The Age-Friendly University initiative has started up in Trinity College Dublin, introducing the 10 principles founded originally at Dublin City University.
The initiative, which was established in DCU in 2012, gives students aged 65 and over the opportunity to attend different educational courses and access to online resources they may not have.
The programme is in place in four continents, with Trinity College becoming the 15th institution to have the Age-Friendly University initiative in place.
“TCD are the latest member and they were generous in their praise for DCU inaugurating this process at their event to launch the Age Friendly and their becoming the 15th member of the global network”said DCU’s Vice President of External and Strategic Affairs Trevor Holmes when discussing this expansion.
Any higher education institutions who are prepared to commit to the 10 principles that were set out by DCU are eligible to join the network.
In order for them to join the network, the application they submit must be sanctioned by a senior officer of their university.
At the moment, progress is increasing for the initiative as the Association of Gerontologists in Higher Education in North America have become a member and are working to encourage other institutions across the US to get involved.
The Royal College of Physicians have also become recent members of this initiative, allowing membership to be broadened further over the four continents.
“Progress has been good, with another four-to-five universities working through their applications”, Holmes said.
DCU are set to host the second global conference of the Age Friendly University next year on March 12th in Croke Park, where existing and potential members of the network will meet with NGOs, practitioners and representative bodies.
Ellen Fitzpatrick