The International Congress of Psychology is the field’s major international conference, held every four years under the auspices of the International Union of Psychological Science. Following ICP2012 in Cape Town, South Africa, ICP2016 will take place in Japan at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center from July 24 to 29, 2016.

ICP2016 will be organized around the theme Diversity in Harmony: Insights from Psychology. Over many decades, psychology has developed with a growing range of diverse areas of study and methodologies, and the field likely will become even more diverse in the future. The field’s contribution may be most valuable if various approaches are not in conflict with each other, but rather share some common factors and differences are complementary. However, the problems that modern societies face are very complex, and to understand and address them, diverse approaches are required. For example, Japan recently suffered a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, and the problems of victims and other affected people involve multiple aspects. Knowledge and perspectives from many disciplines are needed. When psychology can offer insights to help those affected by the disasters, expertise from various areas of psychology can be useful.

ICP2016 welcomes all psychological researchers from throughout the world and from all areas of psychology and related disciplines. Our aim is for all interested psychological researchers to meet here in Yokohama to address the real problems in the world, so that psychology can make an increasingly important contribution to society. Moreover, we believe Japan provides an ideal setting to exchange the most advanced knowledge and ideas with researchers worldwide.

Japan has a unique position in terms of geography and cultural development. Although located in an isolated corner on the opposite side of the globe from the most economically developed nations, 150 years ago Japan became the first non-Western nation to industrialize, while maintaining many elements of its traditional culture. Japan today is a complex society that reflects the confluence of East and West, South and North, tradition and modernity, aging and young, humanistic and scientific, and the like. These terms have various connotations, and we hope that you may find in them and Diversity in Harmony something meaningful, and will come to Yokohama in 2016 to engage with your colleagues.

Detailed information about ICP2016 will be provided on this site. If you have any unanswered questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.