On 28 September 2022, we started our six-week course on social policy. During this time, Professor Max has taught us about the principles, definitions and objectives of social policy. Additionally, case studies of social care and higher education policy in the UK have enabled us to understand the differences between social and economic policy, which has broadened our academic horizons and enriched our academic thinking.At the end of the course, I reported on the “development of smart communities from the perspective of social policy”, hoping to make a presentation that combines the professor's lectures and my own fieldwork to integrate theory and practice.
I have benefited greatly from this course. Firstly, I learnt about the development of social policy in the UK and recognised the different focus of Chinese and Western policies. Secondly, the interactive learning has developed my academic English communication skills and greatly enhanced my oral presentation skills, which will be beneficial to my future academic research. Finally, the online mode of learning across time and space allowed me to enjoy the fruits of technological advances efficiently and conveniently. I was able to communicate with teachers online, read articles, gain knowledge and keep well-informed from home and abroad.In conclusion, the course has been a great improvement for me both in terms of theoretical study and methodological learning. I would like to thank the School of Philosophy and Social Sciences at Jilin University for giving me the valuable opportunity to study, and Professor max at Cambridge University and the teachers in charge of liaison for their hard work. I will continue to move forward on the path of academic research in sociology with full of gains and learning.
