East Meets West: Innovative Approaches to Gerontology Education and Training

Chair(s)

• MI

  Megumi Inoue, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Associate professor
  Social Work
  George Mason University
  Fairfax, Virginia, United States

Co-Chair(s)

• 

  Takashi Amano, PhD, MSW (he/him/his)

  Assistant Professor
  Social Work
  Rutgers University
  Newark, New Jersey, United States

Discussant(s)

• NM

  Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  Brown School of Social Work
  Washington University in St. Louis
  St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• KI

  Katsuya Iijima, MD/PhD (he/him/his)

  Professor
  Institute of Gerontology, Institute for Future Initiatives
  The University of Tokyo
  Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
• NT

  Noriko Tsukada, PhD, MGS (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  College of Commerce
  Nihon University
  Setagata-city, Tokyo, Japan

  Slides
• 

  Takashi Yamashita, PhD

  Professor
  Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health
  University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  University of Maryland - Baltimore County
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• 

  Michelle Hand, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor
  Social Work
  George Mason University
  Fairfax, Virginia, United States

  Slides

The global population is aging at an increasingly fast pace compared to past generations. Although the magnitudes and rates of aging in the United States and Japan differ, the drastic change in population structure has resulted in common challenges for both countries. One challenge is preparing people and society for living a long life while promoting well-being in old age for everyone. Combating ageism, delivering accurate information about aging, and encouraging people to have a balanced view of the aging process are all important topics for living in an aging society. Therefore, gerontology education and training plays a critical role. In this symposium, we will present examples of current efforts and research findings on aging education and training in both the United States and Japan. The first presenter will discuss their efforts on promoting gerontology education through redesigning communities with interdisciplinary collaboration in Japan. The second presenter will explain gerontology curriculum and degree programs in Japan. The third presenter will introduce an international gerontology education course designed for United States graduate students. The last presenter will report findings from a scoping review on intergenerational activities in higher education. Implications for future gerontology education will also be discussed.

Presentations:

• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

  Gero-Education in Japan: Community Re-Designing to Achieve Healthy Aging and Well-Being
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Katsuya Iijima, MD/PhD (he/him/his) – The University of Tokyo
• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

  Expanding Educational Opportunities in Gerontology in Japan
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Noriko Tsukada, PhD, MGS (she/her/hers) – Nihon University
• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

  Development of an International Gerontology Education Course Between the US and Japan
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Takashi Yamashita, PhD – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

  Intergenerational Learning to Addressing Ageism in Higher Education: Scoping Review Findings
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Michelle D. Hand, PhD (she/her/hers) – George Mason University