Global Summit Brings Psychological Scientists Together for Second Year

More than 500 scientists from 35 countries gathered in late October for APS’s second Global Psychological Science Summit. Scientists explored cross-cutting topics such as the role of artificial intelligence in mental health, cross-cultural research practices, and climate adaptation.  

Attendees joined virtually across three days, Oct. 21-23, 2025, to share emerging research, network with colleagues, and build collaborations for future projects. The event featured plenary sessions each day, five interactive workshops, live roundtable discussions, and 420 virtual posters.  

The opening plenary featured three speakers who explored pathways toward psychological science practices centered on a more global perspective.  

Laurence J. Kirmayer, professor at McGill University and director of the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, began the session by outlining an ecosocial approach to cultural diversity in health and illness.   

“We have a persistent dilemma of the vast majority of research about human experience being generated out of a small portion of the human population not representing, therefore, the diversity around the world,” Kirmayer said.   

The plenary on the second day of the event built upon this foundation by exploring the challenges that the field faces as scientists work toward a more global perspective in their research, including the importance of honoring and learning from Indigenous cultures. 

“If psychological science does not become actively anti-racist, it will remain a scaffold for racialized harm in textbooks, clinics, and policies,” said Waikaremoana Waitoki, a professor at the University of Waikato in Aotearoa/New Zealand. “If it does not resist homogeny, it will cling to WEIRD paradigms that misdescribe the world and misdiagnose our people. If it does not become anti-imperialist, it will continue to extract stories and data from communities while returning little more than citations and careers.” 

The summit featured 58 video roundtable sessions with presenters leading live discussions from across the globe.  

Kacie Mennie and Jane Jacob from Louisiana Tech University led a roundtable session on a dynamic model to prepare graduate student instructors as they learn to teach their first introductory psychology classes. Their model includes working with a small cohort of new instructors to share foundational knowledge and insights gained through hands-on experiences.  

“It is important to provide expectations upfront and make sure the students are aware,” said Jacob, clarifying that this is true for both graduate student teachers and the students they teach. 

Related: Highlighting Posters From APS’s Second Annual Global Psychological Science Summit

Bernice Leung, a student at Trinity College Melbourne, emphasized the importance of being an engaging performer while teaching. “You cannot read off the slides. It’s a crime against humanity,” she said, laughing. 

Scientists also led five workshops, covering topics such as science communication, designing collaborative replication projects for students, and foundational skills for team science projects.  

Gillian Forrester, professor of comparative cognition at the University of Sussex, led a science communication workshop on the first day of the summit. She began her presentation by stating the importance of science communication in modern-day research, especially in an environment rampant with misinformation and feelings of powerlessness.  

“We need to provide the voice that is the counterbalance to fake news and political spin,” she said.  

Forrester provided examples of science communication efforts that reach into communities to engage individuals who may not be aware of the intricacies of scientific topics.   

“There is often a misconception that science is for the elite only, the educated only,” she said. “But by inviting the public onto our campuses and showing them what we do, we are opening a window.” 

The final plenary session focused on the future of global psychological science, exploring the importance of psychological literacy, how to overcome cultural differences and histories of oppression, and how psychology can fit into a larger network of globalizing forces.   

“Apologies [and] reconciliation are important, but it also involves that structural change,” said Linda Woolf, professor of psychology and international human rights at Webster University. “Peace relies on these various factors—free flow of information, good relations with our neighbors, respect for persons and peoples, low levels of corruption—we know these factors are necessary to bring out peace in communities and to respond to the harms that we’ve experienced and we continue to experience.” 

The closing session highlighted APS’s upcoming convention, which will be held in Barcelona from May 28 through 30, 2026.   

The 2026 APS Annual Convention is an international psychological science conference that features presentations from all areas of the field. New at the 2026 Annual Convention, Integrative Science Symposia feature topics such as collective cognition, the dynamics employed by authoritarian leaders that lead to social control, and how artificial intelligence can help us deepen our understanding of human cognition. 

“This convention is not going to look like prior conventions,” said Teresa Bajo, APS board member and professor of psychology at the University of Granada. “We have exciting integrative sessions that promise to inspire creative thinking and to bridge the different methods and approaches we use in our various subfields.” 

The 2026 APS Annual Convention will also feature a new “Industry Day,” which will provide an opportunity to learn how psychological scientists are using their science and scientific training in the private sector—from small startups to large, multinational corporations.  

The Call for Submissions for the 2026 APS Convention is now open. The submission deadline is Dec. 5, 2025.  

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