Dr. Ype H. Poortinga was elected President of the IACCP in 1988,
and prior to that he was the Secretary-General of the Association
for several years. He organized the Third International Congress
of IACCP in 1976, edited the proceeding book of the congress,
and also was helpful as Co-Editor of the proceeding volumes of
other Congresses. Dr. Poortinga has been Associate Editor of the
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and has played a key role
in establishing publication of the Cross-Cultural Psychology Monograph.
He has been a leader in systematizing the field of cross-cultural
psychology, particularly in his role as coauthor of two textbooks
and coeditor of the Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology. In
his writing and in his empirical research, Dr. Poortinga has been
especially concerned with the theoretical and empirical aspects
of the field, with emphasis on methodology especially directed
toward cross-cultural psychological research. In his cross-cultural
research orientation, Dr. Poortinga has collaborated on community-based
studies with colleagues in many parts of the world.
It was largely through Dr. Poortinga's initiative and efforts in the early 1990s that an international collaborative programme known as ARTS (Advanced Research Training Seminars) was established. In addition to his role in building IACCP as a strong international organization, Dr. Poortinga served as the President of the Netherland Institute of Psychology, President of the European Federation of Professional Psychological Associations, President of the International Test Committee, and as a member of the Executive Boards of the International Association of Applied Psychology and the International Union of Psychological Science. In his various capacities in these organizations, Dr. Poortinga has been a persistent advocate for Cross-Cultural Psychology.
August 16, 1998