Rare international honour for AU Prof

FOR PROVIDING academic leadership to the growth of psychology in India for the past three decades and for his major contribution to the internationalisation of Psychology, former Vice-Chancellor of Allahabad University (AU) and the head of the AU Psychology department Prof Janak Pandey has been conferred the title of honorary fellow by the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

The honour was bestowed upon Prof Pandey at the General Assembly of the 18th International Congress of International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology that was held at Spestes in Greece between July 11-15, 2006.

Prof Pandey's work for preparing two separate series of major volumes related to the review of psychological research in India for world-wide audience, his own sophisticated investigation of universal social processes and of neglected phenomenon of poverty and environmental stresses have been specially mentioned in the citation of the award.

Earlier, Prof Pandey has served as the deputy secretary general and also the president of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.

As many as 15 psychologists from India including AU's Prof Deepa Punetha attended the congress.

Meanwhile, Prof Janak Pandey has also been elected as a Board member of the International Association of Applied Psychology during the International Congress of Applied Psychology held at Athens in Greece between July 16-21, 2006.

Prof Pandey delivered a keynote address at the congress on 'Social Stigma'. A highlight of the event was its inauguration by well-known Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor, at present in the news for being the Indian contender for the post of UN Secretary General. This congress too witnessed a heavy Indian presence with around two dozen psychologists from the country including AU's Prof Komilla Thapa and Dr K Chandraiah taking part in the meet.