Normally I get up at 6.30 and have a 20 or 30 minute run before breakfast. Then I get to the office before nine. First thing, of course, I check emails. I have a task list for myself every week, so after emails I follow the list.
In the morning I read proposals, these come in from social services organisations in China, Hong Kong, or around the world. I write back saying whether we accept, or if I think we should have further discussion.
For lunch I go out on the street and get some quick food, and have a sit down. We schedule our meetings for the afternoon between 2 and 5pm.
The foundationI work for was set up by a wealthy family. They set up the trust, and we spend that money on social work projects in China or Hong Kong.
We set up our mandate together with the family members. One initiative we are running at the moment is to develop social work education in China, so we are doing a very detailed landscape study for a social work institution. Obviously the family are keen to see what areas of projects can most effectively use money from the trust.
We set up meetings with experts in the field; professors from Peking university, Beijing university and the University of Hong Kong, who have more experience of developing the masters in social work curriculum. So we meet up with these people and pick their brains on what area of development we could have more impact on.
Most of the time our meetings take place in the afternoon. Sometimes we discuss specific topics like: "how do the Chinese government see human rights?" Which is a core elements of social work. We look at how to put these core elements into the curriculum, without offending the government.
I leave the office at 6pm. I have a family with two sons, aged nine and six. So in the evenings I spend time with them. We have dinner and I play with them for a while – maybe take them out for a walk. They got to bed at 10, so after that is my free time. From 10 to 12 I do my own thing, I chat to my friends on Facebook, or watch TV.
The last thing on my mind before I go to sleep? I wish that I will have a good dream, and I look forward to a good day the next day.
Yan Chan is programme director at the ZeShan foundation
Interview by Jessica Fuhl
This article is published by Guardian Professional. Join the social care network to receive regular emails and exclusive offers.
