The Faculty of Social Science aspires to lead in the study and practice of the Actionable Social Knowledge (ASK) to bridge social science knowledge and real-world practice.

With inspirations received from the Stanford University’s SPARQ Program, the Faculty launched the CU-ASK: Innovative Problem Solving (“CU-ASK”) 同創：社會科學與創新實踐 Minor Programme in 2021-22, focusing on equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge for applying design thinking and creativity to create social science solutions to real world problems for social good and to offer social science answers to real world questions, encompassing issues such as:

• Social and economic development
• Social equality
• Social harmony
• Global mindset
• Environmental sustainability
• Mental health and psychological well-being
• Education innovation

Upon completion of the Programme, students will have:

1/   Mastered the knowledge and skills in social entrepreneurship and design thinking
2/   Learned key concepts and skills in creativity, design thinking and management of innovation teams
3/   Learned to work together and exchange ideas with other students of different disciplines to view a social problem in a more holistic way
4/   Learned to confront real-world issues with what they have learned via practical design thinking
5/   Learned to “reach out” to the real world and interact with relevant stakeholders (e.g., NGOs and Industry professionals) in designing practical and innovative solutions for various social problems that can be readily applied