Just three weeks ago, between the 21st and 28th April, over three hundred psychology students from,across Europe were hosted at the Onyria Claros Resort, Izmir, Turkey, as guests of the 27th annual EFPSA Congress.

Over the course of seven days, participants were involved in an extraordinary programme of lectures and workshops set around the theme of ‘Understanding Cultural Differences’. Thank you to all speakers and students who contributed to the scientific programme – we hope you enjoyed your stay, learnt a great deal and will stay in touch with EFPSA!

While such a theme hints at an important field for psychological study, it also holds a very particular meaning for EFPSA itself. Built upon international collaboration between European Psychology students our organisation is one that takes great pride in its cultural diversity. As testament to this, the Congress also saw Malta become EFPSA’s 32nd Member Association.

In parallel to the scientific programme, EFPSA undertook its most industrious and integral weeks of the year. On Monday, a new Board of Management was elected, and this year’s Member Representatives assumed their responsibilities. On Tuesday the application process for the new Executive Board concluded with interviews for over fifty applicants. Later that evening the new Board was put to the test with a most challenging selection process – an inspiring and unique perspective on the talents and enthusiasm of so many individuals. By Wednesday morning a complete Executive Board was announced, and with a little help from the EFPSA trainers, by late afternoon the Board was already well underway in taking responsibility for their new roles. From there followed an astonishing amount of knowledge transfer between the old and the new, creative and fresh thinking on how we may take EFPSA to new heights, and a build up of momentum we can be sure to see carry the entire organisation through the year.

We would take this opportunity to acknowledge the Executive Board, Member Representatives and all those involved in the 2012/13 mandate – individuals who dutifully guided EFPSA over a most productive and exciting year. On behalf of the Board of Management, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to you all – your work through the year was of an extraordinary standard, something clear to see in the health of EFPSA as the new teams came into their positions. Equally, on behalf of the new Executive Board, we would like to thank you all for your time and efforts during the week in preparing us all for the year ahead!

A special acknowledgement must go to the previous Board of Management for all their effort in preparing for the change of mandate and in supporting the new Board of Management during their first few days in office. Your forethought and planning was reflected across several activities of the week and sets a high standard for our own handover next year.

Finally, our deepest gratitude must be extended to Yeşim Üzümcüoğlu, head of the Congress, and the organising committee for their work over the last two years in preparing for the event. Without a doubt, the Congress unfolded wonderfully, your hospitality was beyond question, and the week was full of surprises and moments that will no doubt stay with its participants for years to come. Your work was important on so many levels, not least in bringing hundreds of psychology students into touch with psychology, academics and the organisation itself, but also in providing the platform for the change of mandate, and all the internal meetings that go along with it. To have arranged all of this, in such beautiful surroundings, was phenomenal. I can only hope that you all enjoyed yourselves as much as we did as guests of the Congress, and that you’ve found time in the last few weeks for the rest that you all very much deserve – teşekkür ederim!

So now we turn our attention to the year ahead, and the bright future of EFPSA. Speaking from the perspective of the Board of Management, the organisation is in excellent shape and already teams are working earnestly on preparing their plans for the mandate. We will be bringing you further updates from teams about EFPSA activities at the end of this month. In the coming few days you can watch for updates to the EFPSA webpages – introducing the new members of the Executive Board and Member Representatives. We wish all readers the very best in their studies and hope to see you at an EFPSA event in the future.

Sincerely

William, Luís, Antea, Angie, Antoine, Mariyan and Spyra.

The rise of visual media and its role in research is the subject of today’s Bulletin post. Find out more about the next frontier for communication in qualitative research and how a researcher can make use of these innovative visual mediums to improve his work with today’s JEPS Bulletin post!

Would you like to establish yourself on a 12-month research project and gain early insight into research and PhD studies? Would you like to design and conduct a professional and multicultural project across Europe? Would you like to challenge yourself, develop your skills, and seize opportunities of you future career? Apply for the European Summer School 2013!

