This elective course teaches social policy concepts and practices in a comparative perspective. It critically examines major social policy challenges confronting societies in Asia. A key feature of this course is that social welfare issues are addressed through case examples and accompanied by concrete analyses based on policy practices of societies in the region. Adopting a comparative approach in analyzing social policy design and implementation, this course will enable students to understand the most recent developments related to poverty alleviation, health care, labour protection, social security, and public housing policies in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and 2 Singapore. Students will engage in comparing and contrasting major social welfare issues with the purpose of understanding their underlying dynamics and devising appropriate responses.