Psychology Beyond Borders: Why International Collaboration Matters

Psychology doesn't operate in isolation. From professional mobility and research to policy and practice, international developments are already shaping psychology in Ireland. As Ireland hosts the European Semester of Psychology this autumn, Dr John Francis Leader reflects on why international collaboration matters for the profession. 

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This Autumn, the PSI will host the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) Council meetings, which will welcome the leadership of 38 psychology associations to Dublin. The meetings form part of a number of events taking place during the European Semester of Psychology in Ireland, jointly organised by the PSI and EFPA. This, in turn, coincides with Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Increasingly, psychologists are taking a global approach, and I have experienced this across the PSI’s divisions and special interest groups. The PSI demonstrated its commitment to global engagement in 2022 by creating the role of International Liaison Officer, a position held by a Council member each year.

Likewise, the Council of the American Psychological Association this year reaffirmed its international commitment by approving the APA Resolution on Promoting Global Perspectives in U.S. Psychology.

So why is international engagement important?

Psychology is relational

If we do not engage internationally, perhaps we should also not engage nationally, maybe not even connect locally with colleagues? I think for most of us, the very idea of retreating in that way feels counterintuitive.

It is part of psychology’s DNA to connect with others, to learn, to grow, and to challenge our thinking. Global engagement helps us do that even more effectively.

Psychology is international

I like to think of international engagement a bit like steering while driving. Whether you move the wheel or not, you are still moving forward at speed. The question is whether you have a say in the direction of travel.

"Whether you move the wheel or not, you are still moving forward at speed. The question is whether you have a say in the direction of travel."

Psychology is already being shaped internationally: through the work of global psychology at the United Nations; policy development with organisations such as WHO and UNICEF; and developments across the European Union, including its Parliament and Commission. All of these factors significantly shape Irish regulations and policy.

International engagement gives psychologists an opportunity not just to observe, but to contribute.

Professional mobility

No person is an island, and socially nor is any country - even countries like Ireland that are quite literally islands!

We work with people from across the world. Colleagues from around the world come to Ireland, colleagues from Ireland work abroad, and training is often accessed across different jurisdictions. Scientific research frequently crosses borders, while the growth of telehealth has further connected psychological practice internationally.

We can see the significance of this in the implementation of statutory regulation through CORU, where EU legislation such as Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications plays an important role in developing appropriate processes for professional mobility.

Stronger together

Even where psychology is strong in different countries, those countries tend to have different strengths. Instead of spending a year developing a policy from scratch, colleagues in another country may already have developed one that we can draw from, and vice versa.

This does not mean replacing local work. Rather, we can build upon emerging best practice and produce local work informed by many more voices, making it more robust and ecologically valid as a result.

We see an example of this in EFPA’s six policy priorities around AI and digitalisation, which drew upon the views of psychologists across Europe to ensure a depth of insight and a coordinated approach to policy advocacy.

It is also worth remembering that many of the determinants affecting the communities we support are themselves global, whether the economy, the development of technology, or the environment.

Organisational development

Beyond developing psychology itself, those who run psychology organisations, like the PSI, do not need to be told how much work is involved!

Even with unlimited resources, it would be difficult to hire consultants with the lived experience of leading psychology organisations through the wide range of issues they encounter.

There is therefore significant value in connecting with our counterparts in other countries: strengthening communication and capacity, learning from what has and has not worked, and potentially saving considerable time and money. And of course, in challenging times sometimes we need to be there for each other.

On this point, it will be great to welcome Dr Laura Dean, President of the British Psychological Society, and Valeriia Palii, Vice President and former President of Ukraine's National Psychological Association, to Dublin to lead a session on the strategic development of organisations as part of the EFPA Council meetings.

I hope these reflections have been useful and might prompt you to consider how you can further embrace a global dimension in your work.

Please do get involved as we celebrate international collaboration during the European Semester this Autumn. You can find a list of events here.

This article was written by Dr John Francis Leader. Dr Leader is Vice President of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA), Chair of the American Psychological Association Committee for Global Psychology, and a former PSI Honorary Secretary (2024–2025) and International Liaison Officer (2022–2023).