On December 16, 2025, the Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) at Fudan University and the Yanze Social Work Development Center jointly held the unveiling ceremony for the “Internship and Practice Innovation Base.” Attendees included Dean Yijia Jing of IGPP; Visiting Professor Minna van Gerven; Associate Professor Ziteng Fan; Postdoctoral Fellows Tingzhong Huang, Lijianan Zhang, and Lulin Xu; Yanze Center Executive Director Qiuyue Wang; Deputy Director Jiayan Wang; as well as staff and student representatives.

In recent years, IGPP has emphasized the integration of classroom teaching with social practice. In this context, IGPP and Yanze have conducted multiple research and exchange on grassroots social governance and public service. To further institutionalize and regularize collaboration, both parties decided to jointly establish the “Internship and Practice Innovation Base.”

At the ceremony, Executive Director Wang delivered the opening remarks, highlighting that the collaboration recognizes and supports Yanze’s years of grassroots work. She emphasized that the base will offer students opportunities to engage directly with real social service settings, gaining firsthand experience of grassroots realities. At the same time, Yanze will share its expertise and reflections, providing researchers with a “micro-to-macro” perspective to examine challenges and gaps in the policy implementation process.

   Dean Jing reviewed the previous interactions and cooperation between IGPP and Yanze, noting that the establishment of the innovation base marks an important step toward formalizing and sustaining their collaboration. He highlighted that the platform will foster connections on multiple levels. At the macro–micro level, policy research, often focused on global trends, can now be grounded in micro-level social practices in China. At the theory–practice level, it bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. At the institution–humanity level, engaging with individual experiences in social work can bring warmth and depth to research. He encouraged faculty and students to gain hands-on experience through the platform and to make full use of its potential.

Visiting Professor Minna van Gerven noted that both China and Finland face numerous social challenges, and that addressing them requires the integration of research, teaching, and practice. She praised the initiative and congratulated both parties on their collaboration.

Deputy Director Wang shared her insights from the perspective of frontline social workers, highlighting Yanze’s long-term engagement with child and family services. She emphasized that these real-life experiences provide the most vivid illustrations of social welfare policy in action. She expressed confidence that the innovation base will serve as a bridge, helping to reduce blind spots on both sides and fostering deeper exchanges between practice and academic research.

Amid enthusiastic applause, Dean Jing and Executive Director Wang jointly unveiled the “Internship and Practice Innovation Base,” ushering in a new stage of collaboration between the two institutions.

Looking ahead, IGPP will leverage this platform to offer students more internship and practical opportunities, continue collaborating on practice-based teaching and related research, and jointly explore a talent development pathway that integrates public policy with social service, cultivating professionals who combine a global perspective with local empathy.