Abertay University hosts conference aimed at shaping the next generation of psychologists

More than 200 attendees join major psychology conference hosted at the University

Abertay University welcomed more than 200 delegates to its campus for the annual British Psychological Society (BPS) Scottish Branch Undergraduate Conference, held on Saturday 29 March 2025.  

The event provided a platform for psychology students from across Scotland to showcase their research, enabling them to present their work and findings through engaging conference talks.  

More than 100 student presenters covered a variety of topics from counselling to clinical, educational and neuro-psychology; with students from more than 10 Scottish universities taking part. 

In addition to student presentations, the event featured a Futures Fair, where attendees connected with representatives from many divisions of the BPS - including Clinical, Health, and Educational Psychology. These professional representatives provided invaluable career advice and insights into their respective fields, helping students navigate their future paths. 

Dr Lynn Wright, a Senior Lecturer in Abertay’s Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences, was part of the organising committee for the event. 

She said:

The BPS Scottish Branch Undergraduate Conference was a huge success, and it was such an honour to host the event at Abertay. It was incredible to see such a broad array of topics covered by the students presenting at the conference – and to give them this opportunity to showcase their research. Events like these are crucial for psychology undergraduates – allowing them to build on presentation skills, share their experiences, garner invaluable feedback, and network with other students and peers in the field of psychology. It was brilliant to see so many people in attendance  engaging with the work of students, including the research of our own psychology undergraduates. 

The keynote address was delivered by Sheila Cunningham, Professor of Social Cognition at Abertay University. Her talk addressed important issues surrounding gender biases and the social factors that shape educational choices, offering attendees a thought-provoking perspective on current challenges in psychology. 

The BPS serves as the UK's representative body for psychology and psychologists, dedicated to promoting excellence in the field and advocating for the discipline's impact on individuals and society.  

BPS President Dr Roman Raczka said:

The Scottish Undergraduate Conference is a really important event for the BPS. This year’s conference at Abertay University was a fantastic display of the psychology research being undertaken by students across Scotland. Presenting at a conference like this is hugely important for the career development of undergraduate students. Additionally, the opportunity to network with other students and psychology professionals is invaluable. I was really impressed by the range of different topics that were covered at the conference. It shows the incredible diversity of study and research that is being undertaken by psychology students across all of Scotland’s universities. It was great having the event hosted at Abertay University. The staff did a fantastic job of pulling together all the different presentations from universities across Scotland.