The Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists is an Association of psychiatrists from countries bordering the Pacific. This includes, among many others, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, etc. Though founded by academic psychiatrists, membership is open to all psychiatrists in any area of clinical, administrative, or academic practice.

One of the earliest ideas for founding the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists stemmed from Professor Ching-Piao Chien. His aim was to bring together the leadership of academic psychiatry in the Pacific Rim countries to share research and educational information. Prior to that time, there was no formal organization where ongoing international exchange in the Pacific Rim could take place. Our organisation's executive offices were based in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California in Los Angeles with the strong support of Professor Robert Pasnau. The Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists was fully founded in Manila on May 15, 1980, and Professor Reyes was elected the first president.

The First Scientific Meeting was held April 14-16, 1982 at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan. Fifty-six psychiatrists from 10 countries ( Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and the USA ) attended that first meeting. In the years since, the College has grown to a membership of nearly 225 psychiatrists from 15 countries. The other PRCP meetings were in 1984 in Seoul Korea, 1986 in Tokyo00  Japan, 1988 in Hong Kong, 1991 in Los Angeles California, 1993 in Shanghai China, 1995 in Fukuoka Japan, 1997 in San Diego California, 1999 in Seoul Korea, 2001 in Melbourne Australia, 2004 in Hong Kong, 2006 in Taipei Taiwan, 2008 in Tokyo Japan, 2010 in Brisbane Australia, 2012 in Seoul Korea, 2014 in Vancouver Canada, and 2016 in Kaohsiung Taiwan.

At the Board of Directors meeting in 1997, in order to help provide more support for our colleagues residing in Asia and Australasia who make up the majority of our members, the decision to transfer the Secretariat of the College to Melbourne, Australia was made. At the Taipei meeting in 2006, the members approved a new set of membership categories. The four classes of members are Member, Fellow, Distinguished Fellow and Emeritus Fellow, accommodating colleagues at all phases of their professional careers. The Board of Directors is made up of the Executive Committee Members (officers and principal executive) and twelve members; one of these Directors is the Immediate Past President. The maximum tenure of a director is five consecutive two year terms or ten years.

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Written by Professor Robert Pasnau