The 16th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2026)

March 22-27, 2026
Tokyo International Forum & Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, and Online

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Welcome to The 16th Asian Conference on Psychology & Behavioral Sciences (ACP2026), held in partnership with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, Japan.

In 2026, ACP celebrates its 16th anniversary. It has proven to be a great opportunity for engaging in interdisciplinary dialogue, speaking to scholars, and learning from other experts from around the world and from a variety of academic disciplines. The interdisciplinary and international focus of the conference draws world-class speakers and keeps people coming back year after year.

Established scholars have commented that the format of the conference allows them to share insights with younger researchers, and to learn from the next generation. Many of the works presented at ACP have been on the cutting edge, demonstrating presenters’ deep mastery of complex topics and proposing important new ideas. ACP2026 will undoubtedly continue this tradition of being a great place to learn and to network. It gives attendees the chance to build an interdisciplinary and global perspective on the study of psychology and behavioral sciences.

For this year’s conference, the Programme Committee has opted to leave the theme more open than in past years. There will be a number of streams and special sessions within the fields of psychology and behavioral sciences, but presenters will not be limited by any one, specific theme. It is hoped that this open format will encourage a broad range of submissions on a variety of related topics and encourage discussions across disciplines.

ACP2026 will be partnering with The 12th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen2026) and The 12th Asian Conference on Education & International Development (ACEID2026), increasing opportunities for broad multidisciplinary exchanges. Registration the conference allows access to sessions in the other two.

Held in partnership with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP) at Osaka University, this international conference encourages academics and scholars to meet and exchange ideas and views in a forum stimulating respectful dialogue. This event will afford an exceptional opportunity for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, networking, and facilitating partnerships across national and disciplinary borders.

In conjunction with our Global Partners, we look forward to extending you a warm welcome in 2026.

– The Conference Committee

Key Information
  • Location & Venue: Held in Tokyo, Japan, and online
  • Dates: Sunday, March 22, 2026 ​to Friday, March 27, 2026
  • Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: September 18, 2025*
  • Final Abstract Submission Deadline: December 12, 2025
  • Registration Deadline for Presenters: January 22, 2026

*Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options.

Submit an Abstract
Register to Attend

Speakers

To be Announced

  • William C. Frick
    William C. Frick
    University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • Evangelia Chrysikou
    Evangelia Chrysikou
    University College London, United Kingdom
  • Héctor García
    Héctor García
    Author, Japan
  • Seoyoun Kim
    Seoyoun Kim
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States
  • Kathryn M. Lavender
    Kathryn M. Lavender
    National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), United States
  • James W. McNally
    James W. McNally
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States
  • Hiroshi Ota
    Hiroshi Ota
    Hitotsubashi University, Japan
  • Lowell Sheppard
    Lowell Sheppard
    Never Too Late Academy & IAFOR, Japan

IAFOR's Conference Themes for 2025-2029

IAFOR Themes 2025-2029
Our selected themes for 2025-2029 bring together ideas and encourage research and synergies in the following areas:

  • Technology and Artificial Intelligence
  • Humanity and Human Intelligence
  • Global Citizenship and Education for Peace
  • Leadership

    • Our four themes can be seen as standalone themes, but they are also very much in conversation with each other. Themes may be seen as corollaries, complementary, or in opposition/juxtaposition with each other. The themes can be considered as widely as possible and are designed, in keeping with our mission, to encourage ideas across the disciplines.

    Read Last Year's Conference Report

    View the ACEID/ACP/AGen2025 Conference Photo Gallery
    Find Out More About Conference Reports & Intelligence Briefings

    Conference News

    Evangelia Chrysikou to Present ‘Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human-Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World’

    Evangelia Chrysikou to Present ‘Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human-Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World’

    Dr Chrysikou is the Founder/Programme Director of UCL’s MSc Healthcare Facilities, and is an awarded RIBA architect and healthcare planner who has consulted international organisations regarding accessible and inclusive design in healthcare ...

    ‘Ikigai’ Author Héctor García Joins ACEID/ACP/AGen2026 Longevity Panel

    Mr García will speak on the ACEID/ACP/AGen2026 panel titled ‘Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond’ ...

    Accepted Presentations

    One of the greatest strengths of IAFOR’s international conferences is their international and intercultural diversity. As of January 13, 2026, ACP2026 has received over 480 submissions from over 63 countries and territories - including: Philippines, United States, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, ...

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    About IAFOR

    "Inspiring Global Collaborations"

    Founded in 2009, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is a mission-driven politically independent non-partisan and non-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, facilitating intercultural awareness and promoting international exchange, principally through educational interaction and academic research. Based in Japan, its main administrative office is in Nagoya, and its research centre is in the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), a graduate school of The University of Osaka. IAFOR runs research programs and events in partnership with universities, think tanks, and other associations. Through its international, intercultural and interdisciplinary conferences, research, and publications, IAFOR is a network hub for interdisciplinary discussion across Asia and beyond.
    Read more about IAFOR.

