Auckland, 19 November 2025– The Asian Association of Social Psychology (AASP) convened the International Seminar on Promoting Asian Psychologies in Aotearoa New Zealand from 17–19 November 2025. The event was organized in partnership with Enhancing Participation and Inclusive Change (EPIC) Collective, the University of Auckland, and Massey University. Hosted across both universities, the seminar brought together lecturers, professionals, professors, postgraduate students, and researchers representing 12 countries across Asia Pacific.
The seminar made a substantive contribution to advancing cross-cultural psychology and community-engaged research across Asia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia. It provides a unique space to share theory, research and practice experiences in working with various communities. Also, attendees refine their skills in engaging effectively with communities and publishing that research, as well as brainstorming ideas on how to promote Asian psychologies.
Its aims and thematic emphases are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By foregrounding diverse Asian perspectives in psychological science, the seminar fostered dialogue on equitable knowledge production and inclusive community development.
Keynote addresses by academics from Aotearoa New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Australia. Dr. Anna Undarwati from the Psychology Department, Faculty of Education and Psychology, UNNES, served as one of the keynote speakers. She presented an evidence-based framework for promoting health behaviour amongst Indonesian communities, drawing upon findings from a research project funded by UNNES. Other keynote speakers were delivered by Professor Wendy Li (James Cook University, Australia), who talked the advancement of wellbeing among underserved Asia–Pacific populations, and Professor Mendiola Teng-Calleja (Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines), discussing the contextualisation of work and organisational psychology, Dr Lincoln Dam (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand) Becoming Tangata Tiriti: Asian identity & belonging in Aotearoa.
The seminar also featured many presentations, and one of presenters is Nuke Martiarini, a lecturer in the Psychology Department at UNNES, who presented research conducted in collaboration with Anna Undarwati, Pradipta Christy Pratiwi, Chamilul Hikam Al Karim, Adelina Rahmawati, and Fikrotul Hanifah. Her presentation focused on adaptive parenting practices among marginalised mothers in urban poverty, Indonesia. This research forms part of an ongoing collaborative partnership with the University of Auckland (represented by Dr. Shiloh Groot), the Safina Trust (a Non-Government Organisation on empowering Muslim women in Aotearoa New Zealand – Jennifer Khan-Janif, BA, MHumRight), and PKBI (Perkumpulan Keluarga Indonesia) – Semarang.
Overall, the event underscores UNNES sustained commitment to strengthening international academic partnerships and supporting research and community-engagement initiatives aimed at empowering communities across Indonesia.
