The 2023 Asia/Oceania Regional Congress of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) brought together over 1,500 participants and representatives from countries including India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Philippines, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and, of course, Australia.
AAG represents Australia’s gerontology community on the IAGG and provides secretariat support to the Asia Oceania region of IAGG (IAGG-AOR).
IAGG-AOR’s mission is to promote the highest levels of achievement in gerontological research, training and practice worldwide, and to interact with other international, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations in the promotion of gerontological interests. With and on behalf of its members, the association pursues these activities with a view of enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing of all people as they experience ageing at individual and societal levels.
Held in Yokohama, Japan, under the theme of ‘For enhanced wellbeing in later life through innovation and wisdom sharing’, keynote presentations at the congress covered a range of issues, from nutrition and healthy ageing, to integrated care, life-long activity, cellular ageing and biological determinants of healthy longevity.
Among the exhibitors were five of AAG’s 17 collaborating research centres (CRCs): the Ageing Futures Institute at the University of New South Wales, Bolton Clarke Research Institute, the Rehabilitation Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre at Monash University, the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), and the Western Australian Centre for Healthy Ageing.
During the Congress, the IAGG-AOR Council and Executive members also held their annual meeting to discuss their annual plan for addressing social, biological, behavioural and clinical gerontology issues and research relating to ageing and aged care.