European Federation of Psychology Students' Associations

The European Federation of Psychology Students' Associations (EFPSA) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental student organisation that consists of psychology student associations from across Europe.^[1] EFPSA currently consists of 32 Member Organisations and one Observer Organisation, each represented by a Member Representative, who collectively form the legislative body of the Federation. The work of the Federation is perpetuated through the work of the Member Representatives (MRs), the Executive Board (EB) and the Board of Management (BM). EFPSA provides psychology students with diverse opportunities for scientific and self development through its Events and Services. Additionally, EFPSA also aims to contribute to a positive impact in society through a variety of campaigns while representing the interest and needs of psychology students on a European level.^[2][3]

History

EFPSA was founded in April 1987 at the University of Lisbon, Portugal where European psychology students had been invited for a meeting. Psychology students from eight European countries formed the European Federation of Psychology Students’ Associations (EFPSA).

The basic outlines of this Federation were transformed into formal statutes during the second meeting in Liege, Belgium in April 1988. At the same time, EFPSA initiated its first project, the EUROPSYCHO-Database on education and exchange. In January 1989, EFPSA was registered as an international association according to the Belgian law.

During the third General Assembly in April 1989 in Lund, Sweden, the Federation developed its initial structure with the first meeting of the Executive Board (EB) being held for the first time in that same year.

In July 1991, EFPSA started a collaboration with the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, after which EFPSA became an official affiliate member of EFPA in 2001.^[4][5][6]

Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

EFPSA's mission is to bring psychology students together on a European level to enrich their concept and application of psychology and encourage skill development in order to contribute to the improvement of the field; have a positive impact on society and its perception of psychology; support scientific and social interaction and cultural exchange between psychology students, academics and professionals.

How does EFPSA implement this? By consistently developing its services, events and the quality of interaction between European psychology students and their national, regional and local associations, EFPSA creates an encouraging environment for psychology as a professional and scientific field in Europe.

Vision

EFPSA's vision is to have a psychologically aware society where the misconceptions that surround it are diminished in order to enhance general wellbeing; to provide services and events that accommodate the vast expanse of needs of psychology students to develop themselves professionally and reach interconnectedness across all of Europe.

Values

Association: As an organisation, to be connected both internally and externally, within the EFPSA working community and with organisations who share a similar mission and values

Clarity: To have an integral, coherent and consistent approach to all aspects of our operations

Diversity: To accept the differences; to respect and welcome them as valuable assets

Fortitude: To have courage in adversity and unforeseen circumstances

Events

EFPSA currently organises six annual and one biennial event.^[2][3][5] The Congress, European Summer School (ESS), Train the Trainers (TtT) summer school, Train Advanced Trainers (TAT), EFPSA Day and the Joint Executive Board & Member Representatives Meeting are annual events, while the Conference is a biennial event.

The annual EFPSA Congress

The annual EFPSA Congress is a weeklong event which gathers over 350 psychology students, academics and researchers from across Europe. The Congress, which typically takes place between the months of April and May, is composed of a diverse scientific programme exploring a specific theme every year with contributions from students, researchers and experienced academics, and a social programme which provides participants with the opportunity for cultural and social exchange. Thus the EFPSA Congress is a unique opportunity for psychology students to broaden their scientific and personal horizons.

Additionally, the Congress is a very important event for the Federation as this even marks the start of the new mandate for the Member Representatives and Executive Board. The Executive Board and Board of Management are chosen at the EFPSA Congress, after which they immediately start their duties and begin to develop their projects during their week at the Congress.

Each year, the host country of the EFPSA Congress changes. There have been 29 Congresses to date, which have been organised in 23 different countries. The 30th Jubilee EFPSA Congress will be taking place between the 1–8 May 2016 in Vimeiro, Portugal.

EFPSA Congress History

European Summer School

The first European Summer School (ESS) took place in Leie, Estonia in 2007.^[7] During this seven-day event students immerse themselves into a programme of intercultural research where they have the opportunity to join one of the research projects led by a PhD supervisor in planning and implementing a 12-month study. Apart from this, the programme is enriched by a variety of lectures given by professionals from relevant areas of psychology. Each year, all lectures and research are set against a theme, chosen to reflect a field of contemporary psychology. Upon graduation from the ESS, the participants are formally introduced to a 12-month research programme - the Junior Researcher Programme.

EFPSA Day

EFPSA Day is a promotional event that takes place across Europe at the beginning of December.^[8] The aim of this one-day event is to spread the word about EFPSA all over Europe. Presentations, workshops and other activities connected with EFPSA take place in many universities on the same day in order to make as many students as possible familiar with EFPSA.

