Final Report
AASP 2023 Conference Report
We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the AASP 2023 conference, held at the Education University of Hong Kong from July 13-15, 2023. This gathering was a milestone event for both EdUHK and the AASP, bringing together almost 700 esteemed scholars, graduate students, and early-career attendees from across the globe to share knowledge and expertise in the field of Asian Social Psychology.
Here's a summary of the key highlights and achievements of AASP 2023:
Conference Statistics:
- Total Attendees: 685
- In-person Attendees: 475
- Online Attendees: 210 (30.66%)
International Participation:
The conference saw representation from 33 different countries/regions, making it a truly global event. Keynote and award speeches, detailed below, were enjoyed from distinguished professors from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and the USA. This diverse participation enriched the exchange of ideas and perspectives throughout the conference, and participants created a warm, welcoming, and respectful atmosphere that contributed hugely to the success of the event.
Programme Summary:
In addition to the 5 Keynote speakers and 2 Award addresses, AASP 2023 featured an impressive lineup of 544 different individual speakers or poster presenters. The core programming consisted of 34 symposia, including a lineup of exceptional Featured Symposia, and 293 individual presentations organized into 69 thematic groups of 4 or 5 speakers. Symposia and paper presentations were conducted in 8 parallel hybrid sessions across 13 timeslots over the three-day conference. 162 poster presentations were enjoyed during the lunch hours. Posters were evenly divided between in-person posters on the first two days and a fully online poster session on Gathertown on the final day, providing attendees with both in-person and virtual platforms to explore and engage with the presenters and audience.. The hybrid mode enabled increased connections and participation, with about 30% of the presentations given by online participants.
Summer School:
Prior to the main conference, we held the
AASP Summer School, where 44 outstanding
graduate students engaged in both online and
in-person sessions. They had the privilege of
learning from esteemed professors
Takeshi Hamamura, Melody Chao, Yu Niiya,
Ronnel King, Emi Kashima, and Yoshihisa Kashima,
making it an exceptional and valuable experience
for all participants.
Poster Sessions:
Poster sessions for 162 poster presenters were divided between three lunchtime sessions. Day 1 and 2 were in-person, and Day 3 was online on Gathertown, providing attendees with both in-person and virtual platforms to explore and engage with the presenters and audience.
Conference Highlights:
DAY 1: The Opening Ceremony commenced with a vibrant Lion Dance troupe performance invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and welcome speeches by Professor Chetwyn Chan, Vice President (Research and Development), Professor Bruce Macfarlane, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development, Dr Kevin Chan Ka Shing, Head of the Department of Psychology and Professor Sylvia Xiaohua Chen, the President of Asian Association of Social Psychology.
The opening ceremony was followed by the Joint Keynote delivered in delightful hybrid mode by Professors Hazel Markus and Yukiko Uchida in-person, and Professor Jeanne Tsai, joining us from California (USA), entitled “Cultural Defaults in the Time of the Coronavirus: Lessons for the Future.” Additionally, we were inspired by the AASP Lifetime Achievement Award Address presented by Prof. Fanny Cheung, who spoke on the topic of “From Indigenization to Culture Mainstreaming in Psychology.” Lunchtime was accompanied by Meet a Mentor sessions and Day 1 in-person Poster Presentations. The day concluded with parallel Symposia and Paper Sessions, enriching the knowledge-sharing experience.
DAY 2: Noteworthy keynotes were delivered by Prof. Brock Bastian on the topic of “Rethinking culture and emotion regulation” and Prof. Zhansheng Chen on the topic of “Social Consequences of Ostracism.” Day 2 also saw the continuation of stimulating parallel sessions of Symposia and Paper Sessions, Meet a Mentor sessions and Poster Presentations. The day culminated in the Gala Banquet Dinner, providing attendees with an enjoyable opportunity to celebrate and chat over Cantonese food at the ClubOne Riviera, evoking an iconic Hong Kong Floating Restaurant along the river. The dinner was accompanied by a lovely performance by a traditional Chinese instrument quartet invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
DAY 3: The final day began with the AASP Presidential Address of Prof. Minoru Karasawa, whose 2023-2025 tenure as AASP President would begin upon the end of the Closing Ceremony. Prof. Karasawa spoke on “Challenging Social Dividedness: Potential Contributions from Asian Perspectives.” Next we enjoyed the Award Address of Dr. Jesus (“Jess”) Alfonso D. Datu, the recipient of the Michael H. Bond Early Career Award, who spoke on “The Multiple Faces of Gratefulness in a Collectivist Context: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Well-Being Correlates of Gratitude Motives.”
During lunchtime on Day 3, the Online Posters session took place in Gathertown, allowing for further hybrid-mode engagement an enthusiastic audience. The day concluded with the Annual General Meeting, which included the Award Ceremony and the signing of a new MOU between the Vietnam Association of Psychology and AASP. Finally, the Closing Ceremony provided an opportunity to express gratitude and bid farewell to all those who contributed to the success of this conference. Prof. Liz Jones was thrilled to announce that AASP 2025 will be held in Malaysia.
Meet a Mentor Opportunity:
We were grateful to be able to to offer in-person "Meet a Mentor" opportunities during lunchtime, where our volunteer mentors-- professors Chi Yue Chiu, Hoon-Seok Choi, Michael Harris Bond, Emiko Kashima, Sylvia X. Chen, Brock Bastian, Minoru Karasawa, James Liu, Yukiko Uchida, and Ying-yi Hong -- met with a selected group of students and early-career conference attendees for a lunchtime chat. This initiative allowed attendees to connect with established scholars, seek guidance, and discuss their research interests.
Final Acknowledgments:
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our organizers, supporters, volunteers (especially the tireless student volunteers!), and participants for making AASP 2023 a resounding success. The commitment, enthusiasm, and kind welcome displayed by all attendees contributed to the vibrant and fruitful atmosphere of this event. We heard from many participants about how much they enjoyed the warm and inclusive atmosphere, a truly unique and continuous feature of AASP conferences.
Conclusion:
With the conclusion of AASP 2023, we hope that all attendees had a wonderful time, forged valuable connections, and gained new insights and ideas that will shape the future of social psychology research. As the participants returned home, we wished them all a safe journey and countless cherished memories!
Thank you for being a part of this
extraordinary experience, and we look
forward to welcoming you back to
Hong Kong in the near future!
