European Summer School in Gerontology and Geriatrics

Between June 7 and 17, Professor Joseph Troisi, director of the European Centre of Gerontology, University of Malta, and deputy director of the UN International Institute on Aging, participated in a European Summer School on "Health and Aging: Challenges and Opportunities" organised in Chania, Crete by the Consortium of the European Master's Degree Programme in Gerontology.

Professor Troisi is a member of the European Consortium responsible for the running of the European Master's Degree Programme in Gerontology (EuMaG). This programme, which is funded by the EU, is projected to start in September. As a preparation, a summer school was organised. It was attended by 18 participants from 14 countries, including Maria Navarro, assistant lecturer at European Centre of Gerontology, University of Malta.

The multi-disciplinary programme, which consisted of lectures, workshops, group discussions, project formulation, etc., was directed by an international core staff of 15 experts in social gerontology and gerontology from universities in various countries, including Professor Troisi.

This 10-day summer school programme, which was partially funded by the European Commission, was aimed at providing participants with detailed theoretical and empirical knowledge in the field of Social and Health Care Policy, Social Protection for Dependency in old Age, and Health and Aging with a specific focus on international comparative aspects.

The summer school provided students with the understanding of the meaning of added value in European Community-wide and international collaboration, enabled participants to contribute effectively to the planning and policymaking in the field of aging on the European arena, and facilitated networking and co-operation among participants from present and future member states in the EU.

Professor Troisi also participated in two meetings of the Consortium of the European Master's Degree Programme in Gerontology. It was decided that the University of Keele, UK, the Open University of the Netherlands, and the University of Malta collaborate closely in sharing the credits in Social Gerontology.

Other European universities will be responsible for credits in other areas of gerontology and geriatrics.