The Congress theme is: Interventions at work – Integrating Science and Practice and this theme was chosen specifically to highlight the importance that the impact of science needs to have on the world though its effective practice.

In academia, it is so easy to sit back in our silos and concentrate on the research that brings publications, citations, grants and prestige within our narrow fields. However, there is a larger world out there which includes professional practitioners who are looking to scientific research to help provide answers to practical issues of considerable significance. These practitioners also have ideas and data that can feed back and nourish the further development of science. 

Therefore, our aim is to bring together scientists and practitioners to share ideas and build a meaningful dialogue. While the theme was agreed before the pandemic, it seems particularly appropriate when so many of us have been thinking about the countless changes to our lives and workplaces which it has brought. So many of our colleagues have been researching and innovating to understand how to work effectively in the new reality. Organisations have need of our collective insights and the pandemic has provided an unexpected natural experiment.

Congress may be an opportune time to reflect and anticipate how we might need to evolve as work and organizational psychologists to address the complex challenges that we face.