On November 14, 2018, students from the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science at Zhejiang University arrived in Surabaya, Indonesia, accompanied by Professor Jianhong Ma and Professor Weilian Lin.
On the morning of November 15, we attended the opening ceremony of the CRCEP program at the University of Surabaya. The Vice President of the University of Surabaya opened the ceremony by mentioning that this year marked the eighth edition of the CRCEP program and highlighted the growing academic exchanges between China and Indonesia. He also emphasized the increasing importance of psychology and expressed hopes that the CRCEP program would further enhance collaboration between the two countries. Subsequently, Professor Jianhong Ma elaborated on the significance of the CRCEP program, noting that multiple research outcomes had been published in academic journals, demonstrating substantial achievements in scholarly research.
Image: Group photo of all participants at the CRCEP opening ceremony
At the end of the ceremony, both sides exchanged gifts as a gesture of friendship. Students from the University of Surabaya performed traditional Indonesian dances, sang the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, and performed traditional Indonesian songs. The charm of Indonesian culture and the warmth of the University of Surabaya’s faculty and students deepened our affection for the place and strengthened the friendship between the two sides.
Image: University of Surabaya students performing a traditional Indonesian dance
In the afternoon, Professor Jianhong Ma, along with professors from the University of Surabaya and students from both countries, conducted a seminar exploring psychological research related to economics and consumer behavior. The professors emphasized the importance of economics and decision-making in psychology, discussing topics such as e-commerce in China, psychological budgeting, rational and irrational consumption, and summarizing China’s economic characteristics and consumption habits. This provided us with valuable insights into economic psychology.
Image: Professor Ma speaking at the seminar
In the evening, guided by our Indonesian friends, we visited the city center to enjoy local cuisine. The day’s exchanges allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of Indonesia and enriched us academically.
On November 16, we began our first research discussions and participated in the ICP conference.
After breakfast, the group, led by Indonesian students, gathered at the University of Surabaya’s lecture hall to discuss research topics proposed by Zhejiang University. The three topics were Happiness and Self-worth, the Belief in a Just World, and the Influence of Forgiveness Across-culture Study. These topics were initially determined during the Indonesian delegation’s visit to China in May 2018. Since then, Chinese and Indonesian students had engaged in preliminary online discussions and completed data collection in both countries. The students were divided into three groups, with Chinese and Indonesian students mixed in each team. They discussed research objectives, methodologies, experimental data, and the analysis of results, with a particular focus on cross-cultural differences. The Chinese students first detailed the research methods and progress to their Indonesian counterparts and addressed their questions. They then presented the data analysis results and preliminary discussions. Due to cultural differences, some interpretations proposed by the Chinese students did not fully align with the Indonesian context. As a result, both sides delved into analyzing differences in religion, culture, economy, and politics between the two countries, integrating relevant literature to provide final explanations for the research findings.
At noon, we enjoyed an Indonesian-style buffet prepared by the University of Surabaya in the lecture hall. The unique flavors offered the Chinese students a novel culinary experience.
At 1:00 PM, some of the Chinese students attended the 3rd ICP conference at Airlangga University. At the opening ceremony, Professor Jianhong Ma delivered a speech on behalf of Zhejiang University’s Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, expressing his wishes for the conference’s success. Several international researchers then presented insightful academic reports, from which the participating students benefited greatly. After the conference, we dined at a mall near the hotel, concluding a day filled with fruitful academic exchanges.
