Institute of Ageing Studies Peking University

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Ageing Study is a new inter-disciplinary subject. Peking University, however, has a long tradition of studying the sociology of old people. IPRPKU was among the first of a group of research organizations to raise the issue on the need of setting up ageing study units in major universities of the country.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council of China state in The Decision on Strengthening the Work on Population Ageing that the ageing issue touches many different fields such as economy, politics, culture, and social life. It is a strategic issue that has important bearing on the livelihood of the people and the stability of the society. It points out that in due time that all colleges should be able to have the ageing study as a specialty. The Population Ageing Development of the Tenth Five-Year Plan further indicates that qualified universities can have the Master and Doctoral degree programs to train specialists in ageing studies. The Ministry of Education has placed the ageing study under sociology first level in the college of law. The United Nations Second World Assembly on Ageing indicates that the work on ageing of a country is an important indicator of civilization and national development.

The Peking University has made the research and development of ageing studies an important strategic task in its future planning. It therefore established the Institute of Ageing Studies in October 2003 on the sound basis of the Institute of Population Research, Peking University.

Through teaching, research, social services, the Institute of Ageing Studies carries out research on population ageing, trains specialists on ageing studies, promotes social sustainable development and helps to improve the quality of life and the living conditions of the elderly.