On 8 December 2022, the Department of Social Sciences organized the lecture "Proximity, Access, Intimacy and Care: The Digital Turn and the Therapeutic Encounter Reconsidered" in T2-102. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Alex Broom, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Prof. Alex Broom is recognized as an international leader in sociology, with a specific interest in health, illness and care. He was previously an ARC Future Fellow and has held Honorary/Visiting Professorial positions at King's College London and the University of Vienna.

This special event drew a large number of students and faculties and the lecture outlined the ‘digital turn’ in social sciences, with a particular focus on health, medicine, and social care.

The event was moderated by Dr. MD Nazrul ISLAM (Associate Professor in Digital Social Sciences). Prof. Alex Broom used his years of research experience to conduct a thorough examination of the current state of digital medical care development. He reviewed the three stages of digital medical development, discussed the opportunities it brings, and introduced the benefits of digitalization in medical care as well as various problems arising from its practical application to scholars in his lecture.

In terms of sociology, Prof. Alex Broom stated that while the continuous development of digital medical technology and the popularity brought about by the development of science and technology make people know more about their own health, the rich information may prompt users to pay too much attention to body data, leading to additional psychological concerns. On the other hand, these large amounts of health data may be used commercially by companies, posing a new risk of privacy leakage. Prof. Alex Broom believes that the problems caused by the development of digital medical care are diverse and complex and that people must continue to pay attention to them.

The students on the scene actively participated in the Q&A session. Prof. Alex Broom expressed his appreciation for the students' high-quality questions and provided detailed responses to all these questions.