Train the Trainers

In 2010, the first Train the Trainers summer school took place in Austria.^[9] The Train the Trainers (TtT) summer school is an annual seven-day event featuring experiential and non-formal education aimed at providing its twelve participants with insights and tutoring on a broad set of skills and knowledge about delivering training and information. Upon completion of set requirements, the TtT graduates may be invited to join the EFPSA Trainers’ Pool – a supportive environment for furthering training skills and experiences.

Train Advanced Trainers

EFPSA’s Train Advanced Trainers (TAT) is a nine-day event that takes place in March. This is the only EFPSA event that is open to non-psychology students. The TAT is designed for up to 30 experienced trainers from various NGOs and offers an opportunity to further develop training skills within a specific topic.

Joint Executive Board & Member Representatives Meeting

The annual Joint Executive Board & Member Representatives’ Meeting (Joint EB & MR Meeting) is held each autumn and it is attended by individuals who are active members within the EFPSA working community. This meeting is a unique occasion when EFPSA sets aside online communication as it convenes for a week of internal meetings and intense work. Taking place halfway through the EFPSA mandate, the Joint EB & MR Meeting is a crucial time for EFPSA, allowing all active students of EFPSA to gather in order to discuss their mandate so far and engage in discussion with other teams over the future direction of the Federation.

EFPSA Conference

The EFPSA Conference first tooks place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2013.^[10] The EFPSA Conference is a biennial event and places a particular emphasis on its scientific programme. It brings together around 150 students from all over Europe for four days of lectures, workshops and student presentations. During the Conference, there is an open day, which consists of approximately 30 students from the hosting country/region joining the Conference for one day, to get an opportunity to learn, partake in the lectures and network with the participants.

Services

EFPSA also provides students with a variety of services for developing research and training skills and to facilitate the process of travelling and studying abroad. Among the EFPSA services are:^[2][3][5]

• Journal of European Psychology Students
• Junior Research Programme
• Study & Travel Abroad
• Training Office
• Social Impact Initiative

Journal of European Psychology Students

The Journal of European Psychology Students (JEPS) is a double-blind peer-reviewed open access academic journal run entirely by students, covering all aspects of psychology published by the EFPSA ^[11][12] and Ubiquity Press since 2009.^[13] JEPS brings a legitimate opportunity for psychology students to consider their thesis or research with international scope. Submissions have to be based on research conducted by bachelor or master students who may also be from outside Europe. Authors of selected submissions will receive professional feedback and help in developing their scientific publication.^[14] Articles are selected based on quality of research alone, disregarding the perceived importance and originality of a particular paper.^[15] Articles are indexed in EBSCOHost.^[15] Since 2016, JEPS invites students to submit Registered Reports.^[16] The JEPS team also run a blog, the JEPS Bulletin, which has been publishing since November 2010 on a range of issues relevant to psychology students of all levels and varied fields of interest.

Study & Travel Abroad

Preparations for studying abroad can sometimes be a challenging experience, but EFPSA's Study and Travel Abroad service offers useful guidelines and information about all the cities and universities of EFPSA's member countries/regions with the possibility to study psychology. There is also information on each country’s higher education system, tuition and living costs, amongst other information. Additionally, there is a couch-surfing network that also provides advice on travelling to countries/regions hosting EFPSA events. While offering students a place to sleep at your home, all around Europe students will welcome you to stay with them and discover their cities. This is an opportunity to experience different cultures, languages and food in a special and affordable way.

Training Office

The Training Office manages the training agenda within EFPSA. Specifically, they oversee the programmes of the training events which EFPSA hosts, namely the Train the Trainers (TtT) summer school and Train Advanced Trainers (TAT) school; support and foster the development of the group of trainers in the EFPSA Trainers’ Pool, represent EFPSA at the external training events and prepare and design training sessions for internal meetings of EFPSA such as team building sessions, leadership trainings, amongst others.

Social Impact Initiative

The Social Impact Initiative Team works on two main projects within the Federation: the "Mind the Mind - to Combat the Stigma of Mental Disorders" campaign and a campaign on Open Access. The members of the team facilitate a European-wide series of workshops, aimed at 11-18 year-old students and an awareness campaign on the topics of stigma of mental disorder and mental health. The second project is aligned with EFPSA's support of the Open Access movement in academic research.

Member Organisations

Organisations from all countries recognised by the Council of Europe can become members of EFPSA. Organisations from countries/regions that are not recognised by the Council of Europe can be taken into consideration as Regional Members. As of April 2015, EFPSA has 32 Member Organisations and one Observer Organisation.^[17]

Member Organisations

Observer Organisations

See also

• European Federation of Psychologists' Associations
• European Psychologist
• American Psychological Association

References

External links

• Official website