As the ageing population has an increasingly profound impact on China’s future development, Fudan Institute on Ageing has been established recently as an open platform for interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle population ageing.
Led by Peng Xizhe, senior professor in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Fudan University, the institute has gathered Fudan scholars in fields of social sciences, public health and humanities, pooling resources in science, engineering and medicine across the university and support from the government and all sectors of society.
At the unveiling ceremony of Fudan Institute on Ageing held at Fudan University on December 25, He Wei, vice president of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and executive vice president of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, pointed out via video that the establishment of Fudan Institute of Ageing demonstrates that Fudan is making substantial contribution to the needs of the times and the national strategy by strengthening research and education in the field of ageing studies. He hoped that the institute could assume the responsibility of a state-level think tank, and conduct systematic studies on the basic theories, public policies, innovative patterns, social governance and global practices of ageing.
Jin Li, president of Fudan University and CAS academician, pointed out that the task of addressing population aging has become of a strategic priority for China. We need to accumulate “Chinese experience” in coping with the ageing and promoting ageing society governance, and to provide “Chinese wisdom” for the global response to ageing challenges.
He hoped that Fudan Institute on Ageing would give full play to its advantages, focusing on the strategic issues and key areas to deal with population ageing by carrying out a number of influential research projects by its outstanding researchers. He also anticipated the Institute to unite Fudan’s academic strengths efficiently, to strive to build leading interdisciplinary teams and platforms that are internationally renowned, and to actively promote the theoretical research and practical application of ageing research. Finally, he envisaged how the institute should enhance capabilities in consultation, training, interdisciplinary education, government-industry-university-research cooperation to contribute to the governance of ageing society.
Wang Jianjun, member of the Party Committee of the National Health Commission, executive deputy director of the Office the National Ageing Work Committee and president of the China Association on Ageing, spoke highly of Fudan University’s initiative to take the lead in conducting ageing research. He hoped the institute could facilitate major national tasks on ageing and put its research results into practical use.
Li Yongxin, deputy director of the Division of Aged Services of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, acknowledged the significance of the establishment of Fudan Institute on Ageing from the perspective of the development of China’s aged care service, and made an introduction to the current state and future development of community-based aged care service networks in China.
Du Peng, vice president of Renmin University of China, said Fudan University has boasted abundant research achievements and strong research platforms in setting up an outstanding research institute on ageing, and he should look forward to cooperating with Fudan Institute on Ageing in the future.
Zhai Zhenwu, president of China Population Association, hoped that more research institutions on ageing could be established to meet the needs of the society and social progress. He looks forward to seeing more scholars in the field of demography devote themselves to research on ageing.
Liu Weilin, president of the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, pointed out that the work on China’s ageing matters is arduous but has strategic significance. The China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics will deepen cooperation with the institute to contribute to the national strategy on ageing population.
Xu Zheng, executive vice president of Fudan University presented Tan Yiliang with a donation certificate and a letter of appointment as a board member of Fudan Institute on Ageing.
Tan Yiliang, founder of Joru Group and board member of Fudan University Education Development Foundation, made a generous donation to Fudan University Education Development Foundation on behalf of Joro Group to facilitate the university’s research on ageing.
Chen Zhimin, vice president of Fudan University also attended the ceremony. Peng Xizhe presided over the ceremony.
The ceremony was followed with a series of seminars on China’s ageing society governance joined by experts and scholars in this field.
“China’s elderly population has reached 260 million, and in another 15 years or so, it will exceed 400 million, and our country is ageing extremely fast. It took about 100 years for developed countries in the West but only 30 years for China to reach this stage,” Peng Xizhe says that China has a very large elderly population which is growing rapidly, so it is urgent for China to adjust its governance system and raise people’s awareness to better adapt to an ageing society. He believes now is a critical time to conduct more theoretical research on ageing and formulate and reform relevant policies.
Fudan Institute on Ageing consists of five centers and a laboratory: Center on Ageing Society Governance, Center on Silver Economic Development, Center on Ageing Ethics and Culture, Center on Ageing Health and Wellness, Center on Country-based Ageing Studies, and Laboratory for Elderly Psychology and Behavior Science, covering multiple disciplines such as sociology, management, economics, philosophy, public health, psychology, etc. It aims at building an interdisciplinary platform for research on ageing, formulating “Chinese solutions” for coping with age challenges, and spreading “Chinese wisdom” in tackling problems that come with an ageing society.
“The six areas constitute an integrated system in research on ageing, and relevant achievements will help strengthen Fudan’s reputation in research on ageing and make the voice of Chinese experts heard by the rest of the world,” Hu Zhan, deputy director of the institute, said that due to the complexity of China’s ageing problems, the effective solutions it develops may well contribute to ageing governance of other countries.
“We strive to gather different subjects under the humanities and social sciences and scholars specialized in areas related to ageing across Fudan University,” Peng said this open institute is pivotal in providing a research platform to promote the development and implementation of public policies related to ageing through interdisciplinary collaborations.
Presented by Fudan University Media Center
