International Studies & Programs

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MSU Faculty Champions International Consortium on Career and Work Psychology, Hosting the First Annual Meeting in Shanghai

Michigan State University (MSU) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) held the first annual consortium on career and work psychology in June 2019 in Shanghai, focusing on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

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Published: Thursday, 17 Oct 2019 Author: Roberto Xu

The first annual consortium on career and work psychology between Michigan State University (MSU) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) was held in June 2019 in Shanghai, focusing on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” characterized by automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in transforming the nature of the workplace.

In the 21st century, career satisfaction and quality of life is becoming a fundamental consideration for jobseekers in China.

Frederick Leong, professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at MSU, explains this problem with Maslow’s theory, “When humans are in survival mode, they don’t care about life satisfaction and life quality. Once the basic needs are met, career satisfaction becomes a priority because they can show personal values and personality.” According to Leong, many people in China are currently in the higher phase of Maslow’s theory, where they have met their standard needs and are seeking a happier life.

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What is the consortium about and why is it important?

A growing need for industrial organization in China led Professor Leong to create a consortium on career and work psychology through a partnership with Shanghai Normal University. The purpose of the consortium is to increase research on career–related psychology issues that teenagers are currently facing in China and to promote theoretical innovation and practical analysis of the growth, happiness of individuals, and groups working in a changing and diversified workplace environment. Finding the right job is important, especially the first job, because it leads to more productivity and less turnover.

The consortium is coming up with solutions to help university students find their first job and people already in the working field to have a satisfying career. Increasing collaborative research will benefit both researchers from MSU and SHNU, due to an exchange of expertise and sharing knowledge and methodology. Researchers from SHNU can learn about the latest research methods that have been used in the West, and MSU researchers can learn about social psychology in China.

According to Professor Leong, the consortium has two mechanisms: the annual symposium and a new journal (Chinese Journal of Career and Work Psychology). The annual symposium’s hosting city will rotate between East Lansing and Shanghai so that graduate students and researchers from both universities can get involved in this program. This rotation will make graduate students and faculty at MSU more globally focused in their research and perspectives, as the field of psychology has been traditionally dominated by Western perspectives and experiences. During the first symposium held in Shanghai in June 2019, participants discussed possible research collaborations that can be presented at the next symposium planned for East Lansing in 2020. As for the second part of the consortium, the journal will be published in English by American Psychological Association (APA), a prestigious publisher in psychological research.

Major challenges and insights

The biggest challenge to this partnership is the current political and economic conflict between the United States and China. This conflict manifests itself in academia in both countries when researchers find themselves caught between rhetoric of protecting an individual country’s interests and working to solve real world problems through an open exchange of ideas. Professor Leong questions, “Do we have a responsibility to share the scientific knowledge and methods or should it be controlled as a political asset?”
“Do we have a responsibility to share the scientific knowledge and methods or should it be controlled as a political asset?”

The connection between MSU and the SHNU as well as other universities in Shanghai is a solution to the distrust and challenges the two countries are currently facing. Learning new perspectives, especially in the field of psychology, can make the bond between people of the two countries stronger.

Impact for MSU

The Industrial Organization Program at MSU is one of the best programs in this field in the world. Globalizing MSU students and faculty so they have broader perspectives is essential as MSU interacts with the world. Another benefit coming out of Professor Leong’s efforts to develop this consortium is that MSU faculty have a strong connection and greater opportunities to conduct research in China.