Research Institutions
The Research Center for Psychological Education
Founded in May, 1992, the Research Center for Psychological Education evolved from UIR’s Psychological Counseling Center. Since that time, the center has become a university department that combines teaching, researching, counseling, and training. The center now has six full- and -part-time instructors, 15 external specialists and counselors, as well as a part-time staff of 12 people. In addition to taking care of the university’s psychological education and counseling, the center also helps the university’s academic units with related work.
The major responsibilities of the Research Center for Psychological Education include the following:
1. Psychological education and services. The center offers undergraduate courses, including Principles of Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychology for University Students, Psychology studies, Criminal psychology, and Mental Health for University Students. As well, the center organizes mental health seminars for both undergraduates and postgraduates. A psychological counseling hotline has been operating throughout the year, and students can access counseling services at any time of the day. Group psychological training has been organized regularly.
2. Academic seminars and international academic exchanges. The center is actively involved in domestic and international academic exchanges. Its instructors are encouraged to attend international conferences, and the center has invited experts from the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan to give lectures and courses where these experts share the latest thinking and technologies in the field.In collaboration with domestic and foreign institutes, the center is also working on projects to combine psychology with international politics. As well, academic workshops are regularly held for students.
3. Work for national governments offices. The center provides psychological knowledge and counseling services for national government offices and units. Psychological needs survey and related training program the center developed in 2005 is now used in 29 provinces and regions. The center has also been involved in providing psychological counseling services for the Olympic Games, the Asiade, the Universiade, and other major international events. In addition, the center provides government functionaries with counseling through psychology seminars and stress management workshops. Further, the center offers superior department ongoing training courses in psychological theoretical and practices.
4. Professional facilities. The center operates nine laboratories, including those for the observation of psychological behaviors, cognitive-related electro cortical potentials, training in stress relief, play therapy, psychological measurement, and individual and group counseling etc. These laboratories are equipped with international-standard experimental instruments, such as an EEG amplifier, an eye tracker, and a facial expression recognition system. These labs are used not only for psychological counseling, education, and practice, but also serve as an experimental site for internal psychological services and techniques.