From May 3 to 5, 2016, the China International Senior Services Expo (CISSE2016) was held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. Co-sponsored by the China Association of Social Welfare, the Open University of China (OUC), and Beijing College of Social Administration, the "Forum on Education for the Elderly and Development of Service Care Professionals," organized by Zhongfuzhangzhe Senior Services Co. Ltd., was held May 4.
Ministry of Education, Department of Vocational and Adult Education Deputy Director Liu Jiantong delivers a speech
By the end of 2015, the number of Chinese aged 60 or greater reached 220 million. Affected by China's special family planning policy intended to decrease fertility rates, the population in China is aging faster than the global average. Forecasts show China becoming a deeply aged society by 2025, and super aged by around 2040. To cope with the oncoming aging problem, the 13th "Five-Year" plan proposed this year that "a system to deal with the aging population should be built incorporating population strategy, family planning policy, employment systems, service care for the elderly, social security system, health care, professional training, environmental support, and social participation."
OUC Vice President Liu Chen delivers a keynote speech
As one of the forums at the China International Senior Services Expo, this forum focused on the theme of "Education for the Elderly and Development of Service Care Professionals" to actively explore theoretical support and practical paths for dealing with the issue; draw on successful experiences and innovative models from the development of domestic and overseas pensioner service professionals; enhance pensioners’ service quality; help resolve people’s major daily life problems; guarantee and improve quality of life for the elderly.
USC’s Davis School of Gerontology Vice President Maria Henkev delivers a keynote speech
The forum was presided over by OUC Vice President OUC Zhang Shaogang. The Ministry of Education’s Department of Vocational and Adult Education Deputy Director Liu Jiantong and China Association of Social Welfare’s Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General Feng Xiaoli came to the forum and delivered speeches. Eleven domestic and foreign senior experts and scholars in the field of education and service care for the elderly were invited to the forum to share their practical experiences and latest research achievements. These representatives include OUC Vice President Liu Chen, Beijing College of Social Administration President Zou Wenkai, the MOE’s Department of Vocational and Adult Education Director of the Urban and Rural Social Education Division, Liu Ying, USC’s Davis School of Gerontology Vice President Maria Henke, Managing Director of the School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services at Conestoga College, Marlene Raasok, Vice President of the International Project of Institut Supérieur de Rééducation Psychomotrice (ISRP) Mark Soubiran, and mental therapist Audrey Marcaggi, President of Changchun Art & Humanity Blessing Vocational Training School Li Xin, Director of the Department of Senior Citizens Welfare at the Beijing College of Social Administration Yang Genlai, Vice President of Beijing Open University Zhang Tiedao, Associate Researcher of Women's Studies Institute of China (WSIC) Jia Yunzhu, and Director of the Nursing Department of Fenyang College at Shanxi Medical University, Li Hongmei.
Forum on Education for the Elderly and Development of Service Care Professionals
"Many elderly people say they do not want to live a boring life, hoping to have more targeted educational and learning opportunities available to the elderly. They would like to receive educational and cultural learning opportunities for the rest of their life." OUC Vice President Liu Chen said in his speech that, "In view of this, the OUC actively promotes education for the elderly and training of service care professionals; actively explores new modes and methods of mutually integrating and promoting pensioners’ service and education; opens new modes of ubiquitous education for the elderly; further promotes integration of service and education for pensioners; promotes the construction of a lifelong education system; promotes the formation of a learning society; and adheres to the old saying that, "One is never too old to learn, never too old to enjoy happiness, never too old to be taken care of, and never too old to make one’s own contribution."
This significant forum promotes development of education for the elderly in our country; boosts the development of service care professionals; improves the overall level of nursing services for the elderly; and meets increasing demand for elderly service care. The forum has enlightened participants and provided useful reference material for use in further improving and promoting education for the elderly and developing training of service care professionals, all of which are conducive to discussing the forum’s theme.
By Yuan Xiao and Yan Jingzhen, http://www.china.org.cn