Acta Psych¢,logica 21 (1963) 116--119; L~ North-l~blland Publishing Co. Not ~o be n;produced by photoprL'tt ~ ,,*Acrofiim without mri~tten permiuion from the l~ubli~he,

"IT-IE IUSP-.APA PROJECT ON INTERNATIONAL EXOHANGE

IN PSYCHOLK)GY:

A BRIEF P)ROGRESS REPORT

The facilitation of travel ~ d communication in recent years has been ac~ompmlied by an increased flow of sci~mtists and students across national boundaries. Such international traffic has been encouraged and supported by a variety of gove~ment~ agencies and private foundations in the various pa~icipant nations. As interest in such interchanges has develol:ed, it has been clear that the entire p~cocess is cons::derably ham- pered by 1Lhe lack of organize5 knowledge about the availability of advanced training and resevrch opportunities in psychology throughout the worM. Whatever knowledge does exist is at best highly fragme.ntary, usual,]iy p f, vate, and most often incomplete. At present there is no central source to which scholars and students may turn to obt~n the information currently available. At least two major problems arise in any attempt to remedy ::his coridition. The ~irst relates to the collection and preparation of relevant information. The second involves the effective distribution of

Ib .

this information so that it might be of maximal ben~t to psychologists and fut~tre psychologists everywhere.

In response to these problems the American Psychological Assca:iation with the cooperation of the Imernational Union of Scientific Psychology undertook a project devoted to the development of an international information exchange on advanced training and research opportunities in psychology.~

fhe !project was conceived to encompass three stages. The first called for a planning conference to include leading psychologists from all parts of the world. T~e second was designated as the period of data gathering and th,~ third the publication and dissemination of the accumulated information. Stage one is now completed and shall constitute the focus cff this repo,~. Stage two is now in progress.

The planning conference was held at the Chateau La Napoule, La

i TMs project is supported in part by a grant from tkt~ Nadonal Institute of Men~l Health, United States Public Health $0r¢ic0.

116

A BRIEF PROGRESS REPORT 1 17

Napoule, France, from July 23 to August 1, 1962 and iinc|uded the following invited participants from 21 nations.~ z

Dr. Irving E. Alexander

Professor Arfigo L. Ang©lini

Dr. Harold B~owitz

D r Simon Bie~heuvet

Dro Vaeiav Brichaeck

Dr. Micezyslaw C h o y n o ~

Dr. Rogelio D i ~ Guerrero

Professor H. C. L Duijker

Professor AbdoEI-Aziz EI-Koussy

Professor Pe,~" R. Hofs~tter

Dr. Donald Go Marquis

Professor Lui# Meschieri

Professor C. Roger Myers

Prot°e~qor L R, Nutti~

Professor W. M. O~,~efl

profe~or P. H. Prabhu

Dr. Telma Re:ca de Acosta

Professor Ragnar Rommetveit

b , . Sherman Ross

Dr. Roger W. Russell

Professor Koji Sato

Professor P. B. Stevanovi¢:

Professor Jean Stoetzel

Professor Arthur Summerlield

Dr. Andrew Tay!or

(NIMH) United Stv.es of Ameri~

Brazil

(NIMH) United States of America

Republic of South Africa

Czechoslovak ~cialist Republic

Polish People's Republic

Mexico

Netherlands (I.U.S.P.)

United Arab Republic

Federal Republic of Germany

United States of America

Italy

Canada

Belgium Australia

India

Argentine Republic

Norway

(General Se~remry) United State~ of America

(|.U.S.P.) United Slates of America

Japan

Federal People's Rep~blic of Yugoslavia

France

United Kingdom

Federation of Nigeria

The conference was orgaa~ed in terms of two major phase:;. The first dealt with an evaluation of the nature and extent of curre~at international exchange of scholars and advanced students in psychology and the problems and unreel needs extant in this connection. As background for group discussion of these issues, each participant wz~s afforded the

:~ .Professor A. R. Luria, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics~ Dr. Udel G. Foa, Isr,~l, and Profe~or Hla Thg~n, Union of Burma, bad accepted invitations bu~ w, re unable to attend.

8 ~ n k A ere due to the La Napoule Art Foundation for m~king their f ~ t i ~ availabl~ for the work of the conference.

l 18 IUSP-APA PROIEC'T

oppo~-a~Lity to review matters with regard to his own and~ wheh~'vel ~ possible, nearby countries.

The second phase was addressed more directly to the problems and plans for developing an international in~o~ation exchange. Among the questions attacked were what types of information would be most usef~fl, the meaws by which the information may be collected, how it should be reported, and the most suitable manner of publication. A large v ~ e t y of complex problems quickly became evident. Both directly and in- directly these appeared to relate to the di~t~erences in the levels of social and economic development of the com~tries sampled, with consequent wide d~fferences in the need for trained personnel, as well as to differing patterns of education, degree requirements and degree equivalences.

As a result, several task groups were fol~ed by the conference for the purpose of analyzing in detail and exploring the implications of such ~natters as: (1) the varying goals and types of educational and scientific interchange; (2) the complex problems of equivalence in ~egree and educational requirements; and (3) differences between newly-emerging and more established nations in opport~anities and resources for inter- change. The:~e and other significant features of the proceedings, including recommendations for data collection, a~ce. now available in a Conference Report from the American Psychological Association.

From a variety of vantage points the conference was successful. It provided the first opportunity for leaders in psychology from many countries to discuss problems of education and training and, ~:¢rLhermore, to probe these issues in depth. Above all it stimulated considerable interest in the critical role internatiot~al exchange could play in fostering growth of the field within their countries and in advancing the science of psychology generally. Commonalities, as well as differences, in need~ ~ad problems were illuminated and a basis was laid foc future collabo- rative concern at an ir~ternational level with regard to the issue of exchange.

Two immediate products of the coi~ference were yielde~ The first is the Conference Report referred to earlier which examines the many facets of exchange in psychology. The second is the organization of a ple, n for the collection and dissemir~ation of information concerning exchange opportmfities. To accomp!lish this purpose all conference participants will serve as contact peop!'e for the gathering of information

various sections; of the world. Psychologists in key administrative positions in institutions everywhere may expect in the near future to

A BRIEF PROGRESS REPORT 1 19

receive requests to furnish information pertinent t,o the information exchange. Not only is this group undertaking significant for the field of psychol,~gy but, because it appears to be the first effort of its kind attempt,:d for any science, it may serve as a model for other scientific groups interested i~1 international exchange.

Respectfully submitted for the APA-IUSP Project Committee,

SHERMAN ROSS HAROLD BASOWITZ IRVING E. AI.EXANDER