Dubai to host major Psychology Conference in 2003

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) announced that Dubai has been confirmed as the venue to host the first regional conference on ‘Psychology in the Middle East’ from December 13th to 18th 2003. The event being organized under the primary auspices of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), and the collaboration of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) and the International Association of Cross Cultural Psychology (IACCP) will be held under the patronage of the DTCM.

“Health profession conferences offer a significant prospective for Dubai’s drive to attract a larger share of the potential conference market and the staging of this conference will be a key development in line with HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s 2010 strategic vision of developing Dubai as a Healthcare City,” said DTCM Manager Heritage Sites and Events, Awadh Al Seghayer.

“Dubai is on the verge of transforming into a global hub for specialized healthcare and a center for medical education and research and the staging of such regional health conferences will add to make us a world-renowned healthcare facility by 2010,” observed Mr. Al Seghayer.

“Up to 2000 industry professionals are expected to attend this conference that will provide updated information to the union of mental health care professionals throughout the Middle East,” said Dr. Michel E. Sabourin, Treasurer IUPsyS.

“The conference will help professionals in responding to continuing education and training in specific areas of professional psychology and there will be workshops on different topics be led by world renowned experts in areas of clinical, forensic, organizational, educational, marriage and family running alongside the conference,” Dr. Sabourin added.

IUPsyS has selected Dr. Raymond H. Hamden as the chairperson of the conference. An American Psychologist of Arab descent, he has been practicing in Dubai and the UAE since 1990. IUPsyS has also appointed Dr. Hassan Kassim Khan as the regional coordinator for the scientific program of the conference. Dr. Khan is the chief of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the Aden University in Yemen and President of the Yemen Psychological Association.

“This will be an opportunity to disseminate psychological knowledge and services to the related fields of psychology, which will foster current and future advantages as continuing perspectives in this growing field of expertise,” said Dr. Hamden.

“One of the goals of this conference will be to facilitate communication between scientific researchers and professional psychologists of different countries of the region to discuss the development and present status of psychology in the Middle Eastern nations and its sustainable development,” added Dr. Hamden.

He noted that contributions to psychology, made by Middle Eastern scholars’ would also be highlighted showing the contemporary status of psychology in the Middle East countries as well as main trends of research and the difficulties and obstacles that are hindering its development. 

Dr. Khan stated: “Contrary to popularly held misconceptions, psychology has been practiced in the Middle East for centuries and the staging of this conference will facilitate in creating awareness about this and other aspects of psychological science.”