Abuja: The Pan-African Psychology Union (PAPU) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening psychology education across the continent by bridging the gap between policy formulation and practical application in the field. Prof. Andrew Zamani, President of PAPU, made this known at a news briefing ahead of the union's forthcoming 2025 Higher Education Conference on Friday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Zamani stated that the conference aims to foster collaboration among scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to enhance the relevance and impact of psychology in addressing Africa's socio-developmental challenges. He emphasized that the main goal is to bridge the knowledge and skills gap between academia and industry. The conference seeks to harmonize curricula that enable psychologists to establish a basic minimum academic standard, allowing them to respond to the continent's current developmental challenges and enhance leadership capacities that positively impact the quality of life.
Zamani noted that 300 delegates from within Africa and the diaspora are expected to attend the conference, scheduled for Nov. 4 to Nov. 8. "By uniting educators, practitioners, and policymakers, we aim to create a seamless integration of theory and practice in psychology education. Our collective efforts will not only enhance the quality of education but also prepare future psychologists to meet the evolving needs of our societies," he added.
The conference will explore areas such as academic mentoring, innovation, patents and copyrights issues in research, publication, and psychotechnology. Other topics include artificial intelligence, machine-enhanced learning and application, and regulating psychology education in Africa.