The European Summer School is a truly unique academic, cultural, and personal journey that provides refreshing research experience in settings far removed from typical university surroundings. It is also a provisional step into the EFPSA Junior Researcher Programme.

This year the seventh European Summer School will take place in the castle of Obsinnich, near Voeren, Belgium, between the 14th and 21st July. Our theme for this year is Psychology and Well-Being Research – we will be exploring the factors contributing to well-being from different psychological perspectives.

We are currently accepting students’ applications for this year’s European Summer School. The call for student participants opened on 14 April and will close on 17 May. If you are a Bachelor’s or Master’s student, or you know one, who would like to attend this year’s summer school, visit http://www.efpsa.org/ess/how-to-apply/ for more information. You will then need to complete an application form and provide a CV.

For more information about the European Summer School and Junior Researcher Programme visit http://www.efpsa.org/ess/ and http://www.efpsa.org/junior-researcher-programme/.

Dear EFPSA people, dear psychology students from all over Europe!

Summer is at our doorstep and even in the middle of studying and exams, plans for the summer are starting to bloom in our minds.  EFPSA wants to present you with the challenge in one of the best things you could do this summer.

EFPSA Train the Trainers Summer School (in short, TtT) is an intense, unforgettable week of gaining everything a beginner trainer needs – knowledge, skills and the right attitude. The TtT is also the first step into becoming a certified EFPSA trainer.

For whom? 12 Psychology Students        

By whom? 3-4 Student Trainers 

                           1-2 Professional Trainer

When? 4^th – 11^th August 2013

Where?  Villa Psaigon, Dingli, Malta

Participation Fee? 175 € (accommodation, meals and materials included)

APPLY by sending the application form and your CV to trainingoffice@efpsa.org by 26^th of May 23:59 CET.

APPLICATION FORM can be found ΗΕRE 

 For more information visit www.efpsa.org/ttt or find us in facebook ‘’EFPSA Train The Trainers 2013’’.

As Winston Churchill once said: “To look into the future, one must look back and understand the past”. As such, dwell into the corners of history and find out more about the historical roots of the scientific journal with today’s JEPS Bulletin post!

A Mandate to Remember!

The mandate 2012-2013, has written its name in EFPSA history with grand accomplishments. Alongside the support of the present Executive Board and Member Representatives, the enthusiasm and the dedication of the Board of Management have taken EFPSA on a great journey in the past 12 months.

The mandate started with the launch of the new website which almost signalled the beginning of a new look of EFPSA.  While efforts of many were dedicated to maintain the quality in the events, all events of this mandate such as  European Summer School 2012, Train the Trainers Summer School 2012, Junior Researchers Program Conference and Executive Board/Member Representatives Meeting have truly surpassed the expectations.

EFPSA increased its’ representation in the external world through attending the first Right to Research Coalition conference, submitting and getting accepted to present in European Congress of Psychology 2013, standardizing the student representation in the Task Forces and Scientific Committees of European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations, attending IFISO meetings and publishing external news on the EFPSA website. 

A great interest and attention has also been given to support upcoming mandates. The Strategic Planning for 2013-2018 is already running to guide next generations. The organisation prioritized its aim to provide/give back to the community; ‘Social Impact’ has officially been initiated this mandate with the feedback from all EFPSA volunteers.

 While approaching the end of the mandate, it is our pleasure to announce particularly exciting news. Thanks to the tremendous effort of the current Finance Team and everyone who worked on grants in this mandate and the previous mandates, EFPSA has successfully managed to receive a grant (Youth in Action 4.1) from European Union worth 35000 Euros for the next mandate! This is the first time in history that EFPSA achieved to receive such a grant; we are very proud to initiate this new era for the future mandates. We believe this will be a great start to improve what EFPSA can offer to its volunteers and members.

Unmistakably, there were many other achievements of this mandate; a mandate summary will follow after the 27^th EFPSA Congress in Turkey with the information that couldn’t be compiled in this postcard.

The Board of Management 2012-2013 have mixed feelings over the sorrow of saying goodbye and the joy that comes from the accomplishments of the year. We are grateful for the opportunity to represent psychology students from all over Europe!

