Speech title:
Psychology in Africa versus African Psychology: What context matters?

Formerly the Head and Subject Chair, Department of Psychology, North-West University (NWU) South Africa. Prof Idemudia is currently a Research (Full) Professor of Research-Social Science Cluster in the Faculty of Humanities. He is also actively engaged as a sub-Programme leader- Violence, Injuries, Trauma and Psychological Intervention’ in ‘Life Style Diseases Research Entity in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

His educational background includes a BSc with Honours in Psychology, MSc and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1986, 1991 and 1995 respectively. He is also an NRF Rated Established Researcher/Scientist in South Africa and a 2015 recipient of the Georg-Forster Life-Time Achievement Award in Research for senior professors by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, (AvH) Germany. He is an AvH Fellow/Alumnus, Germany (since 2003); Leventis Fellow, United Kingdom; Salzburg Fellow, Austria; a Phodiso-UCLA Fellow and Advisor for the UCLA Trauma Training Programme amongst others.

He is currently the General Secretary and Registrar of Membership-World Council for Psychotherapy (WCP-African Chapter) and Board member, WCP, Austria. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, South Africa amongst others and serves as external examiners to several universities in Africa, Europe and North America. He has taught, worked and done research at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, University College London, United Kingdom, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany, the University of Namibia, Windhoek, University of Limpopo, South Africa and NWU, South Africa.

Research focus and contribution to science are anchored on three domains: (1) applied research in mental health, wellbeing, Trauma, PTSS, PTSD, and interventions with vulnerable and challenged groups such as migrants/refugees and PLHIV (2) the development of African-oriented psychology methods with the understanding of illness attributions based on culture and (3) gender studies anchored on 1 and 2 above. Prof Idemudia, has over 200 publications in peer reviewed journals and books of wide readership. He is a Fellow, Nigerian Psychology Association and Fellow of the World Council for Psychotherapy. He is the author (with Klaus Boehnke) “I’m an alien in Deutschland: A quantitative mental health case study of African Immigrants in Germany.