Psychology Department Conference (PsyFaKo e.V.)

PsyFaKo e.V. — the Psychologie-Fachschaften-Konferenz (Psychology Department Conference) — is the federal student council conference and registered non-profit association that unites psychology student councils (Fachschaften) in the German-speaking region, covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Its stated purpose is to network these councils, exchange information, and jointly conduct political work and initiate political actions at state (Länder) and federal level. The association describes itself as representing the interests of psychology students in the German-speaking area, and it operates both through its twice-yearly conference events and through year-round association platforms that serve as an interface for joint projects. The organisation began as an informal gathering: in summer 2005 representatives of various student councils met in Landau in der Pfalz to network and work politically together, and the first conference in June 2005 is regarded as the founding moment. Professionalisation followed in summer 2007 in Konstanz, where the first organisational offices were created and the conference event was documented for the first time. In summer 2011 the group became a registered association, PsyFaKo e.V., to improve organisation and gain better legal representation as a student lobby. Growth was rapid: in summer 2012 in Bamberg more than 100 people attended a conference for the first time, and in winter 2015 in Hamburg attendance passed 200. In spring 2014 the conference programme adopted the "Open Space" concept, allowing the agenda to be shaped during the event rather than fixed entirely in advance. In summer 2016 the first PsychOlympia sports and networking event took place, with 132 participants competing over two days; it has since become the largest volunteer-organised gathering for psychology students in Germany and is held annually in Friedensau, Saxony-Anhalt. PsyFaKo provides practical services to students: a Masterliste (overview of psychology master's programmes in Germany, including application deadlines, admission requirements and specialisations), a Praktikumsdatenbank (internship database with student experience reports), an Institutsliste (directory of psychotherapy training institutions with therapy methods, application periods and costs), and a student accreditation pool through which students can be delegated to participate in the accreditation of degree programmes at universities. Its political work focuses on reform of psychotherapy training under the Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG) and the Approbationsordnung, fair working conditions for psychotherapists in training (PiA) and further training (PiW), transparent and fair study and examination regulations, master's admission procedures, open science and research integrity, and reform of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG). In 2019 a PsyFaKo-organised Bundestag petition on reforming the Psychotherapeutengesetz collected over 80,000 signatures, and representatives advocated for better study and training conditions at a Bundestag hearing. The association is run entirely on an honorary (volunteer) basis. It is led by spokespersons (Sprecher*innen) who coordinate political work and represent the association externally, and by a board (Vorstand) that leads the association, provides its legal representation and manages its structures. Hosting student councils organise and run the conference events. Working groups (Arbeitsgruppen) focus on specific areas such as accreditation, bachelor-master admission, and equal opportunities. The registered seat is in Landau in der Pfalz, while the business office moves with the composition of the board. The association is funded partly through donations to cover the costs of its non-profit work, including operation of its information website.

