International Forum on "Psychology and the Belt and Road Initiative" Successfully Convened

On October 15-16, 2016, the Chinese Psychological Society (CPS) hosted its 19th Annual Conference in Xi'an, concurrently held the International Forum and Academic Symposium on "Psychology and the Belt and Road Initiative." Representatives from foreign psychology organizations, including Russia, India, Pakistan, and Mongolia, as well as the American Psychological Association (APA), participated in this international forum. Notably, Professor Saths Cooper, President of International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), representing the largest international organization in psychology, contributed to roundtable discussions and symposiums. He was also invited to deliver a keynote speech titled "Psychology Must Serve All of Mankind" at the opening of the CPS Annual Conference.

The international forum on "Psychology and the Belt and Road Initiative" was organized by Shaanxi Normal University. Given that Xi'an is considered the starting point of the Silk Road, and Shaanxi is the hometown of the proposer of the Belt and Road Initiative, General Secretary Xi, the university leaders paid special attention to the event. On the afternoon of the 14th, the recently appointed governor of Shaanxi Province, Hu Heping, was invited to a meet-and-greet with the attending international psychologists and leaders of the CPS. While addressing the delegates, Governor Hu Heping underscored, "Health stands as the cornerstone of economic and social progress, with the advancement of psychology playing a crucial role in fostering both physical and mental well-being. Shaanxi places considerable emphasis on the advancement of psychology, yielding notable achievements in fundamental research and practical applications. Serving as a pivotal juncture in the 'One Belt One Road' initiative, Shaanxi leverages on its extensive history of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road Economic Belt and actively conduct international cultural and educational communications. We encourage experts and scholars present to lend their support to the educational and cultural endeavors in Shaanxi, as together, we lay the groundwork for the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative and strengthen people-to-people bonds." Expressing appreciation on behalf of the attending foreign scholars, Saths Cooper, President of the IUPsyS, conveyed gratitude to the governor for his warm reception. He commended the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative for the advancement of psychology in China, expressing optimism that Chinese psychology would assume an increasingly prominent role in the global psychological landscape.

On the 15th, the International Forum on "Psychology and the Belt and Road Initiative" was formally held in accordance with the pre-agreed procedures and contents, and was chaired by Professor Sun Xianghong, Director of the Working Committee on International Academic Exchange of the CPS. Professor Zhang Jianxin, vice president of CPS, introduced the organizational structure of CPS, as well as the research and application work of Chinese psychologists in recent years in the areas of post-disaster psychological assistance, left-behind children in rural areas and migrant children in urban areas. End of the speech, he emphasized the main contents of the "One Belt, One Road Initiative" and put forward the idea of establishing joint organizations among the psychological associations in the countries along the road (mainly in Northwest Asia and Southwest Asia). After, representatives of India, Pakistar, Mongolia, Russia, and the United States presented the useful experiences of their respective national psychology societies in linking structures such as governments, legislative councils, corporations, hospitals, schools, and NGOs, and in using psychological knowledge and skills to serve the government and the public. The final part of the roundtable was a free-flowing discussion in which the representatives of each country identified areas of research and application that were of common interest and expressed a strong desire to establish a platform for networking and communication among the countries. At the end, the participants verbally reached a preliminary agreement that the CPS would draft a proposal for a working group among the psychology associations of the participating Belt and Road countries (including the organization of multilateral international symposiums during the annual meetings of the psychology associations of each country, exchange of scholars and graduate students, and the search for research topics of common interest). The proposal will be discussed and decided upon by the leadership of the respective national psychology associations, and, if a consensus is reached, a multi-party agreement will be signed. In the future, the working group will be responsible for expanding the scope of participating countries to include psychology organizations in Northwest Asia, Southwest Asia, and even the Middle East. IUPsyS President Saths Cooper expressed his full support for the motion to make psychology a link to more non-Western countries, and called on China to actively support and participate in the IUPsyS-led “ASEAN-Pacific Psychology Consortium”. Representatives of the APA expressed their support and optimism for this motion.

On the morning of the 16th, representatives from the participating countries actively engaged in the forum, delivering insightful seminars to an audience of dozens. Topics spanned a spectrum of disciplines, including mental health and biological feedback therapy (Pakistan), educational practices for children (Russia), the formulation of educational principles for schools (USA), social and cultural psychology (India), and recommendations for enhancing the reproducibility of research evidence in psychology (USA). These presentations elicited positive feedback and sparked lively discussions among attendees.

On the afternoon of the 16th and the morning of the 17th, representatives from the participating countries bid farewell to Xi'an and returned to their respective home countries. They conveyed sincere gratitude to the CPS for extending the invitation, expressing appreciation for the warmth and thoughtfulness displayed by the Chinese hosts. They acknowledged the sincerity and depth of the discussions and pledged their cooperation and support for the proposals put forth by the Chinese side. Additionally, they expressed hope that the development of psychology across all participating nations would benefit from China's "One Belt, One Road Initiative." On behalf of the CPS, Mr. Bai Xuejun, the newly appointed President of the Society, extended gratitude to the organizer, Shaanxi Normal University, for their diligent efforts and dedication. He also expressed appreciation to the international participants for their contributions to the conference. Mr. Bai highlighted that the significance of this event extends beyond the boundaries of the Chinese psychology community, emphasizing its role as a high-level platform for academic exchanges among international psychology professionals. Furthermore, he underscored the conference's importance in fostering social and cultural exchanges among the Belt and Road countries.