We are pleased to present the latest ISCAR Newsletter. Feel free to download the PDF version.

1. ISCAR Executive Board and Vision for 2024/27

During the International Congress held in August 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, a new Executive Board was elected to serve the organization till the next Congress that will be held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2027.

The Congress in Rotterdam followed the one that had to take place online due to the COVID and that was organized in Natal, Brazil. Despite the challenges over the recent past and those ahead of us, the congress in Rotterdam demonstrated that there is strong forwardlooking energy in our global ISCAR community.

The new Executive Board is determined to foster this energy, recognizing the yet largely unfulfilled potential of ISCAR and the new demands it faces. We are aware that this organization has a lot to give in response to the unprecedented challenges of our time. In the past months in office, the members of the Executive Board have drafted a vision for ISCAR that will evolve in conversation with the regional and national coordinations and with current and future members.

Figure 1. Vision for ISCAR 2024/27

The energy and resonance that ISCAR displays can be represented as movement along two dimensions as in Figure 1. The horizontal dimension is that of the ideas that have been nourished throughout the prehistory and history of this organization. The vertical dimension is that of the people who make ISCAR. Together these two dimensions open up a field of possibilities named in the upper right hand corner of Figure 1: ISCAR as commons that transcends the boundaries and limitations of traditional academia.

Today's universities are often fragmented spaces where it is increasingly difficult, especially for young and mid-career scholars, to experience the joy of getting together with like-minded colleagues who have something deeply in common in terms of the substance of their research. ISCAR is meant to be a space that nourishes these experiences.

2. Webpage Updates

ISCAR Webpage is being updated. News and information shared by members in the past months are now available. It is recommended that those who wish to share contents with the ISCAR community contact the Executive Board Member in charge of Communication and Visibility, Associate Professor Brett Bligh (b.bligh@lancaster.ac.uk).

News items on the webpage include:

• ED Psych Bite Episode by Gillian Horribine with insights from the Congress in Rotterdam

3. Regional and Thematic Sections

ISCAR is currently organized in 10 Regional Sections. These sections aim at covering the worldwide spectrum of contributions to ISCAR research and serve as catalizers of cohesive efforts and networking among members. The listed regional coordinators are working toward this end and encourage contacts by current and future members.

ISCAR has also Thematic Sections, which reflect specific substantive interests of the members. Some of these sections have existed for years. This is the case of the CHACDOC and STEM Thematic Sections. Other sections are very recent and include Counter-Colonial Perspectives, Developmental Education, Psychotherapy.

• See: Three new thematic sections launched

4. Membership

ISCAR welcomes membership renewals and new members. In 2025 there are new benefits for members along with the responsibilities that the membership in ISCAR entails.

As a reminder, ISCAR has a calendar year membership. Members can therefore best benefit from and support the society by renewing or registering their membership early in the calendar year.

5. Recent Publications

A range of books have been published during 2024. Eight of these are described in the news item: New ISCAR related books.

Additionally, the Journal Cultural-Historical Psychology marks 100 Years of Cultural Psychology with a special issue reflecting on this long journey of the scientific school of cultural-historical psychology and the new perspectives emerging today.

6. Forthcoming events

Although the next International ISCAR Congress is only in 2027, members do not have to wait three years to meet also in person! There are a number of initiatives coming up.

The following events in China and in Japan are take place at the beginning of 2025:

• The International Conference on “Nudging Educational Transformation with Cultural-Historical Activity Theory: Future-oriented Transdisciplinary Dialogues” will take place on February 20-22, 2025 in Beijing Foreign Studies University, China. The event brings together scholars from China, Finland and Japan to exchange ideas and foster collaboration on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory.
• The research group of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) is organizing International Seminars on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory on February 27-28, 2025 and the International Conference on Fourth-Generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory on March 1, 2025, in Osaka, Japan. The purpose of these events is to provide an opportunity to hear from world-leading scholars in cultural-historical activity theory about developments of the fourth generation of cultural-historical activity theory to respond to the challenges of current planetary crises, and to discuss and exchange ideas on the frontiers of research.

We are looking forward to The Nordic-Baltic ISCAR Conference in June 2025 in Sweden.

The conference program will includes a meeting of the National Coordinators of the Region as well as a General Assembly of ISCAR present and future members. The First Call for Papers has just been published.

Furthermore:

• There is a conference under preparation taking place in Barcelona, Spain, upon initative of the Southern Europe Regional Section.
• A conference is also in preparation in Berlin, Germany, upon initative of ISCAR Central Europe Regional Section.
• The UNESCO International Chair «Cultural-Historical Psychology of Childhood» at MSUPE is preparing to host another international summer university for doctoral students and young scientists. 

For these and other events more details will be shared in due course, based on materials sent by members of the ISCAR community to the Executive Board Member in charge of Communication and Visibility, Associate Professor Brett Bligh <b.bligh@lancaster.ac.uk>.

7. Acknowledgement of Colleagues' Service

ISCAR potential can only be fulfilled by the volunteer work of colleagues. The fact that this organization exists is thanks to previous boards, regional and national coordinators, and conference organizers. The Executive Board 2024/27 gratefully acknowledges the selfless work of these colleagues.

8. Warmest Wishes for the Holiday Season!

Last but not least, it’s that time of year when it would be wise to slow down and look forward to a calming atmosphere at home as at work. The card below has been designed for this purpose and hoping that these greetings reach as many current and future members of our organization as possible.