Integrating Ageing Across Higher Education Curriculum For Age-Friendly Communities

Introduction

Population ageing has significant social and economic implications across sectors including health, urban planning, technology, education, and public policy. However, education on ageing remains largely concentrated within health and social care disciplines, limiting broader societal and workforce preparedness. Higher education institutions have a key role in shaping professional competencies and social responses to demographic change. This paper outlines a proposal for integrating ageing across higher education curricula as a foundation for developing age-friendly communities.

Methods

This paper adopts a conceptual and policy-informed approach. Drawing on demographic trends, international healthy ageing frameworks, and existing models of ageing education, the current status of ageing content within higher education was examined. A proposed framework for curriculum integration across faculties is presented, focusing on embedding ageing literacy within teaching, research, and service functions.

Results

Ageing education is commonly siloed, resulting in fragmented understanding among graduates in non-health disciplines. The proposed curriculum framework illustrates how ageing-related content can be integrated across faculties such as health sciences, social sciences, technology, and the built environment. This approach highlights potential advantages, including improved ageing literacy, reduced ageism, and better preparation of graduates to engage with ageing populations in diverse professional contexts.

Conclusions

Integrating ageing across higher education curricula represents a strategic and upstream response to population ageing. As universities are key contributors to ageing literacy and workforce preparedness, this approach offers a practical pathway towards more inclusive, age-friendly societies. Future work should focus on piloting and evaluating such curriculum models in different institutional and cultural contexts.