Keynote Speakers
Dr. Brien K. Ashdown
Dr. Brien K. Ashdown received his doctorate degree in cultural and developmental psychology from Saint Louis University, Missouri, USA. Starting his academic career from University of Alaska Fairbanks (2009-2011) USA, he has been an assistant professor and tenured associate professor of psychological science at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, USA since 2011. His research centers on the way that cultural variables (such as gender, religion, social identity, etc.) influence the social development of adolescents and emerging adults. His work has resulted in more than 40 publications as well as dozens of conference talks and posters. He also serves as the associate editor for international and global manuscripts for the journal Community Development, and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and International Perspectives in Psychology. Currently he is serving as the president of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research and the International Association of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection, and as the Executive Director of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
Dr. Abdul Manan Barr
Dr. Abdul Manan Mulla Mamoor Yousef Barr is a Professor at Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He also has experience as the Director General of Counselling and Guidance Department at the Ministry of Education in Riyadh. He has written and published more than 28 research papers and books in scientific journals inside and outside Saudi Arabia. He is a prominent figure in the field of Positive Psychology in the region.
