BUILDING FUTURE COHORTS OF RESEARCHERS: RATIONALE AND AIMS OF AN INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL ON AGEING

摘要

Globally, increasing efforts are being undertaken to set up programmes aimed at enhancing size, interdisciplinarity, international focus and quality of new cohorts of researchers in ageing-related issues. Awareness of such developments, as well as of the wide-ranging priorities identified by the FuturAGE “Road Map for European Ageing Research”, prompted a group of researchers from countries with quite different gerontological traditions (Canada, Italy and Sweden) to initiate an “International Summer School on Ageing” (ISSA). This presentation provides an introduction to the rationale and objectives of the ISSA, starting with an overview of existing models for building a community of age-focused researchers. Lessons from different training initiatives are also discussed, including the Summer Program in Aging organised by Canada’s Institute of Aging. Finally, ISSA’s design, implementation and evaluation structure will be illustrated, highlighting the solutions adopted to enhance the capacities of participants for collaborating across disciplines, sectors and geographical areas.