The Asian Association of Social Psychology (AASP) convened the International Seminar on Promoting Asian Psychologies in Aotearoa New Zealand, held from 17–19 November 2025, in Auckland and hosted jointly by the Enhancing Participation and Inclusive Change (EPIC) Collective, the University of Auckland, and Massey University.
The seminar brought together lecturers, professionals, professors, postgraduate students, and researchers representing 12 countries across Asia Pacific, on 19 November 2025.
The seminar made a substantive contribution to advancing cross-cultural psychology and community-engaged research across Asia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia. It provided a unique platform for sharing theoretical, empirical, and practical insights derived from work with diverse communities.
Participants also refined their competencies in community engagement, scholarly publication, and the development of innovative strategies for promoting Asian psychologies.
Its aims and thematic priorities 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 within psychological science, the seminar facilitated dialogue on equitable knowledge production and inclusive community development.
Keynote addresses were delivered 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 behaviours among Indonesian communities, drawing upon findings from a UNNES-funded research project.
Other keynote contributions included those by Professor Wendy Li (James Cook University, Australia), who discussed advancing wellbeing among underserved Asia–Pacific populations; Professor Mendiola Teng-Calleja (Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines), who examined the contextualisation of work and organisational psychology; and Dr. Lincoln Dam (Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand), who spoke on Becoming Tangata Tiriti: Asian Identity & Belonging in Aotearoa.
The seminar also featured numerous presentations, including one by Nuke Martiarini, a lecturer in the Psychology Department at UNNES. She presented research conducted in collaboration with Anna Undarwati, Pradipta Christy Pratiwi, Chamilul Hikam Al Karim, Adelina Rahmawati, and Fikrotul Hanifah, focusing on adaptive parenting practices among marginalised mothers living in urban poverty in Indonesia.
This research forms part of an ongoing international partnership with the University of Auckland (represented by Dr. Shiloh Groot), the Safina Trust, a non-government organisation supporting the empowerment of Muslim women in Aotearoa New Zealand (represented by Jennifer Khan-Janif, BA, MHumRight), and PKBI (Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia) Semarang.
Overall, the event underscores UNNES’s sustained commitment to strengthening international academic partnerships and supporting research and community-engagement initiatives aimed at empowering communities across Indonesia.
