The Psychological Science and Well-Being Conference 2025 took place at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU Singapore) from 13 to 15 January 2025, drawing 114 participants from 17 countries across the globe – including the US, UK, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and Australia.

This year’s conference expanded beyond traditional psychological science, highlighting the importance of an interdisciplinary approach towards well-being. To facilitate this, JCU Singapore welcomed speakers from industries such as public policy, sociology, medicine, sports, urban planning, education, psychology, and many others. The conference explored four sub-themes through workshops, keynotes, presentations, and parallel sessions:

• Empowering Child Well-Being in a Changing World
• Tech Mind: Navigating Well-Being in the Digital Age
• Navigating Eldercare: Aging, Well-Being and Resilience
• Navigating Well-Being in the Post-COVID Hybrid Workplace

A highlight of the conference was a keynote address by Professor Jean Yeung, Director of Social Sciences at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research Institute for Human Development, who introduced her efforts in mapping different elements of child well-being from early childhood and beyond, emphasising that children’s well-being is situated within a broader sociocultural context beyond just their immediate caregivers, such that factors like attitudes towards paternity leave and parental work hours matter in children’s well-being.

Another keynote speaker, Professor Eddie Tong, a psychologist at the National University of Singapore, underscored the importance of not only addressing negative emotions in well-being discussions but also recognising the role of positive emotions.

The conference concluded with an engaging panel discussion on “Well-Being in the Next Decade: How Do We Get There?” (Panellists appear in sequence from left to right in the image). Porsche Poh, Executive Director at Silver Ribbon Singapore, set the stage with thought-provoking questions: Well-being for whom, by whom? Dr Quah Saw Han (The Affinity People) emphasised the need for self-compassion, while Dr Annabelle Chow (Annabelle Psychology & Annabelle Kids) highlighted personal responsibility in fostering community well-being. Dr Diganta Das (Nanyang Technological University) illustrated how urban planning impacts well-being, referencing city designs in Vienna and Melbourne. Dr Sandra Goh (Auckland University of Technology) discussed how longer life expectancy means hobbies could evolve into second careers, shaping future well-being considerations. The session closed with Professor Nigel Marsh (James Cook University), who cautioned against oversimplifying complex well-being challenges. The panel was moderated by Associate Professor Denise Dillon, Acting Dean of Research and Associate Dean of Research Education at JCU Singapore.

Reflecting on the success of the event, Dr Patrick Lin, Chair of the Organising Committee, stated: “This conference presented an exceptional opportunity to engage with experts from diverse psychology disciplines, thereby deepening our understanding of well-being through both research and practice. Through this platform, we aspire to foster a progressive and constructive psychological research community in Singapore.”

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those involved – from our Organising Team, Members of the Scientific Committee, our School of Social and Health Sciences colleagues to the psychology student volunteers, partners, speakers, and attendees – for their collaborative efforts in ensuring the success of this conference”.

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Contacts

Dr Patrick Lin [email protected]

A/Prof Chan Kaiqin [email protected]

A/Prof Smita Singh [email protected]

Media: Ms Pinky Sibal [email protected] / Ms Hoe Shu Rin [email protected]