E-News September 2024
Update from Prof. Lori Foster - IAAP President
Dear IAAP Members,
As we approach the end of September, many of us are witnessing a change in seasons—spring blossoms for some, autumn leaves for others—depending on where you are in the world. This seasonal shift reflects our global diversity, which is one of IAAP's greatest strengths. No matter where we are, we continue to connect across different environments and perspectives.
Change is not only happening outside our windows, but also within IAAP. I want to recognize Past-President Christine Roland-Lévy, who has recently completed her final issue as editor of Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW). Since its inception in March 2019, Christine has been the driving force behind APAW. Her dedication and energy in launching and guiding the publication from its first issue have been invaluable, and we are grateful for her commitment to IAAP.
Looking ahead, I'm pleased to announce that Stuart Carr from New Zealand will be stepping into the role of APAW editor. Stu is a distinguished psychologist whose work focuses on applying psychology to address global challenges such as poverty reduction, decent work, and sustainable development. As the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Livelihoods and Professor of Psychology at Massey University, he has led international collaborations aimed at improving livelihoods and reducing inequality. His commitment to using psychology as a tool for positive change aligns with IAAP's strategic goal of raising the recognition and use of applied psychology to increase our influence on global development initiatives.
Stu's extensive editorial experience includes roles as Editor of the Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, and of the International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, which supports the Sustainable Development Goals with evidence-informed policy briefs. His leadership in these roles demonstrates his ability to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and promote research that has real-world impact. I am confident that under his guidance, APAW will continue to be a vital resource for sharing applied psychology insights worldwide. In welcoming him, I echo the Māori greeting: nau mai haere mai, Stu.
This transition reminds us of the collective power we have to make a difference. Each of us contributes to the field in unique ways—for example, through research, practice, teaching, and/or service. I encourage you to consider how your work can address global challenges and enhance the influence of applied psychology worldwide.
Reflecting our strategic priorities, IAAP is working towards strengthening member connections and expanding our global presence. To this end, we invite you to participate in our upcoming webinar, Towards Sustainable Transport Choices, co-hosted by Divisions 9 (Economic Psychology) and 13 (Traffic and Transportation Psychology). This event will explore how psychological insights can promote more sustainable behavior in transport, a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions.
In this month’s eNews, you’ll find details on the upcoming webinar, important reminders, updates on our work with the United Nations, and other news. These entries highlight the meaningful work happening across our IAAP community, and I invite you to explore them and find inspiration for your own endeavors.
Thank you for being a vital part of our global community and for your contributions to the field of applied psychology.
Warm regards,
Lori Foster
President, International Association of Applied Psychology
Division News
Divisions 9 & 13: Upcoming Webinar
Divisions 9: Economic Psychology and 13: Traffic & Transportation Psychology are partnering to host a webinar titled "Towards Sustainable Transport Choices." This event will examine how psychological insights can encourage more sustainable transportation behaviors, tackling a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Save the date: October 23, 2024, at 13:00 UTC.
Division 12: Sport Psychology
Our Sport Psychology Division remains committed to enhancing its global impact and fostering collaboration. One of this month’s highlights was a PhD course held from September 2nd to 6th at Leipzig University in Germany, titled Research Methods, Publication Strategies, and Career Perspectives in Sport Psychology. IAAP members were involved in this international event, which brought together early-career researchers from 11 universities and 10 nationalities. This diverse collaboration reflects Division 12’s dedication to advancing the field. Look for more details on this and other activities in Division 12's next newsletter!
United Nations Updates
September has been an important month at the United Nations, marked by the Summit of the Future, held on September 22-23, 2024, at UN Headquarters in New York. This summit aimed to accelerate progress on existing international commitments and respond to emerging global challenges, with a strong focus on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
IAAP representatives were actively involved in the days leading up to the summit and during the event itself. Three key outcome documents emerged from the summit, which will guide future global efforts:
The Pact for the Future – This document outlines actions to strengthen sustainable development, peace, and security. It includes specific commitments to eradicating poverty, tackling climate change, and achieving gender equality—key areas directly linked to the SDGs.
The Global Digital Compact – This compact emphasizes digital innovation and cooperation, focusing on reducing the digital divide and using technology to advance human rights and sustainable development, further supporting progress on the SDGs.
The Declaration on Future Generations – This is a commitment to ensuring that future generations inherit a sustainable world. This declaration calls for long-term thinking in global governance, prioritizing intergenerational equity in addressing SDG-related challenges like climate change and poverty.
You can read the full text of these outcome documents here.
Applied psychology is central to the outcomes of this summit and the ongoing pursuit of the SDGs. For example, psychological research on behavior change can be used to design interventions that promote sustainable transportation choices, reduce energy consumption, and encourage pro-environmental behaviors—all key to addressing climate change, a central focus of the SDGs.
The alignment between IAAP’s work and the summit’s focus on the SDGs is clear. IAAP's Strategic Goal 1 is to "raise the recognition and use of applied psychology to increase our influence on global development initiatives." By actively engaging in global initiatives like the Summit of the Future, IAAP continues to demonstrate how applied psychology can contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change and poverty reduction to promoting mental health. Our involvement is helping to ensure that psychological insights are increasingly considered in global policy discussions and actions.
Early Career Marathon
The ECM2025 continues its progress, and we are pleased to let you all know that in this edition, we have reached the record figure of 36 presentations approved by the Scientific Committee. These presentations are all of a very high quality and will deal with the most recent advances in the different fields of applied psychology. Presenters will send their video-presentations before October 31st.
A special recognition to all Divisions Presidents and Presidents-Elect for their collaboration and support in reaching early career psychologists, and to Division 15 BoD for their direct involvement in spreading the call and in the initial preparations.
Pay attention to IAAP social media profiles and to future eNews for continued updates on the ECM2025 news!
Community Contributions
IAAP members Raymond and Lucia Saner recently led an interdisciplinary summer school in Geneva from August 16–29, 2024, focused on global leadership and sustainable development. This program brought together psychology and policy to equip future leaders with the tools needed to address sustainable development challenges. Their work ties directly to IAAP's strategic goal of increasing the recognition and use of applied psychology for global development, showcasing how our members are fostering impactful change on a global stage.
Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW)
Have you conducted research that has influenced policy? APAW is calling on all Divisions to submit short (up to 1,000 words) examples of where your work has connected with policy—whether at the community level, with small-to-medium enterprises, or broader city, national, or multinational policy shifts. Multiple submissions per Division are welcome. This is an important opportunity to support IAAP’s Strategic Goal #1, which focuses on applying psychology to policy. Please send your submissions to Stuart Carr (S.C.Carr@massey.ac.nz).
While you’re considering your submissions, don’t forget to take a look at the latest release of Applied Psychology Around the World (APAW), Volume 6, Issue 2, which is all about gender and psychology. The issue focuses on how applied psychology can contribute to gender equality. Discover initiatives focused on gender issues and projects aimed at empowering women.
SAVE THE DATE: ICAP 2026 in Florence
You're invited to Florence, Italy for the 31st International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP). Our congress will take place from 21-25 July, 2026. This is a great chance to learn, exchange ideas, reconnect with colleagues, meet new people from around the globe, and work together to advance the science and practice of applied psychology. Learn More
Alert to Scam Emails
Recently, several IAAP members, including leaders, have been targeted by scam emails. These fraudulent messages appear to be from IAAP leaders, requesting financial assistance or personal information. Please exercise increased vigilance and verify the authenticity of email requests. Report any suspicious activities to the Operations Center at operationscenter@iaapsy.org.