    William C. Frick
    University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    Biography

    TBA

    Featured Workshop (2026) | TBA
    Seoyoun Kim
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States

    Biography

    Dr Seoyoun Kim is affiliated with ICPSR and the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research within the University of Michigan, United States She is also the director of the NACDA Program on Aging. She holds a dual-title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University, United States. Her research lies at the intersection of social gerontology, epidemiology, multi-omics, and cardiovascular health. Dr Kim explores how social and environmental factors shape health outcomes, particularly in ageing populations. She examines the impact of paid and unpaid productive engagement on the well-being of older adults, shedding light on the social determinants of health in later life. Her research also integrates multi-omics approaches to unravel the complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences on health and ageing.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Understanding Cognitive Impairment: Placing Dementia Within a Realistic Framework
    Héctor García
    Author, Japan

    Biography

    Héctor García was born in Spain and worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, where he has lived for over 21 years. During his fifteen years in Tokyo’s IT industry, he wrote the international bestseller Xcentric Culture: A Geek in Japan (2008) and later The Magic of Japan: Secret Places and Life-Changing Experiences (2020). He is also the co-author of the global hit Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (2016), which has been translated into 70 languages. Notably, Ikigai holds the distinction of being the most translated book ever originally written in Spanish. To date, he has published ten books on Japanese culture.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond
    Evangelia Chrysikou
    University College London, United Kingdom

    Biography

    Dr Evangelia Chrysikou, RIBA is Associate Professor within the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at University College London, United Kingdom, and Founder/Programme Director of the university’s MSc Healthcare Facilities. A multi-awarded RIBA architect and healthcare planner, Dr Chrysikou has published widely and won several prestigious grants and fellowships from international organisations, including Horizon 2020, UKRI, Wellcome, British Academy, Royal Society of New Zealand, and the Sasakawa Foundation. Her research interests lie at the spectrum of inclusion in relation to design, spanning across the disciplines of built environment, health, digital technologies and the social sciences. Dr Chrysikou is a member of the National Accessibility Authority, Hellenic Republic by invitation from the Greek Prime Minister, and a member of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Life Sciences and Healthcare Council Leadership Committee. She was the coordinator of the Environment Section of the EIPonAHA, EU, and has worked as a consultant for international government bodies such as the Japanese MOFA, Peru Reconstruction Mechanism, and the British Government for projects related to healthcare planning and architecture. She was elected Vice-President of the Urban Public Health section of EUPHA in 2018.

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | Designing Care Futures: Built Environments, Health Systems, and Human–Robot Cohabitation in an Ageing World
    Hiroshi Ota
    Hitotsubashi University, Japan

    Biography

    TBA

    Keynote Presentation (2026) | TBA
    Lowell Sheppard
    Never Too Late Academy & IAFOR, Japan

    Biography

    Mr Lowell Sheppard is an author, speaker, social entrepreneur, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with a lifelong commitment to social impact, ethical leadership, and exploration. He has worked extensively with established NGOs and start-ups, most notably as the Founder of HOPE International Development Agency Japan. Under his leadership, HOPE-JP has grown to rank among the top 2% of charitable organizations in Japan, achieving the prestigious nintei tax-deductible certification. Mr Sheppard has been a longtime supporter and past speaker at IAFOR Conferences. He currently serves as the organisation’s Director of Development, seeking to expand the Global Fellowship Programme and scholarship opportunities. Mr Sheppard’s passion for social and environmental improvement projects has driven his career. For over two decades, Lowell has served as an informal advisor to companies and boards around the globe.

    In pursuit of adventure and deeper insights into ageing and longevity, Mr Sheppard moved onto a sailboat five years ago and has been sailing full-time around Japan, embracing the life of a digital nomad and explorer. After spending fifteen months moored and deeply immersed in the Blue Zone culture of Okinawa, Mr Sheppard set out in 2025 to revisit a journey that had first shaped his life twenty-five years earlier: chasing Japan’s cherry blossoms from south to north. What began as a seasonal passage became a year-long quest, repeatedly visiting and revisiting Japan’s key longevity hotspots—rural prefectures, islands, and communities where people continue to live long, healthy, independent lives. Between these journeys, he regularly returned to his own ‘longevity laboratory’” a remote island village where he lives and observes daily community life at close quarters, blending slow travel, field research, and lived experience.

    As an author, his book Never Too Late (Lion Hudson PLC, 2005), published in four languages, became the inspiration for his latest social enterprise, the Never Too Late Academy. His most recent book, Dare to Dream, was shortlisted for the UK Business Book of the Year Award in 2023.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Longevity, Happiness, and the Art of Community: Lessons from Japan and Beyond
    Kathryn M. Lavender
    National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), United States

    Biography

    Kathryn Lavender is the Data Project Manager for the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), the aging archive at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan, United States. NACDA is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ms Lavender helps to guide data producers on data management and data sharing in the realm of data on aging populations/gerontology; promotes secondary research resources for public use; and contributes to spreading knowledge about quality metadata and data discovery through NACDA, as well as through the DDI Alliance. Ms Lavender has been an ICPSR staff member for more than 15 years and has been managing NACDA for nearly half of that time.

    Featured Workshop Presentation (2025) | Aging Data in the Digital Era: Leveraging NACDA Resources for Gerontological Research, Training, and Education

    Previous Presentations

    Featured Workshop Presentation (2025) | Aging Data: NACDA Resources for Gerontological Research, Training and Education
    James W. McNally
    University of Michigan & NACDA Program on Aging, United States

    Biography

    Dr James W. McNally is the Director of the NACDA Program on Aging, a data archive containing over 1,500 studies related to health and the aging life course. He is also a Senior Advisor for the National Institute on Aging (NIA), Division of Behavioral and Social Science (DBSR/ODRA). He currently does methodological research on the improvement and enhancement of secondary research data and has been cited as an expert authority on data imputation. Dr McNally has directed the NACDA Program on Aging since 1998 and has seen the archive significantly increase its holdings with a growing collection of seminal studies on the aging life course, health, retirement and international aspects of aging. He has spent much of his career addressing methodological issues with a specific focus on specialised application of incomplete or deficient data and the enhancement of secondary data for research applications. Dr McNally has also worked extensively on issues related to international aging and changing perspectives on the role of family support in the later stages of the aging life course.

    Panel Presentation (2026) | Understanding Cognitive Impairment: Placing Dementia Within a Realistic Framework

    Previous Presentations

    Featured Presentation (2018) | Patterns of Depression Among Elderly Asian Immigrants to the United States Over the Past Decade