Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences (formerly known as Department of Applied Social Sciences) at City University of Hong Kong and the World Society of Victimology (WSV) co-organised the 16th International Symposium of the World Society of Victimology 2018 from 10 to 14 June 2018.
The theme of the Symposium was “Victims and Victimisations: Moving towards an International Victimology”. The opening ceremony was attended by field representatives from the Symposium supporting organisations. This included the Commissioner of Hong Kong Correctional Services, Mr LAM Kwok-leung, CSDSM; Vice Chairman and General Manager of the China Legal Service (Hong Kong), Mr GUO Jian’an; and Head of the Department of Social Work at Renmin University, Professor ZHANG Huiping.
Internationally renowned scholars in the areas of victimology, including Professor Antony PEMBERTON of Tilburg University in the Netherlands; Professor Benjamin ROEBUCK of Algonquin College in Canada; Professor Fernanda Fonseca ROSENBLATT of Catholic University of Pernambuco in Brazil, Professor Dennis WONG of City University of Hong Kong, Professor Jeremy SARKIN of University of South Africa, and Professor Annette PEARSON from Colombia were invited to deliver plenary and rapporteur speeches.
Over four Symposium days, around 200 papers were presented at six concurrent and student sessions with the participation of more than 300 individuals from around the world. In addition to paper presentations, participants were invited to join different community and agency visits to victim-related service agencies.
The WSV is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation with Special Category consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Its membership includes university academics, victim assistance practitioners, social scientists, social workers, physicians, lawyers, civil servants, volunteers and students. The Society has hosted Symposia in a triennial basis in all major regions of the world. It is the first time the WSV has been organised in the Greater China region.
