Gerontology news

Christoph Heuser from the Department of Gerontology wins Emerald Literati Award

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

CRA researchers win ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Prof Maria Evandrou and Prof Athina Vlachantoni are part of a team within the Centre for Population Change (CPC), led by Professor Jane Falkingham, who have won the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize.

Gerontology welcomes 20 new Commonwealth scholars

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Gerontology/Ageing - New research on changing living arrangements during lockdown

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

CRA staff publish a book chapter on Generations and the life course in Handbook on Society and Social Policy

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Two articles on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Handbook on Demographic Change and The Lifecourse

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Jane Falkingham from the Department of Social Statistics and Demography and the Centre for Population Change, and Professor Maria Evandrou and Professor Athina Vlachantoni from the Department of Gerontology and Centre for Research on Ageing have edited a Handbook on Demographic Change and the Lifecourse, which has been published by Edward Elgar. The Handbook includes contributions from Dr Min Qin, Professor Ann Berrington, Professor Traute Meyer and Dr Paul Bridgen within the Social Sciences, and colleagues around the world.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Older People in Indonesia - Dr Elisabeth Schröder-Butterfill

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Call for applications – 3 fully funded PhD scholarships

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

20 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for MSc Gerontology (DL) or MSc Global Ageing and Policy (DL)

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Gerontology is delighted to announce the availability of 20 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for the MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning) or MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning) programme in 2020-21.

Addressing inequalities in the pension system

Financial resilience and security are important for people of all backgrounds and communities, particularly as we age. For some older individuals from ethnic minority communities, later life comes with a higher risk of poverty compared with their white British counterparts.

“We know there are inequalities between ethnic groups in terms of how they benefit from the pension system,” said Professor Athina Vlachantoni from the Centre for Research on Ageing.

Professor Athina Vlachantoni’s latest research project is hearing directly from midlife and older people from a broad range of communities in ��ɫ��Ƶ, to better understand the factors behind pension inequality.

Project partners include the Department of Work and Pension (DWP), Age UK ��ɫ��Ƶ, ��ɫ��Ƶ City Council, The People’s Pension, Citizen’s Advice ��ɫ��Ƶ, and the Pensions Policy Institute.

“We wanted to give policymakers a real flavour of how people plan for later life,” said Professor Athina Vlachantoni. “Working with these stakeholders has ensured that our research directly addresses questions which policymakers and others are interested in.”

Read Helping policymakers understand how people from different communities prepare financially for later life to discover more about this research.

Challenges of Studying Gender and Inequalities in the 21st Century: A Roundtable

Join us for an engaging and informal discussion on the evolving challenges of studying gender and inequality in the 21st century. As societal norms shift and global dynamics change, the complexities of gender-based disparities continue to intersect with race, ethnicity, class, disability, sexuality, and religion in unprecedented ways. Scholars working on these topics from across the school will reflect upon how these intersections shape our understanding of inequality, the methods used to study these issues, and the critical conversations needed to drive lasting social change.
Speakers include Prof Elizabeth Evans (PAIR, GAIN Co-Director), Dr Valentina Tonei (Economics and Chair of the ESPS Athena Swan Cttee), Dr Maria Villares-Varela (Sociology), Dr Charlie Walker (Sociology, Co-Director for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies), and chaired by Dr Emilia Belknap (PAIR, GAIN Assistant Director).
The roundtable will run from 3-4 followed by a reception with refreshments from 4pm-5pm to celebrate the new Gender and Inequalities (GAIN) Centre.

Event Recap: A Great Research Seminar with Professor Christopher Phillipson

Professor Phillipson drew on studies from three urban areas across the UK, some of which had first been studied in the 1940s and 50s and re-studied in the 1990s and 2000s. This got us thinking about the impact of urbanisation, deprivation and renewal, the growing role of transnational networks in shaping later life, and methodological challenges with conducting community-based research.

It was fantastic to see so many people joining us, both in-person and online, for what turned out to be a really engaging and thought-provoking session. A big thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the discussion!

Family Diversity and Ageing: Professor Norah Keating Visits ��ɫ��Ƶ

Norah presented a “Framework for Family Diversities: Informing Care?” in which she examined what we do and don’t know about families, and why this matters in relation to ageing and care in contexts of family diversity and inadequate government support for families. Norah was previously an Advisory Board member of Elisabeth Schroeder-Butterfill’s ESRC Research Project on “Care Networks in Indonesia”. She was visiting Elisabeth to discuss her research findings on the nature of family care for older people, ahead of a conference panel they will both be contributing to in Cape Town in September 2025.

