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About the webinar series
This webinar series, sponsored by the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP), aims to critically reimagine the approach toward cross-cultural research conducted in psychology and allied disciplines. We strive to challenge the extractive approach to cross-cultural academic work and deconstruct the deeply embedded WEIRD bias within the social sciences. Through four interactive sessions, we will introduce attendees to research practices not anchored to Western thought and allow them to evaluate their position, privilege, and power while conducting cross-cultural research in non-WEIRD societies. The sessions explore how to decolonise research practices by integrating indigenous knowledge systems, language and translation issues, and confronting Western dominance in academia. Featuring various experts, the series is designed for early career scholars, students, researchers, and academics committed to approaching cross-cultural research in a culturally responsible, ethical, and collaborative manner.
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webinar schedule
Session 1:What? Unpacking the WEIRD Bias
Date and Time: 24th January 2026, Saturday, 4 PM IST
Speaker: Dr. Sakshi Ghai
Sakshi Ghai is an Assistant Professor of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of Cambridge. Her research spans two strands: applied work on how digital technologies such as social media, gaming, and AI shape young people’s well-being and online safety in the Global South, and meta-scientific work on diversity in behavioural science. She examines issues of sample representativeness, generalisability, and open science, with a focus on culturally relevant, rigorous approaches that broaden behavioural research to include populations in the Global South.
Session 2:How? Decolonizing Research Methodologies
Date and Time: 1st February 2026, Sunday, 9:30 AM IST
Speaker: Dr. Sunil Bhatia
Sunil Bhatia, Ph.D. is an internationally known professor in psychology and human development. His book publications include American Karma: Race, culture and identity in the Indian diaspora (2007, New York University Press) and Decolonizing Psychology: Globalization, Social Justice and Indian Youth Identities (2018, Oxford University Press). His second book received the 2018 William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Bhatia has published over 50 articles and book chapters. Bhatia has received Connecticut College's 2018 Nancy Batson Nisbet Rash Faculty Research Award and the 2005 John King Excellence in Teaching Award; the American Psychological Association's 2015 International Humanitarian Award; and APA's 2017 Theodore Sarbin Award for distinguished contributions to psychology. Currently, Professor Bhatia is co-editing a special issue for American Psychologist titled “Towards a decolonial psychology: Recentering and reclaiming global marginalized knowledge” and a Handbook on Decolonial Psychology for Routledge. Both projects are slated for publication in Fall 2025.
Session 3:Lost in Translation: Language and Psychometrics in Cross-Cultural
Date and Time: 7th February 2026, Saturday, 4 PM IST
Speaker: Shannon Fernandes
Shannon J. Fernandes is a faculty member at LS Raheja, where he teaches psychometry and statistics. He is also the founder of CogVerge, a psychometric company specializing in assessment development, and maintains a private practice as an existential therapist. He also enjoys making content about research and sharing his experience with ADHD.
Session 4:Structural Barriers in Psychology (Publishing, Funding, Access)
Date and Time: 14th February 2026, Saturday, 8:30 AM IST
Speaker: Arathy Putillam
Arathy is a Ph.D. candidate at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. Her research interests lie at the intersections of social, moral, and political psychology. Specifically, she draws on methods and theories from social and moral psychology to investigate interpersonal and institutional harm and wrongdoing. Her work further explores moral judgements and social groups in the Indian context. In addition, she has an interest in meta-science- specifically in internationalizing psychology to better understand our social worlds.
ELIGIBILITY
Undergraduate students, Postgraduate students, PhD students, and professors interested in cross-cultural psychology.