UNICEF grant for academic’s social work in Pakistan
A University of Bradford academic has been awarded funding from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) worth almost £500,000 to strengthen social work education in Pakistan.
Dr Samina Karim, Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University, will lead the two-year major reform work in Pakistan.
The landmark Strengthening Social Work Education (SSWE) Project will support UNICEF’s efforts to enhance the quality and effectiveness of social work education across multiple provinces in Pakistan, aimed at strengthening the country’s child protection workforce.
Dr Karim said: “I feel incredibly humbled and honoured to have been awarded this opportunity by UNICEF to lead on the strengthening of social work education in Pakistan.
“This award not only highlights the global relevance of the University of Bradford’s Social Work Department’s expertise, but also aims to contribute to meaningful, long-term impact for children, families and communities in Pakistan.”
What the project will involve
UK-based specialists and a Pakistan-based satellite team will carry out reviews of current education, undertake stakeholder consultations and develop a new bespoke social work curriculum. Undergraduate social work programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province of Pakistan, and Punjab will be redesigned, and the project will advocate for the professional accreditation of social work degrees.
Previous work in Pakistan
Dr Karim worked with UNICEF to train more than 80 child protection officers in Sindh, Pakistan, to ensure children’s safety following the floods of June 2022.
In 2025, she also organised a series of inclusive community engagement events in the three districts of Pakistan with the highest rates of reporting child sex abuse (CSA), where children’s empowerment was the key focus.
The public events followed Dr Karim’s team’s initial research, based on more than 110 interviews with victims/survivors of CSA, which found how power imbalances in society create environments where children are vulnerable.
About Dr Karim
Dr Karim is a former social work practitioner turned academic, specialising in the field of child protection and is the author of 'Child Abuse and Social Work Practice (2026)'.
In 2022, she was awarded a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship to conduct a four-year study into CSA.
She received around £1 million funding and in-kind contributions to undertake research on the abuse of children from Pakistani backgrounds, both within the UK and in Pakistan.
Dr Karim’s project with UNICEF demonstrates the University of Bradford’s commitment to social inclusion, global engagement and research that makes a real-world impact.
By improving social work education across Pakistan, the project supports the University’s goal to use knowledge to benefit society, build international partnerships and tackle global challenges like child abuse. It also shows how Bradford’s expertise is helping to empower communities and promote fairness both locally and around the world.