Welcome

In most industrialized countries people live longer while the fertility rate is relatively low. These demographic changes are well known and will have an impact on our thinking of ageing workers, retirement and social insurance programs.

We can no longer afford policies, employment practices and attitudes that exclude older workers from the working life. Such policies are no longer sustainable, neither for the single enterprise nor for the society.

At the international research conference “Older workers in a sustainable society - great needs and great potentials” in Oslo 9th, 10th and 11th June 2010 we will address these challenges.

Despite this basic insight, the value of older workers is still in question. Still there is a widespread perception of older workers as worn out, rigid, inadaptable, slow, and in great need of facilitation. In the conference we will put a different perception on the agenda; older workers as experienced and mature, a valuable source of talent, skills and knowledge, and ready, willing and able to work. We will explore the social and economic potential in an ageing society.

The conference will offer a scientific program representing a wide variety of themes of senior policy, interesting colleagues from across the world and enjoyable social events. There will be speeches, paper sessions and workshops.

The conference will be hosted by Centre for Senior Policy, in cooperation with The Research Council of Norway and in agreement with The Ministry of Labour.

The venue for the conference is Thon Hotel Opera, in the middle of Oslo city, close to the fiord. Thon Hotel Opera is a modern conference hotel with high-standard meeting rooms and technical equipment. There are also reserved hotel rooms for the participants here.

Oslo is a wonderful city, especially at this time of year; with good climate and long, light nights by the fjord. We hope you will join us at the Welcome Reception. Welcome!

For updates on progress with conference preparations and programme, please subscribe to our newsletter.

Participants are invited to present papers during the conference. Deadline for submission of abstract is 1st February 2010.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions or questions about the conference.

See you in Oslo June 2010.

Åsmund Lunde

Director

Centre for Senior Policy

Norway

Robert Salomon

Senior Researcher

Work Research Institute

Norway