Featured Speakers
*All invited session recordings will be available for Global Summit attendees after the scheduled session time.
Day 1 – Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Plenary Session: Toward a Global Psychological Science
10:00 am – 11:30 am EDT (14:00 – 15:30 UTC)
This session invites scholars to envision a psychological science that truly spans the globe, bridging the richness of cultural diversity with the universality of human experience. From Asifa Majid’s exploration of how language and culture shape cognition, to Laurence Kirmayer’s innovative ecosocial approach to mental health, the panel highlights groundbreaking methods for understanding the mind in context. Amber Thalmayer will share transformative lifespan research from Africa, while Harvey Whitehouse will reveal how universal traits like conformism, religiosity, and tribalism have shaped humanity. Together, these talks will illuminate a bold path toward a more inclusive, impactful, and globally connected psychological science.
Asifa Majid, University of Oxford, UK (Speaker Withdrawn)
Laurence J. Kirmayer, McGill University, Canada
Amber Gayle Thalmayer, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
Harvey Whitehouse, University of Oxford, UK
Day 2 – Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Plenary Session: Challenges in Global Psychological Science
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT (18:00 – 19:30 UTC)
This session will tackle the pressing challenges and exciting possibilities of advancing psychology on a global scale. Michele Gelfand will offer forward-looking perspectives on navigating cultural and societal complexities. Waikaremoana Waitoki will challenge us to confront the legacies of racism, colonialism, and epistemic injustice, calling for decolonized approaches that honor Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and collective care. Batja Mesquita will highlight how diverse social contexts shape human behavior and psychological understanding, revealing the richness of cultural variation. Kevin Durrheim will explore how Large Language Models mirror human intelligence, culture, and bias, offering tools to illuminate social dynamics and emphasizing ethical responsibility. Together, the panel inspires a psychology that listens, learns, and innovates with justice, inclusivity, and global impact at its heart.
Michele Gelfand, Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA
Waikaremoana Waitoki, University of Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand
Batja Mesquita, University of Leuven, Belgium
Kevin Durrheim, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Day 3 – Thursday, October 23, 2025
Plenary Session: Future of Global Psychological Science
7:00 am – 8:30 am EDT (11:00 – 12:30 UTC)
This session will explore bold frontiers in psychology, imagining a future where science drives global understanding, peace, and innovation. Jacquelyn Cranney will explain how psychological literacy empowers individuals to apply psychology intentionally for personal, professional, and societal impact. Linda Woolf will demonstrate how psychological research can foster resilience, guide policy, and advance human dignity across communities worldwide. Chi Yue Chiu will introduce geopolitical psychology, revealing how historical, political, and social contexts shape human behavior and social understanding. Iyad Rahwan will present “machine culture,” uncovering how artificial intelligence both reflects and reshapes human culture. Together, these talks aim to inspire a globally engaged, ethically grounded, and forward-looking psychological science.
Jacquelyn Cranney, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Linda M. Woolf, Webster University, USA
Chi Yue Chiu, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Iyad Rahwan, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany
Global Summit Closing Session
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT (17:00 – 17:30 UTC)
Attend this session to hear Global Summit highlights from Rachael Jack, (Global Summit Planning Committee Co-Chair) as well as updates from Teresa Bajo, Lluis Fuentemilla, and Clara Pretus Gomez on the 2026 APS Annual Convention in Barcelona Spain!
Teresa Bajo, University of Granada, Spain
Lluis Fuentemilla, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Clara Pretus Gomez, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
