ISWC 2025: Shaping a Sustainable Future Through Social Innovation

The 13th Indian Social Work Conference (ISWC) 2025 was inaugurated at the Bhubaneswar campus of Centurion University. The event has been 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). This three-day conference has brought together 500 plus people, including teachers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss on how technology, innovation, and social justice can work together.

The three-day event aims to explore how digital access, climate change solution, and sustainable development can be advanced through social work that connects people, communities and the environment.

Key Messages from Dignitaries

• Anoop Kumar Bhartiya emphasized, “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.”
• Gayatri Patnaik highlighted OPSWA’s commitment: “From classrooms to communities, Odisha’s practitioners are co-creating change through stronger practice standards and fieldwork ecosystems.”
• Sanjai Bhatt noted, “ISWC 2025 is designed to move policy and practice together—on climate justice, mental health, gender equity, and digital inclusion—so that no community is left behind.”
• Mukti Kant Mishra reiterated CUTM’s vision: “Skill-integrated higher education must embed social responsibility. Livelihood creation and SDGs are design principles, not add-ons.”
• Surama Padhy stated, “Odisha has shown that community-centred governance—whether in disaster management or women’s empowerment—saves lives and expands opportunity.”
• Supriya Pattanayak described the conference as “a living lab, where sessions evolve into prototypes and partnerships with government, civil society, and industry.”
• Anita Patra closed the session by thanking partners and delegates, remarking, “The real work begins now—to implement the outcomes we craft together over these three days.”

Odisha’s Leadership in Social Development

Odisha continues to be a national leader in inclusive governance and social change. The state has earned global recognition for its zero-casualty cyclone preparedness model and for Mission Shakti, a program that has built a network of 70-lakh-strong women’s self-help group, stand as powerful examples of community empowerment and resilience-driven development.

The ISWC 2025 provides an important platform to connect such best practices with global social work standards and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).