"The 28th International Congress of Psychology is an incredible success and it will surely help promote the further development of psychological research," newly elected President of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) J. Bruce Overmier said in Beijing on Friday.

At the closing ceremony of the six-day congress, Overmier succeeded Michel Denis as IUPsyS President.

Psychological research in China has developed very fast and many Chinese scholars are "absolutely first rate" in terms of academic achievement, said Overmier.

"The IUPsyS will continue cooperation with Chinese psychological research institutions to help enhance capacity building and application of psychology in China," he said.

The 28th International Congress of Psychology (ICP) opened in Beijing on Sunday, drawing about 6,000 participants from more than80 countries and regions. The event had 80 world-renowned keynote speakers, including a Nobel Prize winner.

Zhang Kan, secretary-general of the congress, said psychology has received increasing attention from the Chinese government and the public.

In 1999, psychology was chosen by China's Ministry of Science and Technology as one of the 18 basic scientific subjects to be developed with priority. One year later, it was labeled by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council as one the country's front-line subjects.

Established in 1889, ICP has been held every four years since World War II and praised as the Olympic event of psychology. The 29th session of ICP will be held in Berlin of Germany in 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2004)