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Engaging Ageing - Universities as engines for active and healthy ageing

Engaging Ageing

Dublin City University will host the first international age-friendly universities conference on November 2nd and 3rd 2015.  Engaging Ageing will bring together ageing experts from 22 higher education institutions across 4 continents to discuss how universities can help drive active and healthy ageing through research, education, outreach, community involvement, enterprise and technology.

Dr. Jane Barratt, Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) will deliver the keynote address at the conference - How to make universities more relevant to older people.  The IFA represents the interests of some 50 million older people in 62 countries.  Dr Barratt aims to strengthen the roles and relationships between government, NGOs, academic and industry in order to help shape and influence policy to improve the quality of life of older people.  

Themes that will be explored include:

  • Embedding age-friendly initiatives in community

  • How to create an age-friendly environment

  • How to ignite the experienced economy

  • Volunteering and older people

  • Hanging on or Bowling Along?  The experience of late career.

  • Community-based exercise rehabilitation for cancer survivors

  • Older Adults living and working in the Digital Age

  • Online systems to promote brain health and reduce dementia risk

  • How walkable is your town?

  • The challenge of engaging older men who are excluded from learning

  • The role of seniors in training, developing and delivering the tourism experience

  • Effects of community choir participation among people with dementia and careers

Dublin City University became the first third-level institution to adopt the concept and principles of an Age-Friendly University in 2012 and has committed to lead and highlight the role that universities can play in responding to challenges and opportunities associated with the ageing demographic of the 21st century.  

For further information, visit https://www.dcu.ie/agefriendly/engaging.shtml.