11 October 2004

Collaborative project between Allahabad and Dundee

Photo opportunity: 1.15pm, Wednesday 13 October, Room 2.32, Psychology Department, Scrymgeour Building, University of Dundee

Renowned psychology academic, Professor Janak Pandey of the University of Allahabad, India will visit the University of Dundee's Department of Psychology to finalise details of a new intensive course that will run in India next year. The Indian Consul General, Mr P.S. Randhawa based in Edinburgh will also take part in the proceedings that will kick off a collaborative teaching and research programme between the two universities.

Following a sabbatical visit to India, University of Dundee's social psychologist Dr Nick Hopkins together with Professor Janak Pandey set about developing a programme of activity that would facilitate research collaboration between UK and Indian academics.

The first step in this project involves a course devoted to considering recent developments in social psychological theory and methodology. Addressed to junior scholars in India, the course is designed to allow a two-way sharing of academic expertise, ideas and skills between the two countries.

The course will be delivered at the University of Allahabad between 7 - 21 March by a team comprising four UK and four Indian academics. In addition to lectures there will be many opportunities for practical group work in which participants will explore how social psychological theory can be applied and developed.

One of the longer-term aims of the course is to bring together Indian and UK researchers in joint research programmes. High quality collaborative research programmes in social psychology could have the potential to produce a number of academic and practical social policy results.

To celebrate the visit the University of Dundee's Psychology Department will host a reception on Wednesday 13 October where Vice Principal, Professor James Calderhead and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Professor Chris Whatley will join Professor Pandey and Mr Randhawa in welcoming the new venture.

Nick Hopkins said of the project, "My sabbatical visit to India was fascinating. Amongst the students and scholars that I met there was a real interest in social psychology and its potential to help explain important aspects of people's lives. Many were interested in the work of UK and European social psychologists and there is a lot we can all learn from applying these perspectives in an Indian context. The opportunity to work alongside our Indian colleagues is also a wonderful opportunity for the visiting UK academics to learn much about contemporary developments in Indian psychology."

The Psychology Department in Allahabad is one of the most respected in India and is recognised by the Indian University Grants Commission as one of limited number of 'Centres of Advanced Study'. It also hosts the Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences.

Funding for the course has been obtained from the Indian University Grants Commission and from the British Council office in Delhi.

Notes to editors

Professor Pandey joined the University of Allahabad as Professor of Psychology in 1978 and is currently its Head and Coordinator of the Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences. He is also the interim Vice-Chancellor of the University. He undertook his Ph.D as a Fulbright Scholar at Kansas State University and after returning to India worked at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He has been a Visiting Professor at the Wake Forest University, Professional Associate at the East-West Centre at Hawaii, Visiting Senior Commonwealth Fellow at the University of Manitoba and Director of the Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute at Allahabad. He has published widely in Social Psychology and in Cross-Cultural Psychology and is a former president of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk