13th Indian Social Work Conference 2025 inaugurated at Centurion University

Experts call for blending innovation with ethics to build resilient and inclusive communities

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, NOVEMBER 6, 2025

The 13th Indian Social Work Conference (ISWC) 2025, themed “Technology, Innovation, and Society: Challenges and Opportunities for Ecosocial Work and Sustainable Development,” was inaugurated today at Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM), Bhubaneswar. The three-day national conference, organized by Centurion University in collaboration with the National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI) and the Odisha Professional Social Workers Association (OPSWA), has drawn over 500 delegates including academics, practitioners, and policymakers from across the country.

The event aims to explore how emerging technologies, innovation, and digital inclusion can drive equitable growth, climate resilience, and sustainable development through ecosystem-based social work practices. The discussions will focus on linking social work education with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while strengthening field-based research and policy engagement.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, who underscored the state’s legacy of community-centered governance. “Odisha has shown that community-centred governance — whether in disaster management or women’s empowerment — saves lives and expands opportunity,” she said, highlighting the success of initiatives such as Mission Shakti and Odisha’s globally acclaimed zero-casualty cyclone model.

Welcoming the gathering, Centurion University President Prof. Mukti Kant Mishra reiterated the institution’s mission to integrate social responsibility into skill-based higher education. “Livelihood creation and SDGs are design principles, not add-ons,” he said, emphasizing that education must empower students to be changemakers within their communities.

Prof. Supriya Pattanayak, Vice-Chancellor of CUTM, described the conference as “a living lab, where sessions evolve into prototypes and partnerships with government, civil society, and industry,” urging participants to turn deliberations into actionable collaborations.

Prof. Sanjai Bhatt, President of NAPSWI, noted that ISWC 2025 was designed to align policy and practice in critical areas such as climate justice, gender equity, mental health, and digital inclusion. “Our goal is to ensure that no community is left behind in this era of rapid transformation,” he asserted.

Echoing the call for ethical innovation, Prof. Anoop Kumar Bhartiya, Secretary of NAPSWI, said, “Professional social work in India is at an inflection point. By integrating ethics with emerging technologies, we can scale care without losing the human touch.”

Dr. Gayatri Patnaik, President of OPSWA, highlighted the importance of strengthening practice-based learning. “From classrooms to communities, Odisha’s practitioners are co-creating change through stronger practice standards and fieldwork ecosystems,” she said.

Concluding the ceremony, Dr. Anita Patra, Registrar of CUTM, thanked all partners and delegates, observing that “the real work begins now — to implement the outcomes we craft together over these three days.”

The conference marks a significant step in bridging the gap between technology and social justice. With Odisha’s leadership in inclusive governance serving as a model, ISWC 2025 promises to foster innovative frameworks for social work that balance progress with empathy, ensuring that technology serves humanity and not the other way around.