At 4:00 p.m. of October 21st, 2022 (Beijing Time), the 3rd Oriental Forum on Elderly Education was successfully held online, with the theme of “U3As & Harmonious and Sustainable Development of the Society”.
Due to the pandemic, a video conferencing software was utilized to connect with other experts at home and abroad, and we set the main venue at Qinzhou Academy of Shanghai University for The Elderly. The meeting was presided over by Ma Xianguo, First Vice President of AIUTA. More than 40 leaders and experts attended the meeting on site or online.
Leaders and experts attending the meeting on site include:
Ni Minjing - Vice Director of Shanghai Municipal of Shanghai Education Commission
Li Xuanhai - President of Shanghai University for the Elderly
Xiong Fangjie - President of Shanghai Association of Elderly Education
Zhang Xing - Executive Vice President of Shanghai University for the Elderly
Yang Deguang - Expert of International Research Center for Senior Education
Ye Zhonghai - Expert of International Research Center for Senior Education
Leaders and experts attending the meeting online include:
Francois Vellas (France) - President of AIUTA
Maria Chester (UK)- Secretary General of AIUTA
Harry Coccossis (Greece) - Professor of University of Thessaly
Olga Rivera (Spain) - Professor of University of Deusto
Zhang Xiaolin - President of AIUTA
Lin Yuanhe - Vice President of CAUA
Liu Yuelun - President of Guangzhou Elderly University
Chen Yi-an - Founder of Fujian Institute for Lifelong Education
Francois Vellas and Zhang Xiaolin expressed warm congratulations on the successful opening of the forum. They said the theme is very meaningful and influential to the development of elderly education. Li Xuanhai expressed sincere greetings and warm welcome to all the participants on behalf of Shanghai University for the Elderly.
In the session of keynote speech, three foreign experts and domestic experts shared their opinions. Vellas made a speech entitled “U3As and Sustainable Development Criteria”. He proposed to make sustainable development criteria for U3As from three aspects of environment, society and education. Zhang Xing made a speech entitled “Elderly Education and Social Harmony in International Metropolis”. Taking Shanghai as an example, he introduced the features of elderly education in Shanghai and illustrated it with several practical cases, like elderly education helping the elderly bridge the digital divide, helping the community serve people better, and helping the youth grow up healthily. Harry Coccossis pointed out that the change of the social structure and personal development has made lifelong learning a focus the society. He made several suggestions from the aspects of economy, environment and society in his speech “Sustainable Development Perspectives and Challenges in Elderly Education”. Liu Yuelun made a speech entitled “Technology Study Tour and Sustainable Development”, emphasizing that technology study tour acted as a supplement to traditional study tour. It could help the elderly to know about new technology and adapt to the digital era. He explained it with several examples of Guangzhou Elderly University carrying out technology study tour. Olga Rivera found that elderly education or U3A has drawn more and more attention of the academia, and the government of all countries also attached great importance to active and healthy aging. She suggested in her speech “The Research on Senior Education” that U3As of all countries should cooperate to make research into elderly education to fill the research gaps. Chen Yi-an introduced the case of Fujian establishing village schools for the elderly in her speech “Village School for the Elderly - Extending the Elderly Education to Grassroots Level”. It not only helps to improve the life of the elderly in rural areas, but also creates fair opportunities for them to have access to elderly education. This successful practice has been promoted in the province and also introduced to other provinces as a pilot project.
Ni Minjing congratulated on the successful opening of the meeting. He pointed out that there were still many problems existing in aging issues and advocated to promote elderly education from enhancing people’s awareness, strengthening legislation and developing curriculum, etc.
Lin Yuanhe made a summary to the meeting. He said the opinions and experiences shared during the meeting would definitely be beneficial to the development of the elderly education in the whole world.
A video clip of elderly students’ learning at Shanghai University for the Elderly joyfully was shared during the meeting. Participants from different countries and places overcame the difficulty of time difference and pandemic, came online to attend the forum, sharing their opinions and experiences.
