\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Population aging, accompanied by
\npopulation decline, is today an undeniable reality for everyone, not just for
\nexperts. According to the UN, life expectancy will reach 81 years by the end of
\nthe century. At present, almost 700 million people have exceeded the age of 60
\nand by 2050 it is estimated that their number will account for more than 20% of
\nthe world population. Within the EU, the relative percentage of the population
\naged at least 65 will grow at a fast pace, with this age category expected to
\nreach almost 150 million people by 2050. By 2060, the ratio between old and
\nyoung people will be 2:1. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In this context, the degree of dependency of old
\npeople (people of at least 65 years in relation to those between 15 and 64
\nyears of age) will be almost 50% in 2050. However, this reality should not
\nnecessarily be a reason for concern or fear, but it should rather lead to
\nsolutions. One of them should be to keep the elderly on the labor market as
\nlong as possible. Ionu\u0163 Sibian, the executive director of the Foundation for Civil Society
\nDevelopment, says that another EU institution, namely the European Economic and
\nSocial Committee (EESC) has already come up with projects meant to prevent the
\nemergence of a demographic crisis. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Ionut Sibian: A recent OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) study
\nshows that countries such as Great Britain could increase their GDP by 5% in
\nthe future, if they manage to come up now with policies meant to keep senior
\ncitizens on the labor market. Within the European Economic and Social Committee
\nwe have recently issued an opinion on e-seniors, which is about allowing access
\nto the digital world to people over 50. There are over 150 million EU citizens
\nwho will be in this category and for whom access to the market created by the
\nInternet is important, for them to keep active on the labor market. So far
\nmember states have approached the issue of access to digital technology from
\nthe perspective of access to social and medical services. We should go beyond
\nthis stage and offer training opportunities to the elderly also for other
\ndomains of the Internet, for them to get information and also to obtain further
\nincome aside from their pensions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Now, since we are in full holiday season,
\nwe’ll be talking about other types of offers for seniors, which should bring
\nthem both relaxation and information. And what better way to do so than going
\nto school without the stress of exams or of getting a diploma? This is the
\noffer of the Dunarea de Jos University of Galati for the 2016-2017 academic
\nyear. The project is called University for Seniors and its aim is to solve
\nsome of the problems posed by population aging. Here is Deputy-Dean Violeta Pu\u015fca\u015fu told us more about this project. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Violeta Puscasu: Of Romania’s big cities, Gala\u0163i is the city with the largest elderly
\npopulation. This is the effect of some unfortunate economic, political and
\ndemographic circumstances. The old people over 60 in Gala\u0163i
\naccount for one third of the city’s population. I have taught demography for
\nover 20 years and I have had the opportunity to see the visible changes in
\ndemographic indicators in Romania and Europe. The aging phenomenon is getting
\nmore and more visible and society should not be indifferent to it or offer the
\nclassical solutions of placing the elderly into a retirement home or turning
\nthem into couch potatoes in the company of a dog.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The University for Seniors in Galati does not
\ncharge seniors for the courses they offer, and, upon graduation, they get a
\ncertificate. It may not count on the labor market, yet it does have a
\nsentimental and scientific value, proving that the elderly people managed to
\nkeep their intellect active, thereby averting the prospects of depression
\ntriggered by loneliness and lack of occupation. But what exactly can senior
\ncitizens study in Galati? With details on that, here is Deputy-Dean Violeta
\nPuscasu once again:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
There are ten modules selected from a much more
\ngenerous list, including options the prospective senior-students expressed
\nduring a survey carried last spring and last summer. Of that very generous
\nlist, these 10 have been short listed. Apart from seniors’ wishes, what
\nmattered was the fact that my colleagues at the university showed their willingness
\nto get involved in such an undertaking, pro bono. Among the courses
\nsenior-students can take there are courses in law, business and international
\nrelations, kinetotherapy, fine arts, culture and civilization, nutrition,
\nhistory, philosophy, theology, tourism, science and engineering. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Attending the aforementioned courses are the 160
\nsenior students enrolled at the Dunarea de Jos University in Galati. Courses are tailored for people older than
\n55. The minimum admission age was 55, with the oldest senior student being 85
\nyears old. Once fresh content knowledge has been acquired as a result of
\nattending such courses, the elderly might even stand the chance of getting new
\njobs. Ionut Sibian, who is also a member of the European Economic and Social
\nCommittee, thinks hiring seniors is a priority. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Ionut Sibian: Once the crisis is over, the European Union has
\ngot to find a solution as regards demography. Part of the solution is keeping
\nseniors on the labor market as long as possible as well as offering incentives
\nto those employers who hire seniors. Social economy can be a good and generous
\nemployer and provider for this category of senior citizens.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Population aging, accompanied by population decline, is today an undeniable reality for everyone, not just for experts. According to the UN, life expectancy will reach 81 years by the end of the century. At present, almost 700 million people have exceeded the age of 60 and by 2050 it is estimated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":142133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42997],"tags":[43586,34424,43585],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-142132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-today","tag-dunarea-de-jos-university","tag-eesc","tag-university-for-seniors"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n