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Dear Colleagues
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Largest scientific meeting dedicated to gerontology
Building on the success of previous IAGG World and European congresses, this promises to be the biggest scientific meeting dedicated to gerontology in Europe in this decade.
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Unlocking the Demographic Dividend
The Congress theme – Unlocking the Demographic Dividend – aims to tap into the growing awareness that gerontological research can help us to understand the collective and personal benefits that we gain from population ageing, a better understanding of the barriers to realizing the full potential of the Demographic Dividend, and the advances in gerontological science which allow these barriers to be overcome in the most effective way possible.
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Keynote speakers
We have an exciting line-up of keynote speakers arising from the Social and Behavioural, Biological and Clinical Sections of IAGG-ER and an active social programme. We are expecting plentiful submitted symposia and presentations, also interactive poster presentations. Convivial surroundings will support learning, networking, interchanges, and deepen our sense of collegiality.
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The conference website
The Conference Website http://www.iaggdublin2015.org/programme.html will be open for abstract submission on 21 March 2014 and online registration. Symposium Submission Closing Date is 15 September 2014 and Individual Abstract Submission Closing Date is 15 October 2014.
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Your national society
We have distributed our first announcement at many of the congresses of our member national societies over the past year, and already have had many inquiries about the Congress. In our newsletters, we will try to give a flavour of some of the invited presentations, as well as other aspects of the meeting and the venue!
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Your hosts in Dublin
Our society, the Irish Gerontological Society, is an all-island society (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) and is one of the oldest societies in the world dedicated to research in ageing. It is a strongly interdisciplinary gerontological society, with all four pillars of gerontology represented in its governance and membership, and a strong belief that progress in making an age-attuned world on a scientific basis lies in ensuring equipoise and mutually respectful relationships between the interlocking pillars of gerontology. This is a position it has promoted in its communications and engagement with the IAGG and IAGG-ER over many years.
The Irish Gerontological Society has also been to the fore in promoting the Demographic Dividend - at their joint Congress with the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society in Dublin in 2010, 300 older Irish people joined us for an opening session which included Nobel-laureate poet Seamus Heaney discussing Ageing and the Poetic Spirit, and a symphony concert of music of mature creativity.
This broad and positive approach is reflected in the themes of our special issues of the journal Irish Ageing Studies Review: Creativity and Ageing; Technology and Ageing; Exercise and Ageing; Gerontology Education; Long-Term Care; and Income Security and Ageing. Our PhD study days also cover this palette of activities.
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A broad range of gerontology
This activity occurs against a background of a ferment of activity, and major developments, in the last decade in research, education, advocacy and industry across the full spectrum of gerontology in Ireland, including:
• The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland www.cardi.ie
• The Ageing Well Network www.ageingwellnetwork.ie
• The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology www.icsg.ie
• The Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre http://sparc.tcd.ie
• The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing www.tilda.ie
• The Technology Research for Independent Living project www.trilcentre.org
• The Netwell Centre www.netwellcentre.org
• The Living With Dementia Centre www.socialwork-socialpolicy.tcd.ie/livingwithdementia/
• Changing Ageing Partnership http://qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Research/
InstituteofGovernance/ResearchProjects/ChangingAgeingPartnershipCAP/
• National Centre for Protection of Older People www.ncpop.ie
• The Business of Ageing www.businessofageing.com
Solid foundation for gerontology
These provide a solid foundation for the hosting of the 8th Congress of IAGG-ER, as evidenced by the strong showing of Irish researchers and delegates at the 2010 joint IGS/EUGMS Congress in Dublin. In addition, they provide models for promoting positive ageing, engagement with advocacy, government and industry, and active involvement of older people.
For example, a number of Irish counties are leading in the WHO’s Age-friendly Environments Programme, whose Congress in Dublin in September 2011 in conjunction with the International Federation on Ageing and the WHO led to the Dublin Declaration on Age-Friendly communities http://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/elderly/documents/dublin20declaration.pdf .
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Please diffuse this email widely, and we look forward to an energising and convivial Congress in Dublin in April 2015!
Kind regards
Prof Desmond O'Neill
Chair, Local Organizing Committee
Prof J Bernard Walsh
President, Irish Gerontological Society
Prof Vladimir Khavinson
President, IAGG-ER
17th March 2015
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Image: St. Patrick's Day Parade, Dublin
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