The future of Psychology discussed at Iscte's XX PhD Meeting in Psychology

At the XX PhD Meeting in Psychology, researchers discussed psychological research beyond institutional borders. The event, organized by the first-year students of the doctoral program at Iscte, took place on May 22 and 23, 2025.

© 2025 Pedro Simão Mendes | Iscte

Researchers and PhD candidates gather at this annual meeting to present their research and foster networking and collaboration opportunities. The theme for this year's meeting was "Dreaming beyond institutional borders – the future of psychology". With sessions ranging from the Social and Political Psychology to Health and Wellbeing, the meeting was a platform for critical dialogue, interdisciplinary exchange, and community building.

The event was held at Iscte's Building 3, starting on May 22 with an opening session with Paula Castro, Director of the Doctoral Program, Diniz Lopes, Director of the School of Social Sciences, Marília Prada, Director of the Psychology Department (DPSO), and Susana Batel, Sub-Director of CIS-Iscte. Clinical Psychologist Gabriela Moita was the highlight of the day with an informal discussion on the topic of Psychology as the interface science par excellence, promoting a reflection on individual and intersectional aspects of psychology.

© 2025 Pedro Simão Mendes | Iscte

First-year PhD students had the opportunity to present their research projects, detailing their research ideas and methodologies. The meeting also included three poster sessions over the two days of the event, offering a more interactive platform for discussion and feedback with participants from different universities.

The event concluded with a thought-provoking keynote by Professor Sandra Jovchelovitch, from the London School of Economics, - "Rethinking the Digital Public Sphere: Psychological, Institutional and Political Challenges".

The closing session, led by the Director of the doctoral program, was followed by a sunset gathering, providing a relaxed environment for participants to reflect on the insights gained and to network further.

Photos by Pedro Simão Mendes, Maria Simões Abreu, and Nuno Ramos (Iscte). More pictures will be available soon at Iscte's Flickr page.