The ASEAN-UK workshop on ‘Cost-effective solutions and assistive technologies for low-income ageing populations’ will be held from 22–24 August 2018 at Le Quy Don Technical University, Vietnam. The workshop is organised by the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, Le Quy Don Technical University, Vietnam and Asian Technology Institute, Thailand. It is supported by a Researcher Links grant under the Newton Fund.
Population ageing is one of the most important issues and topics on the global agenda because of its great impact on quality of life and sustainable development of the economy of countries and regions.
Population ageing is an increasing median age in the population of a region due to declining fertility rates and/or rising life expectancy. Most countries have rising life expectancy and an ageing population. These trends that emerged first in more economically developed countries, but which are seen now in less economically developed countries. The United Nations predicts the rate of population ageing in the 21st century will exceed that of the previous century, and senior and geriatric population will reach 2.1 billion by 2050. By 2040 the greying of the population could shrink the number of working-age adults by from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in ASEAN. Vietnam’s senior citizens aged 65 and older is expected to increase by 20 per cent in 18 years.
Presentations and discussions at the workshop will address the core issues, and challenges of ageing populations that developing countries face. The focus is on cost-effective solutions and assistive technologies, which can directly benefit the low-income ageing populations in the ASEAN region.
The following core topics and themes will be addressed:
- challenges and problems caused by ageing populations in developing countries;
- cost-effective solutions and assistive technologies for healthy low-income ageing populations;
- the 3-5-10 years road-map of assistive technologies and cost-effective solutions for developing countries to tackle problems of ageing populations;
- health economics and public health for low-income ageing populations.
The workshop will help immediately to strengthen the current UK–Vietnam collaborations via UK-Vietnam Network in Higher Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HEIE): www.vuheie.org, which was co-founded by the applicants, and for long-term benefits, to expand these to the wider ASEAN region, emphasizing on the shared research and innovation challenges, providing direct impacts on the social welfare, economic development, and life quality of low-income ageing populations.
Participating institutions
United Kingdom:
- Cardiff University
- Imperial College London
- The University of Edinburgh
- University of Exeter
- University of Greenwich
- University of Leeds
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Westminster
Vietnam:
- Hanoi University of Public Health
- Hanoi University of Science and Technology
- Ho Chi Minh City Open University
- Hue Industrial College
- Hung Yen University of Technology and Education
- International University, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City
- Le Quy Don Technical University
- National Centre for Technological Progress
- National Technology Innovation Fund, Ministry of Science and Technology
- Saigon Hi-Tech Park
- Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry
- University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University – Hanoi
Other ASEAN countries:
- Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand
- Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, Thailand
- Ministry of Interior, Thailand
- Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
- Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTEM), Malaysia
- International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Malaysia
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia