UNICEF Funds Social Work Education Reform in Pakistan
January 7, 2026University of Bradford Academic to Lead Major Initiative
A University of Bradford academic has secured nearly £500,000 in funding from UNICEF to enhance social work education in Pakistan. The two-year project aims to improve child protection services by strengthening the training and professional standards of social workers in several Pakistani provinces.
Project Overview
Dr Samina Karim, Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Bradford, will lead the Strengthening Social Work Education (SSWE) Project. The initiative is designed to support UNICEF’s efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of social work education, with a focus on developing a skilled child protection workforce.
The project will involve:
- Reviews of existing social work education programmes
- Consultations with key stakeholders in Pakistan
- Development of a new, bespoke social work curriculum
- Redesign of undergraduate social work courses in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab
- Advocacy for professional accreditation of social work degrees
Previous Work in Pakistan
Dr Karim has prior experience working with UNICEF in Pakistan. Following the floods in June 2022, she contributed to training over 80 child protection officers in Sindh to improve children’s safety. In 2025, she organised community engagement events in districts with high rates of reported child sexual abuse (CSA), focusing on empowering children.
Her team’s research, based on more than 110 interviews with victims and survivors of CSA, highlighted how societal power imbalances increase children’s vulnerability to abuse.
About Dr Samina Karim
Dr Karim is a former social work practitioner and an academic specialising in child protection. She is the author of Child Abuse and Social Work Practice (2026) and was awarded a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship in 2022. This fellowship supports a four-year study into child sexual abuse, backed by around £1 million in funding and in-kind contributions, focusing on abuse among Pakistani communities in both the UK and Pakistan.
Significance of the Project
The UNICEF-supported project reflects ongoing efforts to improve social work education and child protection services in Pakistan. It also aligns with the University of Bradford’s commitment to social inclusion, international collaboration, and research that addresses global challenges such as child abuse.
By enhancing the education and professional standards of social workers, the project aims to contribute to long-term improvements in the welfare of children, families, and communities in Pakistan.
