On Friday, April 11 2025, Faculty of Psychology conducted a taster lecture hosted by the School of Psychology University of Leeds. This session invited Dr. Madeleine Pownall as the speaker who accompanied students throughout the session. She is the Associate Professor in the School of Psychology University of Leeds with extensive areas of expertise, including the field of pedagogical research, social psychology, open science, feminist psychology, and psychological literacy. Within an approximately 60 minute session, students from batch 2023 and 2024 were guided through an advantageous learning experience discussing the social psychology of student life.

On March 18, 2024, students of the Psychology and Culture course attended an online class session inviting Pina Marsico, PhD. She serves as the Associate Professor of Development and Educational Psychology at the University of Salerno in Italy, a Visiting Professor at the PhD Programme in Psychology at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil, and an Associate Researcher at Aalborg University in Denmark. With extensive experience in research within the educational field, she is now the leading figure in the Cultural Psychology of Education. Through an approximately 100-minute learning session, precisely from 2.20 PM to 4 PM, the students were granted an opportunity to delve into the interplay among culture, the individual, and the environment.

The Psychology Department at State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, conducted a writing competition for the year 2023. The writings are incorporated in a journal titled Jurnal Psikologi Integratif. One of the IUP Psychology students batch 2019, Beatrice Febe Fedolina, with guidance from Mrs. Edilburga Wulan Saptandari as her supervisor, participated in the competition and successfully won the 2nd Best Article. The title of her article is “Perceived Social Support as a Predictor of Acculturative Stress Among Indonesian Exchange Students in Europe.” Although studying abroad seems very interesting and exciting, the number of changes and differences students need to adapt to could make them feel overwhelmed and eventually stressed. Acculturative stress is a decrease in ethnic minorities’ mental health and well-being that occurs throughout the process of adapting to a new culture. Many factors affect students’ acculturative stress levels; one example is the social support they receive from their surroundings. The findings from prior studies have demonstrated that social support is a positive coping mechanism for dealing with stress and psychological adjustment by improving functioning and acting as a buffer against adverse outcomes. To fill a gap in the literature on Asian international students’ acculturative stress levels, specifically those who originated from Indonesia, this research was conducted to determine whether perceived social support predicts students’ acculturative stress levels. read more

On 24 November 2023, the class of Mental Disorder course embarked on a compelling field trip to RSJ Soerojo Magelang, a hospital renowned for its specialization in caring for mentally impaired patients. The experience provided a unique opportunity for students to explore the complexities of treating and managing individuals with mental disabilities. The students were granted the chance to explore the corridors of RSJ Soerojo Magelang, where they could visit various facilities and wards specifically designed for the care and treatment of mentally impaired patients. read more

On November 4, the class of Life-Span Development Psychology conducted a field study on an orphanage in Kulon Progo. A group of IUP and exchange students, accompanied by two professors and two teaching assistants, embarked on a field trip to Panti Asuhan Ash-Shiddiqiyah in Kulon Progo. Upon their arrival, they were graciously welcomed by the facility’s administrators and the foster children.

While enjoying snacks, the students engaged in conversations with the foster children, who represented a diverse range of backgrounds. Some hailed from regions beyond the island, others were not orphans but came from economically disadvantaged families, and a few were brought to the orphanage by the community. In total, there were 28 children, spanning various age groups and educational levels, including preschoolers, primary and secondary school students, and those in high school, Islamic boarding schools, and university. The foster children shared valuable insights into the support they receive from donors, with some former foster children now contributing as donors themselves. During the interaction, male students showcased a traditional performance known as “hadrah” as a gesture of welcome. read more