On September 19th, the specialized lecture series of Jiangsu Grand Forum on National Aging Awareness Education was successfully held at Jiangsu Open University. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Working Committee for Departments under the Central Committee of the CPC and State Organs, and the China National Committee on Aging, and organized by the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the event received collaborative support from Jiangsu Aging Civilization Learning Alliance and Jiangsu Open University (Jiangsu Open University for the Elderly).
Conducted in a hybrid online-offline format, the forum brought together over 400 participants, including leading industry experts, faculty members from the educational system, and senior learners. The event was presided over by Zhang Qiong, Secretary of the Party Branch of the Elderly Development College at Jiangsu Open University.
Gao Hong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, delivered an opening address. He emphasized that population aging has become a societal norm that demands our earnest attention and proactive response. In recent years, Jiangsu Province has undertaken bold explorations and initiatives in actively addressing aging, achieving remarkable progress in areas such as the social security system, elderly care services, and the development of age-friendly environments. Additionally, Jiangsu has established the Aging Civilization Learning Alliance, providing seniors with enriched and high-quality educational resources. Addressing the challenges of population aging, he noted, requires not only policy support and public welfare efforts but also enhanced awareness and active participation from every individual.
Professor Yuan Xin, Distinguished Professor and Doctoral Advisor at the Institute of Population and Development Research, School of Economics, Nankai University, delivered an insightful and engaging lecture on the new normal of population aging and national responses to both online and offline audiences. Professor Yuan emphasized that the convergence of negative population growth and population aging represents an unprecedented demographic shift in a century, triggering interconnected transformations across all demographic factors and socioeconomic dimensions. This trend will persist throughout China's second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the nation's comprehensive economic and social development—necessitating scientific understanding, proactive adaptation, and active response.
He systematically analyzed ten key characteristics of China's aging population: declining fertility, increasing longevity, population contraction, accelerated aging, improved quality of life, regional demographic disparities, simplified family structures, diversified aging trajectories, incentivized policy responses, and differentiated regional impacts. Furthermore, Professor Yuan meticulously outlined China's strategic and policy framework, including strengthening the multi-tiered pension system, implementing fertility support policies, expanding long-term care insurance pilots, advancing financial development, developing the silver economy, establishing elderly care services, promoting seniors' social participation, and expanding gerontological education. His comprehensive analysis provided audiences with deeper understanding of aging issues while offering valuable insights for future policy engagement.
Proactively addressing population aging constitutes a comprehensive and enduring systemic project, requiring coordinated efforts across society to foster a collaborative governance framework of shared development and benefits. Jiangsu Open University for the Elderly will continue deepening education on national aging awareness, disseminating the principles of positive and healthy aging, further consolidating broad consensus and gathering diverse insights. Together, we will pioneer more inclusive, innovative, and multi-dimensional models, platforms, and mechanisms in elder-related initiatives, collectively contributing wisdom and strength to advance high-quality development in aging-related services!
