The major psychological forum is held biannually under the auspices of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA). In July 2019, the Congress will be held in Moscow, Russia for the first time.
Since 2009, the Russian Psychological Society is a full-fledged member and partner of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations that unites 37 national associations and over 400,000 psychologists.
Russian specialists took an active part in the development of the standard for psychological education (EuroPsy diploma) and a standard for the psychological practice and the provision of psychological assistance (EuroPsy certificate). This work confirmed the high status of the Russian psychological education and research, and demonstrated a high level of Russian educational and professional standards in the field of psychology.
Since 2012, the RPS applied a lot of efforts to have the honor of hosting the European Congress of Psychology. At the meeting in Istanbul on May 27, 2016, the Russian application was supported by an overwhelming majority.
That decision was taken in the year of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Lev Vygotsky, the Mozart of global psychological science. In 2018, at the initiative of the Russian Psychological Society, EFPA launched the Lev Vygotsky award. The award will be given for achievements in the field of interdisciplinary study of modern childhood and popularization of scientific knowledge of childhood. At the Congress in Moscow, the award will be given for the first time.
The event in Russia sparked great interest among the professional community: more than 5,000 psychologists from 80 countries across the globe have expressed their desire to participate in it.
The program of the event will be very intense and diverse. It will feature more than 120 sectional meetings and over 50 thematic extended round tables, as well as video conferences with other Russian cities.
The congress will become the platform that will unite psychologists from various areas, countries, cultures, open new horizons to the younger generation of researchers and practicing specialists. Easy access to the participation for psychologists, graduate students, and students is a priority of the Congress.
For the first time during the Congress, the anniversary of the UNESCO International Union of Psychological Sciences which brings together professional communities from 84 countries will be celebrated. The ceremony will be attended by the leading scientists and educators from around the world. The Congress received support of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO.
The European Congress of Psychology in Moscow will be the first event of this magnitude in the Russian history. It will not only foster the status of the liberal sciences, but will also contribute to better efficiency of psychological assistance in the spheres of education, health care, the social sphere, and the improvement of mental health and psychological well-being of people.
Yuri Zinchenko, Alexander Veraksa, Anna Leybina, Sergei Leonov