Join us on 7 May 2025!

You are warmly invited to the webinar 'Lifelong learning for older adults: Bridging the grey digital divide' on 7 May 2025.

This webinar, organized by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Institute for the Future of Education at Tec de Monterrey, will explore innovative digital learning initiatives that cater to the unique learning needs of older adults through accessible, inclusive and empowering provision.

Background

Limited digital skills, inaccessible technology and ageist stereotypes often exclude older people from opportunities to learn, communicate and participate actively in society.

Educational executives, experts and practitioners from different regions will share insights on effective digital skills programmes, policy environments that foster lifelong digital learning, and strategies that combat ageism by recognizing the active part that older adults can play in the digital era.

The discussion will highlight the ways in which inclusive digital learning can help older adults bridge the digital divide, integrate into today’s fast-evolving digital landscapes, and actively participate in and contribute to society.

Findings presented during this webinar are part of a UIL research project on reskilling & upskilling, intergenerational learning and digital learning for older adults, which is being implemented with the support of Shanghai Open University. Drawing on ongoing research, UIL will shortly be releasing a series of research reports, strategic policy recommendations and institutional guidelines for lifelong learning tailored to older adults.

Webinar information

Date and time

7 May 2025, 13.00–14.00 hours CEST

Programme

Welcome

• Ms Mo Wang, Programme Specialist / Project Lead on Lifelong Learning for Older Adults, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

Expert inputs

• Redefining aging in a digital world: From retirement to reinvention
  Professor José Escamilla, Associate Director of the Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
• The role of Geragogy in digital learning
  Ms Carol Ma, Head (Gerontology Programmes) & Senior Fellow (CEL) | S R Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore
• Harnessing the power of technology to change the way we age
  Mr Alex Glazebrook, Vice President, Programs, Senior Planet and Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, United States of America
• Intelligence technology benefiting older adults: Digital learning makes life better!
  Ms Yuan Wang, Associate Research Fellow, Shanghai University for the Senior, People’s Republic of China

Discussion

Summary and closing
Mr Raúl Valdés Cotera, Chief Programme Coordinator, UIL

Moderator: Ms Mo Wang, Programme Specialist, UIL

More information

Between 2020 and 2022, as part of an international research project initiated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in cooperation with Shanghai Open University (SOU) on the engagement of higher education institutions (HEIs) in lifelong learning, a study was conducted to ascertain the response of HEIs to the learning needs of ageing societies. The study, which focused on several thematic areas, was able to identify some of the main challenges that older adults face in accessing lifelong learning opportunities.

Building on these findings, UIL will carry out three thematic analyses – on reskilling and upskilling, intergenerational learning and digital learning for older adults – as part of its second agreement with SOU, which runs from 2023 to 2025. The aim of this research is to explore a broad range of institutions offering learning opportunities for older demographics, including beyond traditional HEIs, and will serve as not only a continuation of the original study but as an expansion of it.

Further information
Research project 'The benefits of lifelong learning for older adults'

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