Prof. Ramesh Mishra, Dean, School of Medical Sciences, was invited as a panelist at the European Society for Cognitive Psychology (ESCoP) 2025 Symposium held at the University of Sheffield, UK, from September 1st to 6th. The panel, “Disrupting the Norm: Centering Diversity and Inclusion in Cognitive Psychology,” brought together leading scholars from across the world to deliberate on the role of diversity in shaping the future of cognitive psychology.
Prof. Mishra emphasized the pressing need for diversity and cross-cultural research in the psychological sciences, at the panel. He pointed out that evaluating the western frameworks and understanding their cultural implications is especially important. In interaction with the Indian Students pursuing their PhD programs abroad, he encouraged them to be more sensitive to cultural specificities, especially while collecting data in the Indian Context.
Prof Mishra with Dr. Asha Akram, School Director of People and Culture, University of Sheffield, at the ESCOP Panel.
Prof. Mishra further highlighted that peer-reviewed publications supported by public engagement can only make research in mind and brain sciences socially meaningful and widely impactful. He stressed the importance of bridging the gap between theory and practice so that research outcomes benefit the society holistically.
Another key theme of his invited address was the call for greater international collaboration and sustained funding opportunities. He underlined that inclusive and culturally grounded frameworks can only emerge when research environments actively foster collaborations across geographical boundaries. Prof. Mishra’s insights particularly made a strong case for rethinking the priorities of cognitive psychology.