The 21st National Academic Conference of Psychology was successfully held in Beijing

On November 2-4, 2018, the 21st National Academic Conference of Psychology took place at the Beijing International Convention Center. The conference was hosted by the Chinese Psychological Society (CPS), organized by the Secretariat of the CPS, and co-organized by the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Beijing Psychological Society, and the Way to Success (Beijing) Education Technology Co. Over 2,000 delegates from universities, research institutes, and social application organizations attended the conference. The 21st National Academic Conference of Psychology occurred during a critical period marked by the nationwide in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the 19th National Congress, the decisive stage of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the entry of socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era. The conference's theme, "Psychology in the New Era," aligns with the theme of the "Three Conferences of Science and Technology" emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his meeting in Beijing.

On the morning of November 3, the opening ceremony of the 21st National Academic Conference of Psychology was convened in the first conference hall of the Beijing International Convention Center. Distinguished guests present at the opening ceremony included Professor Fu Xiaolan, the conference chairman, President of the CPS, and Director of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Zhou Xiaolin of Peking University, President-elect of the CPS; Professor Han Buxin of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, President-elect of the CPS; Professor Zhang Kan of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Former President of the CPS; Professor Yang Yufang of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Mo Lei from South China Normal University; Professor Shen Mowei from Zhejiang University; Professor You Xuqun, President of Shaanxi Normal University; Professor Bai Xuejun from Tianjin Normal University. Additionally, the Secretary General of the International Congress of Psychology 2020 in the Czech Republic, Sarka Dobiasova, and the Deputy Secretary General of the International Congress of Psychology 2020 in the Czech Republic, Sarka de Groot, attended the ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony was presided over by Professor Luo Jin, Executive Chairman of the Congress, Secretary General of the CPS, and Capital Normal University. Principal Investigator Fu Xiaolan, Chairman of the Conference, President of the CPS, and Director of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a speech. Fu Xiaolan pointed out that since the 19th National Congress of the CPC, Chinese psychology has entered an important stage of development. The Party and the State have also set forth new tasks and requirements for the discipline of psychology. In recent years, the CPS and the broad Chinese psychologists community it represents have centered on the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the 2016 National Health and Wellness Conference and the core of the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline. They have also served the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening Mental Health Services, which emphasizes the broader goal of significant improvement of mental health awareness for the entire population by 2020 and the general improvement of mental health literacy for the entire country by 2030. This approach highlights the institutional, cultural, and social characteristics of China. The CPS has actively responded to the call for strengthening mental health services in the "Outline of the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of the National Economy and Society" while continuing to promote the rapid development of the discipline. The conference theme, "Psychology in the New Era," signifies the CPS's commitment to implementing the Work Conference Spirit of the Central Committee's Party Groups and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches in the "Three Conferences of Science and Technology." It also reflects the CPS's dedication to "learning," "seizing," and "transforming," vigorously promoting the development of the psychological discipline, and participating in the construction of the social psychological service system, reflecting the organization's attitude and determination.

At the opening ceremony, former President of the CPS, Professor Zhang Kan of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences awarded "Fellows of the CPS" title to Professors Li Shu of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peng Danling of Beijing Normal University, and Qian Mingyi of Peking University. Professor Li Shu, Editor-in-Chief of Acta Psychologica Sinica, and Professor Liang Ningjian, Editor-in-Chief of Psychological Science, announced the 2017 Outstanding Paper Awards of their respective journals and presented certificates to the winners.

During the conference, Professor Derek M. Isaacowitz of Northeastern University, Professor Zuo Xinian of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Qin Shaozheng of Beijing Normal University, Professor Li Kang of the University of Toronto, Professor Gan Yiqun of Peking University, and Professor Xin Ziqiang of the Central University of Finance and Economics, gave lectures on the topics "Socioemotional aging: Expecting differences, finding similarity", "Developmental group neuroscience", "Functional reorganization patterns of the brain under stress" and "The role of the brain in aging”, "How children learn to tell lies", "Future orientation in the context of stress: motivational functions, stress buffering mechanisms and genetic basis", "Psychosocial services and social governance psychology", and "The role of social services and social governance psychology". The talks were well-received by the attendees.

The conference received 1,652 online registrations, with 2,013 total attendees. A total of 2,238 valid abstracts were received, and the academic committee of the conference, through proportional audit, selected a total of 1,360 academic papers for presentation. The conference organized various forms of academic communication, including 26 invited reports, 2 academic forums, 47 sessions with 255 special reports, 123 master's and doctoral degree students forum reports, and 81 sessions with a total of 438 oral reports. Additionally, there were 4 sessions with a total of 532 exhibition poster reports.

