Gerontological research in focus at Uppsala conference

The aim of the conference, "Ageing Society," is to strengthen academic ties between Japanese and Swedish scientists in the field of gerontology and to enhance collaboration between Swedish and Japanese universities.

The design of the conference is interdisciplinary, involving three areas: social sciences, medicine, and science and technology.

“It’s noteworthy that Uppsala University has taken it upon itself to be the Swedish node in such collaboration together with Tokyo University, as one of the world’s leading universities,” says Professor Lars Magnusson, who arranged the conference together with Professor Hiroko Akiyama, director of the Institute for Gerontology in Tokyo.

The conference is jointly arranged by Uppsala University and the University of Tokyo, with Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Japanese embassy as further sponsors. It is a follow-up of a similar conference that was held in Tokyo in early October 2009.

Besides leading researchers in gerontology from Uppsala and Tokyo, other participants include prominent researchers from other Swedish universities. Also attending will be representatives from the business community from Sweden and Japan.

“The conference will be of great value in strengthening Uppsala University’s own research in the field. We have a leading position in Sweden in interdisciplinary gerontology,” says Lars Magnusson.