Summary of SCIPA Outreach in  Asia Pacific  2024
Dr. Karyn Todes Sydney, Australia, 12 August 2024

During  May 2024, at the Asia Pacific Conference held in Sydney Australia, SCIPA held a meeting for scientific chairs and delegates in the region. Twenty-four Scientific Chairs or delegates registered for the in-room meeting in Sydney.  In room registrations excluding committee members totalled 29 people and three people registered on line. Of those who registered in room, 6 were from Australia, 3 from China, 2 from New Zealand, 1 from France, 1 from Spain, 2 from Taiwan, 3 from India, 3 from South Korea, 2 from the United States, and 1 person from Germany , 1 from Germany, 1 from Canada, 1 from Chile ,  & 1 from London. All regions in the Asia Pacific were well represented.

Many delegates that attended the meeting, met in advance of the SCIPA event, either in a small group or in a one on one zoom meeting. The aim of these introductory zoom sessions prior to the Asia Pacific conference, was to establish personal contact and to discuss the objectives of the upcoming meeting. These discussions were very helpful in establishing a rapport and common ground amongst people interested in working together in the Asia Pacific region. Support was gleaned for the idea of the import of having intra regional meetings in the Asia Pacific, as people expressed that they might not always be in a position to attend inter regional meetings.  People also suggested that intra regional meetings, might be helpful in getting to know other scientific chairs within the Asia Pacific region and forming more personal bonds. These discussions prior to the SCIPA in room scientific meeting, endorsed the feedback the committee had in Cartagena.

At the pre conference committee meeting in Sydney, Dr. Timothy Keogh chair of SCIPA welcomed everybody, and together with Dr.  Karyn Todes, Co Chair Asia Pacific societies and new groups, SCIPAs global strategy was presented to participants. Dr. Keogh shared the background and nature of scientific life of the IPA, and committee members Nicole Ropert, Kannan Navaratnem, Andre Gagnon, Karyn Todes, presented our mandate to the group, alongside the activities SCIPA are planning, and the issues that arose out of the committees first meeting in Cartagena last year. 

Attendees from different regions agreed that establishing a “scientific identity “ in the region was important. Overall SCIPA’S strategic plan was endorsed by the delegates and scientific chairs who attended the meeting. There was a consensus about promulgating a shared vision about what a contemporary view of psychoanalysis is. There was also an expression of support for fostering communication to share ideas and resources within the Asia Pacific region.  

An intra regional network was established this year , highlighting the success of the work this year, and this network of people in the Asia Pacific region, will be invited to the next inter regional meeting.