At last, Ma Xianguo declared the meeting closed in the warm applause of the on-site and online participants. All the participants hoped to meet again at “Oriental Forum” in 2024!
Due to the pandemic, a video conferencing software was utilized to connect with other experts at home and abroad, and we set the main venue at Qinzhou Academy of Shanghai University for The Elderly. The meeting was presided over by Ma Xianguo, First Vice President of AIUTA. More than 40 leaders and experts attended the meeting on site or online.
Leaders and experts attending the meeting on site include:
Ni Minjing - Vice Director of Shanghai Municipal of Shanghai Education Commission
Li Xuanhai - President of Shanghai University for the Elderly
Xiong Fangjie - President of Shanghai Association of Elderly Education
Zhang Xing - Executive Vice President of Shanghai University for the Elderly
Yang Deguang - Expert of International Research Center for Senior Education
Ye Zhonghai - Expert of International Research Center for Senior Education
Leaders and experts attending the meeting online include:
Francois Vellas (France) - President of AIUTA
Maria Chester (UK)- Secretary General of AIUTA
Harry Coccossis (Greece) - Professor of University of Thessaly
Olga Rivera (Spain) - Professor of University of Deusto
Zhang Xiaolin - President of AIUTA
Lin Yuanhe - Vice President of CAUA
Liu Yuelun - President of Guangzhou Elderly University
Chen Yi-an - Founder of Fujian Institute for Lifelong Education
Francois Vellas and Zhang Xiaolin expressed warm congratulations on the successful opening of the forum. They said the theme is very meaningful and influential to the development of elderly education. Li Xuanhai expressed sincere greetings and warm welcome to all the participants on behalf of Shanghai University for the Elderly.In the session of keynote speech, three foreign experts and domestic experts shared their opinions. Vellas made a speech entitled “U3As and Sustainable Development Criteria”. He proposed to make sustainable development criteria for U3As from three aspects of environment, society and education. Zhang Xing made a speech entitled “Elderly Education and Social Harmony in International Metropolis”. Taking Shanghai as an example, he introduced the features of elderly education in Shanghai and illustrated it with several practical cases, like elderly education helping the elderly bridge the digital divide, helping the community serve people better, and helping the youth grow up healthily. Harry Coccossis pointed out that the change of the social structure and personal development has made lifelong learning a focus the society. He made several suggestions from the aspects of economy, environment and society in his speech “Sustainable Development Perspectives and Challenges in Elderly Education”. Liu Yuelun made a speech entitled “Technology Study Tour and Sustainable Development”, emphasizing that technology study tour acted as a supplement to traditional study tour. It could help the elderly to know about new technology and adapt to the digital era. He explained it with several examples of Guangzhou Elderly University carrying out technology study tour. Olga Rivera found that elderly education or U3A has drawn more and more attention of the academia, and the government of all countries also attached great importance to active and healthy aging. She suggested in her speech “The Research on Senior Education” that U3As of all countries should cooperate to make research into elderly education to fill the research gaps. Chen Yi-an introduced the case of Fujian establishing village schools for the elderly in her speech “Village School for the Elderly - Extending the Elderly Education to Grassroots Level”. It not only helps to improve the life of the elderly in rural areas, but also creates fair opportunities for them to have access to elderly education. This successful practice has been promoted in the province and also introduced to other provinces as a pilot project.
Ni Minjing congratulated on the successful opening of the meeting. He pointed out that there were still many problems existing in aging issues and advocated to promote elderly education from enhancing people’s awareness, strengthening legislation and developing curriculum, etc.
Lin Yuanhe made a summary to the meeting. He said the opinions and experiences shared during the meeting would definitely be beneficial to the development of the elderly education in the whole world.
A video clip of elderly students’ learning at Shanghai University for the Elderly joyfully was shared during the meeting. Participants from different countries and places overcame the difficulty of time difference and pandemic, came online to attend the forum, sharing their opinions and experiences.At last, Ma Xianguo declared the meeting closed in the warm applause of the on-site and online participants. All the participants hoped to meet again at “Oriental Forum” in 2024!