Sincerely,

Board of Management 2012-2013

Dalya, Dimitris, Julia, Peter, Nat, Chris and William

For the past years, JEPS Bulletin has been proud to bring you countless valuable tips on surviving the challenges of conducting and disseminating research, as well as inspirational stories from those who have survived their research endeavours. Having been an indispensable companion for psychology students around the world all these years, have you ever wondered what it is like behind the scenes of JEPS Bulletin? Check out today’s post on JEPS Bulletin as Yee Row Liew talks about life as a Bulletin Editor and what she has learned from being one.

It is this time of year again – time to prepare for a new mandate and fresh new faces in the EFPSA family. Therefore we would like to announce that you can now apply to join the 2013-2014 Executive Board of EFPSA.

In the documents section on our website you can find specific job descriptions, however, we would also like to invite you to contact the person(s) who is currently holding the position that you are interested in, in order to gain a personal insight about the positions.

How to apply?

Please send your application to secretary@efpsa.org until:

19/04/2013, 23:59 CET – senior positions

23/04/2013, 16:59 CET – all other positions

The application should contain the following two elements:

1. Curriculum vitae

2. Application Form

An individual can apply for more than one Executive Board position. If elected for a position, one’s application for other positions will not be taken into further consideration. The applications will not be looked at before the deadline.

If you have questions concerning the application procedure, please contact the Board of Management through secretary@efpsa.org.

We are looking forward to your application!

EFPSA Board of Management 2012-2013

Dalya, Dimi, Julia, Peter, Chris, Nat and William

Dear EFPSA Alumni and the Alumni to be,

We are proud to announce the official implementation of the Alumni Network as an integral part of EFPSA’s scope. EFPSA is about to host the 27^th Annual Congress in Turkey. EFPSA has been standing until now with the support of many people throughout its’ history. We can state that EFPSA’s history is important for development of this organisation and all the efforts should be recognized. Through the effort of the Task Force called “EFPSA Chronicles” Alumni Body has been finalized.  As a result of this action, EFPSA Alumni will meet officially during the Congress to make the first Alumni Assembly happen.

To make it easier to understand who EFPSA Alumni members are this official definition is provided:

 “EFPSA Alumni are people who were involved in EFPSA through participation in events and services, who worked as volunteers in the organisation, and who are willing to support future generations with what they have.”

In the agenda, there will be topics varying from possible activities within Alumni community such as future meetings to communication with EFPSA and the website. Everyone who feels that the definition above describes them, are invited to join as Alumni. For the rest of this Virtual Network all the information that will be discussed there, will also be published on-line after the congress.

In addition, the Task Force “EFPSA Chronicles” is currently working on exploring EFPSA’s history through finding previous EFPSA enthusiasts, information from previous events, meetings and documents. If you think you might have some information to share or you know someone who might help sorting this puzzle, please fill in/share this form and also feel free to contact our current Immediate Past President, Vedran Lešić via ipp@efpsa.org! We are looking forward to receive your stories!

The Journal of European Psychology Students (JEPS) is an online peer-reviewed journal by the European Federation of Psychology Students’ Associations (EFPSA). JEPS provides the unique opportunity for students to publish their work in an international scientific journal.

JEPS invites psychology students to submit their research articles and literature reviews from all fields of psychology. Publishing an article provides valuable lessons in scientific writing and publishing; having such an experience as a student creates great advantages for pursuing any scientific career.

The submission deadline for the next issue is:

30^th April 2013

The manuscripts should be submitted electronically using the journal’s submission portal at http://www.efpsa.org/services/jeps/, where all submission guidelines and information regarding the format and structure of the papers can also be found. Submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. After being evaluated by Associate Editors of the respective field of psychology, the submitted manuscript is then reviewed by reputable scholars. From there, Associate Editors will make a decision to either accept/reject the manuscript or resend it for further revision. 

Please feel free to contact us at journal@efpsa.org with any inquiries.