The Psychologie-Fachschaften-Konferenz (PsyFaKo) emerged from an informal meeting of psychology student council representatives. In summer 2005, representatives of various Fachschaften met in Landau in der Pfalz to network and work politically together; the first conference in June 2005 is treated as the founding moment. From the outset the aim was to connect student councils across the German-speaking region so that they could exchange information and act jointly at Länder and federal level. In summer 2007 in Konstanz the group took its first steps toward professionalisation: organisational offices were created and the conference event was documented for the first time, in the form of a conference volume. In summer 2011 the association PsyFaKo e.V. was founded to improve organisation and to give the students' lobby better legal representation. Registration as a non-profit association made it possible both to apply for funding and to receive donations. The registered seat is in Landau in der Pfalz, while the business office changes with the composition of the board. Growth in participation followed. In summer 2012, at the 14th meeting in Bamberg, more than 100 people attended a conference for the first time. In spring 2014 the conference programme was switched to the "Open Space" concept, giving the programme more flexibility so that it can be shaped during the running event rather than being fixed entirely in advance. In winter 2015 in Hamburg, attendance passed 200 for the first time. In summer 2016 the first PsychOlympia took place, a sports and networking event in which 132 participants competed over two days; it has since become the largest volunteer-organised gathering for psychology students in Germany and is held annually in Friedensau, Saxony-Anhalt. Political work became a defining feature. A central concern is reform of psychotherapy training under the Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG) and the Approbationsordnung: PsyFaKo calls for practice-oriented training with a broad methodological base that does not force specialisation too early, criticises insufficient financing of practical further training, and advocates fair working conditions for psychotherapists in training (PiA) and in further training (PiW). It also demands that student representatives be included in decision-making on access requirements and further-training concepts. In 2019 the association organised a Bundestag petition on reforming the Psychotherapeutengesetz that collected over 80,000 signatures, and its representatives argued at the Bundestag hearing for better conditions in psychology studies and in training to become a psychotherapist. Beyond psychotherapy training, PsyFaKo works on study and teaching — calling for practice-oriented, methodologically diverse education, differentiated examination formats beyond rote learning, recognition of study achievements and transparency in master's admission — and on science and research, where it advocates open science, scientific integrity, transparency and reproducibility, free access to research results, better working conditions in the academic mid-level, long-term career prospects for early-career researchers, and reform of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG). Organisationally, the association is run on an honorary basis. Spokespersons coordinate political work and represent the association externally, acting as contacts for students and maintaining relations with institutes, umbrella organisations, psychological organisations and other federal student council conferences. A board leads the association, provides its legal representation and manages its structures. Hosting Fachschaften organise and run the conference events. Working groups address specific areas: the accreditation working group manages the student accreditation pool and the delegation of students to accreditation procedures; the bachelor-master admission working group works on the transition areas of psychology studies, including the cross-university admission test BaPsy-DGPs, the master list and university-specific experience reports; and the equal opportunities working group works on diversity and equal opportunity. The association also maintains a set of position papers (Positionspapiere) and, according to its website, has been active for 21 years with 43 conferences and 123 position papers.

• 2019

  Bundestag petition on reforming the Psychotherapeutengesetz collects over 80,000 signatures; representatives speak at the Bundestag hearing.

• 2016

  First PsychOlympia sports event, with 132 participants over two days.

• 2015

  More than 200 participants attend a conference for the first time, in Hamburg.

• 2014

  Introduction of the "Open Space" concept, making the conference programme more flexible.

• 2012

  More than 100 participants attend a conference for the first time, in Bamberg.

• 2011

  PsyFaKo becomes a registered association (PsyFaKo e.V.) for better organisation and legal representation as a student lobby.

• 2007

  First steps of professionalisation in Konstanz: organisational offices created and the conference documented for the first time.

• 2005

  First conference held in Landau in der Pfalz; PsyFaKo is founded.

Volunteer-run, non-profit student lobby and networking body for psychology students in the German-speaking region; politically active at Länder and federal level.

• Masterliste

  Comprehensive overview of psychology master's programmes in Germany, including application deadlines, admission requirements and study specialisations.

• Praktikumsdatenbank

  Collection of experience reports in which students rate and describe internships in various psychological work areas.

• Institutsliste

  Directory of training and further-education institutions for psychotherapy, with information such as therapy methods, application periods and costs.

• Student accreditation pool

  Students can be delegated at each conference to participate in the accreditation of degree programmes at universities.

• Positionspapiere

  Policy position papers on study and teaching, psychotherapy training, science and research, and related topics.

1. 1PsyFaKo e.V. official websitepsyfako.org
2. 2Geschichte - PsyFaKo e.V.psyfako.org
3. 3Über Uns - PsyFaKo e.V.psyfako.org
4. 4Arbeitsgruppen - PsyFaKo e.V.psyfako.org
5. 5Psychologie-Fachschaften-Konferenz – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Psychology department conference – Wikidatawikidata.org