The Asia Pacific School Psychology Association (APSPA) has been launched during the First International Conference of the Malaysia School Psychology Association (MaSPA) on School Psychology held at Hotel Grand Seasons, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 11th January 2019. Followed by the launching, deliberations of core committee members unanimously resolved to promote activities among school psychologists from different countries in the Asia Pacific region. This will cater to the needs of promotion of common school psychology services in the Asia Pacific region, especially in cross-cultural life skills, mental health, and well-being. 

The Asia Pacific region is comprised of multi-national, multi-cultural, and multilingual developing countries. Every country has its own unique multifaceted schooling systems which cater to the needs of heterogeneous groups of children. The schools run by the governments as well as private, both in urban and rural areas differ in many respects from the private English-medium schools that draw children by and large from economically prosperous families. Thus, the school setting today is characterized by the existence of educational institutions of various standards, which may be distinguished based on several indicators, including teaching and learning methods, physical infrastructural facilities, and policies of the administration. Children of these schools need proper psychological guidance to learn and acquire required life skills and abilities.

We strongly believe that professional school psychologists alone can provide the necessary professional guidance to the children in schools and educational institutions such as special schools and mental health homes. Presently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools are badly in need of such professional school psychologists to create an ambiance to teach and learn to provide the much-desired high-quality school education in the Asia Pacific countries by promoting mental health and well-being. 

In this connection, in collaboration with the Assumption University of Thailand, Bangkok conducting our 3rd APSPA International Virtual Conference on Multi-Cultural Challenges and Diverse Approaches in School Psychology on 22 – 23 July 2022.

We hope that the outcome of this conference deliberation will certainly raise the visibility of positive mental health among children in the Asia Pacific Region. This will also provide multidisciplinary approaches in transforming learning experiences in education and psychology domains.

I wish to record my sincere thanks to the organizing team for their initiative to conduct the successful conference.