The existence and future development of the Faculty of Psychology of Binus are determined by international and national dimensions. At the Faculty of Psychology of Binus, the two dimensions have been translated into a vision, missions, a list of graduate competencies and a set of curriculum as explained below.

International/global dimension

Time Higher Educational Rank has categorized all courses into five groups of subjects. Psychology constitutes assumingly one of the courses under the group of art and humanities. Time Higher Educational Rank does, however, not provide a clear, specific description of the ranking of the faculties of psychology. Nevertheless, Japan and China (including Hong Kong) appear the most dominant nations listed for having the best universities throughout Asia. Indonesia only appears only on the 18th (Universitas Indonesia) and 19th rank (Universitas Gadjah Mada).

As a discipline strongly influenced by the Western outlook, the Faculty of Psychology of Binus puts the American Psychological Association (APA) on its cornerstone. As reflected by the name, the APA’s area of juridiction is actually limited to the US. However, departing from the fact that the APA is the most established institution of psychology at international level, the discipline of psychology in Indonesia—including the Faculty of Psychology of Binus—therefore still views the APA as its main reference.

One of the initiatives taken by the APA in order for the international community of psychology to step into the 21st century is the establishment of a task force especially mandated to produce a document which later guides the development of the undergraduate level of the faculty of psychology. The document is utilized for the purpose of designing the curricula as well as keeping the academic process on the right track.

The document, named the Undergraduate Psychology Major Learning Goals and Outcomes, mentions ten areas which should be taken into account to create a representative academic institution of psychology. The ten areas are grouped into two core categories.

The first category is knowledge, skill and set of values which are consistent with the science and application of psychology. The second category is knowledge, skill and set of values which are in line with the liberal arts education under which psychology exists.

The first category includes:

  1. Basic knowledge of psychology
  2. Research methodology of psychology
  3. Critical thinking skill in psychology
  4. Application of psychology
  5. Set of values in psychology

The second category covers:

  1. IT-related skill
  2. Communication skill
  3. Awareness of socio-cultural and international milieu
  4. Personal development
  5. Career plan and development

By incorporating the ten points above into its activities, one can expect that the Faculty of Psychology of Binus will accelerate its development to meet the agenda of “becoming the real dept of psychology” as well as cope with the external factor in form of “benchmarking itself to major international faculty of psychology”.

Without neglecting the importance of the APA’s document, the Faculty of Psychology of Binus is fully aware of the uniqueness and significant influence of the Eastern World. The Faculty believes, the Faculty should move forward as guided by the APA and simultaneously adjust itself to the regional dynamics in among developing countries.

Abramson and Bartoszeck (2006) are noted as two contemporary psychology scientists who put a specific framework on the development of the psychology in developing countries. By adopting their view, aimed at catapulting the Faculty of Psychology of Binus to the international level without pulled off from its socio-cultural values, the Faculty sees four pillars which need to be managed properly.

First, how the Faculty of Psychology of Binus is able to equip its students with several skills which cannot be obtained from other disciplines.

Second, how the knowledge and skill learned by the students are enable them to enter the career world.

Third, in broader scale, how the Faculty of Psychology of Binus can contribute to provide alternatives of solutions to the societal problems.

Forth, how to ensure the research can be utilized as much as possible by especially, but not limited to, the urban community.

National dimension

The Indonesian Colloquium of Psychology has become the top national forum from which the decisions will be followed by all faculty and department psychology.

The 20th Colloquium defined one general competency and five specific competencies. Besides stressing the level A and B, all competencies put emphasis on the use of information technology and the importance of socio-cultural sensitivity among groups of individual and society.

The previous Colloquium had also stated that each faculty/department of psychology had a broad opportunity to develop its own competency for its students as the differentiating modality in the market.

University dimension

Throughout Indonesia, at the present moment there are 83 universities conducting the faculty of psychology, consisting of 11 faculties under the so-called state universities and 72 under the so-called private universities.