode were explained with practical examples. The session further focused on the concept of inferential statistics, its purpose, and its application in social work research for drawing conclusions from sample data. The workshop was highly interactive, with students actively engaging through questions and discussions related to their research work. A total of 16 second-year MSW students participated in the programme and benefited from the session. The workshop successfully enhanced students’ conceptual clarity on inferential statistics and its relevance in social work research, thereby contributing positively to their academic and research competencies.

PG Department of Social Work Hosts Expert Session on Medical Social Work

The PG Department of Social Work at GEMS Arts and Science College (Autonomous) is proud to announce the 11th session of its prestigious Alumni Lecture Series.

This upcoming session features Ms. Kasthoorba K, an esteemed alumna currently serving as Project Technical Support III at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. She will be sharing her professional insights on the critical functions and evolving responsibilities of social workers within medical frameworks.

Event Details

• Topic: Role of Social Worker in Medical Projects

• Resource Person: Kasthoorba K (Amrita Hospital, Kochi)

• Date: 29 December 2025

• Time: 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

• Platform: Online (Meeting link available for registered participants)

About the Session

This lecture aims to bridge the gap between academic theory and clinical practice. Students will gain first-hand knowledge of how medical projects are implemented and the specific interventions social workers provide in a multi-disciplinary healthcare setting.