The Convention accepted 818 free submissions of abstracts to various Professional Committees of CPS, distributed as follows: 92 on Educational Psychology, 156 on Developmental Psychology, 93 on General and Experimental Psychology, 8 on Theoretical Psychology and History of Psychology, 28 on Industrial Psychology, 32 on Medical Psychology, 9 on Physiological Psychology, and 38 on Psychological Measurement, 38 articles on Medical Psychology, 9 articles on Physiological Psychology, 9 articles on Psychometrics, 6 articles on Legal Psychology, 47 articles on School Psychology, 128 articles on Sport and Exercise Psychology, 96 articles on Social Psychology, 55 articles on Clinical and Counseling Psychology, 6 articles on Military Psychology, 19 articles on Psychology of Personality, 23 articles on Engineering Psychology, and 35 articles on Psychology of Decision-Making, 19 on Geropsychology, 8 articles on Ethnic Psychology, 19 articles on Nursing Psychology, 20 articles on Linguistic Psychology, 4 articles on Community Psychology, 31 articles on Cyberpsychology, 53 articles on Psychology of Emotions and Health, 17 articles on Psychological Neuroimaging, 6 articles on Music Psychology, 17 articles on Eye Movement Psychology Research, and 6 articles on Qualitative Psychology. 338 abstracts were accepted (82 for PhD and 256 for MSc), of which 123 were submitted in full text (56 for PhD and 67 for MSc).

The Congress also organized 47 high-level symposia, including sessions hosted by the Professional Committees for Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Medical Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Legal Psychology, Social Psychology, Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Personality Psychology, Decision-Making Psychology, Geropsychology, Linguistic Psychology, Community Psychology, Emotion and Health Psychology, Psychological Neuroimaging, Music Psychology, Eye Movement Psychology Research, and Qualitative Psychology. During these sessions, experts shared their latest research progress and achievements with peers and young students from all over the country through high-level and high-quality presentations, which were warmly received and contributed to a lively atmosphere at the convention.

On November 4, the conference successfully concluded all scheduled agendas and conducted a closing ceremony in the third conference hall of the Beijing International Convention Center. Principal Investigator Li Zhiyi, Executive Deputy Secretary-General and CEO of the CPS, presided over the closing ceremony. The conference's president, former CPS president Fu Xiaolan, provided a comprehensive summary of the event. She emphasized that the conference's theme, "Psychology in the New Era," aligns closely with the 19th CPC report's call to "Strengthen the Construction of the Social Psychological Service System." This alignment also resonates positively with General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks at the "Three Sessions of Science and Technology." Fu Xiaolan highlighted that the theme not only reflects the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speeches but also underscores the characteristics of the times, supports national strategy, contributes to overall development, and underscores the high sense of social responsibility and mission of Chinese psychologists. The psychology discipline in China is entering a crucial stage marked by both opportunities and challenges. Since the 19th National Congress of the Party, new tasks and requirements have been presented to the psychology community and professionals. In the face of these significant historical missions, Fu Xiaolan urged colleagues in the psychology profession to contribute courageously, unwaveringly and positively. This includes strengthening the construction of the social psychological service system, fostering a mentality characterized by self-esteem, self-confidence, rationality, calmness, and a positive social outlook. Such efforts, she emphasized, will make valuable contributions to achieving overall success in building a moderately prosperous society and securing the great victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Subsequently, Professor Zang Yufeng of Hangzhou Normal University, as the representative of the organizer for the next National Academic Conference of Psychology, extended an invitation to the delegates and welcomed their participation in the 22nd National Academic Conference of Psychology in 2018.

Concluding the event, Professor Zhou Xiaolin, President of the CPS, expressed gratitude to the Secretariat of the Society for the successful organization of the academic conference. He highlighted that since 2016, the Party and the State have set forth specific tasks and requirements for the discipline of psychology. General Secretary Xi Jinping has underscored the importance of psychology in philosophical and social sciences, promoting a healthy China, and contributing to the development of the national economy on various significant occasions. The 19th National Congress of the CPC explicitly advocated "strengthening the construction of the social psychological service system and cultivating self-esteem, self-confidence, rationality, calmness, and positive social mentality." In response, the CPS, leveraging its strengths, has united psychologists nationwide and conducted numerous fruitful and practical activities. China's psychological science field has experienced robust development, yielding innovative achievements with significant international impact. The scientific and technological expertise of China's psychological discipline is on the brink of a critical transition from quantitative accumulation to qualitative advancement and from isolated breakthroughs to comprehensive enhancement. This marks a tremendous opportunity for disciplinary development, accompanied by higher expectations for all colleagues.

The 21st National Academic Conference of Psychology fully demonstrated the high-level and high-quality research results of experts and scholars in the discipline of psychology through various forms of academic exchanges, providing a good opportunity and platform for in-depth exchanges between domestic and foreign counterparts, and the response was unprecedentedly enthusiastic. The outcomes of the conference will undoubtedly help colleagues in the academic community to fuel the advancement of the discipline of psychology, and better serve the national economy and social construction in the new era through independent innovation.