With the average age of people across the globe on the rise, NYU Shanghai and our MSW Program at Shanghai and New York hosted a two-day, interdisciplinary conference on “Healthy Aging in a Changing Society.” Professor Qingwen Xu, Coordinator of our MSW Program at NYU Shanghai, coordinated the event with collaboration from Duke Kunshan University Global Health Research Center and Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Fudan University Department of Social Work, and Huadong Hospital.
In welcoming remarks delivered virtually, NYU Silver Dean Michael A. Lindsey noted the vital importance of the topic. Citing the United Nations projection that the number of people over the age of 65 will have doubled to 1.5 billion by 2050, he said, “We’ll have to get a grasp on the ramifications for our health systems and economies. At the same time, we’ll have to take advantage of the opportunities that this trend presents.”
Dean Lindsey referenced an AARP report finding that people aged 50 contribute a third of global gross domestic product despite accounting for only a quarter of the world’s population. He also cited research by Associate Professor Ernest Gonzales, Director of our Center for Health and Aging Innovation, finding that employment, caregiving, and civic engagement by older adults is associated with better health and well-being as well as societal benefits.
Over the course of the two-day conference, experts from fields including medicine, sociology, demography, anthropology, nursing, public health, and social work, shared their knowledge and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Access the NYU Shanghai story Conference Explores Healthy Aging from Interdisciplinary Perspectives to learn more.