��ɫ��Ƶ Gerontology Featured in Re:action Magazine

The issue highlights key projects led by colleagues in the Department, the Centre for Research on Ageing (CRA), and the ESRC Centre for Population Change – Connecting Generations (CPC-CG).

The feature also includes reflections from alumni who are applying their Gerontology training in impactful ways across research, policy, and practice. Their contributions underscore the enduring value and real-world relevance of Gerontology at ��ɫ��Ƶ.

£5,000 Scholarship Available: ��ɫ��Ƶ Ageing and Gerontology Talent Scholarship

MSc Gerontology
MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning)
MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)

To be eligible, applicants must hold a conditional or unconditional offer from the ��ɫ��Ƶ.
Application deadline: Friday 30 May 2025 at 23:59 (UK time)
Click here to find out more and apply.

Fully Funded Commonwealth Scholarships for Distance Learning MSc Programmes

These fully funded scholarships support study on our MSc Gerontology and MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning) programmes, covering full tuition fees. The opportunity is open to citizens of eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries.

Programme Highlights:

Study fully online — part-time or full-time
Learn from internationally recognised academics
Gain expertise in ageing, health, social policy, and research methods
Develop skills suited to careers in ageing policy, research, and practice

Eligibility Criteria:
Citizenship of an eligible Commonwealth country
A 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline
IELTS score of 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each component)

Application deadline: 16:00 GMT, Tuesday 20 May 2025

Learn more:
MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning)
MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)
Apply for the scholarship

For further information, please contact: ageing@soton.ac.uk

Virtual Open Event Recording Now Available

By registering through the iVent platform, students can:

Watch a full recording of the live presentation
Access links and resources about our MSc and PhD programmes
Explore additional content via the Department of Gerontology’s virtual booth

Click here to access the event
Please note: registration is required to enter the platform, but once logged in, all materials are available on-demand.
Applications are currently open, and now is a great time to explore your options and learn more about our research-led teaching and international academic community.

Full Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for MSc Gerontology

This full scholarship is open to students from eligible Commonwealth countries to study for the MSc Gerontology (in person) at the ��ɫ��Ƶ. The scholarship covers tuition fees, a monthly stipend, travel costs and an allowance!

The application deadline is 9 December 2025, 4pm (UK time).

Publication success with our Visiting Fellow, Dr Eva van der Ploeg

The open-access article can be downloaded here.

The paper examines awareness of dementia in Indonesia and the ways in which family networks provide care for older relatives with dementia. It was co-authored with Elisabeth Schroeder-Butterfill and Yvonne Handajani (Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta) and draws on data from the ESRC research project led by Elisabeth on “Care networks in later life: A comparative study of five communities in Indonesia.”

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships

Eligibility Criteria

Citizenship of an eligible Commonwealth country
A 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline
IELTS score of 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each component)

Application deadline: 31st March 2026.

Learn more

MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning)
MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)
Apply for the scholarship

For further information, please contact: ageing@soton.ac.uk

Meet our alumna, Rose Metumi Muhuthu

She joined the Department of Gerontology on a prestigious Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship in 2017, studying for the MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning) part-time and graduating in 2020. Previously she had received her BA in Development Studies from Mount Kenya University.

��ɫ��Ƶ her time as a student with us, which included a residential course component on Highfield campus at the ��ɫ��Ƶ in 2018, Rose says: “I enjoyed the physical and distance interaction with other students from Commonwealth countries. In addition, the good rapport with lecturers made learning easy. Gaining more knowledge on research and policies related to older persons helped me to realize that ageing is not a burden but a key stage of life.”

The Global Ageing and Policy Master’s enabled Rose to better understand ageing as a long-term process over the lifecourse, and to appreciate the need for older persons to live a dignified life free from ageism. To this end, Rose has actively participated in the development of Kenya’s Older Persons’ Bill which seeks to protect and promote the rights of older persons once it becomes law.

Through her studies and her work, Rose developed into a passionate advocate for the welfare and dignity of older persons and other vulnerable populations. As she puts it, “Older persons play a crucial role in national development, including taking roles in community leadership, caring for young family members and as mentors in moral values. Often, they are economically active. Older people need to be valued, engaged, and cared for. This calls for recognition, protection and the promotion of the rights of older persons as enshrined in the Kenya’s constitution, Article 57”

Rose has over 15 years of experience in Community Development. Her ageing expertise has allowed her to focus on Social Protection, and she is involved in the implementation of National Safety Net Programmes, also referred to as the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme, which support Older Persons, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and Persons with Severe Disabilities in Kenya.

She has undertaken further professional training in Environmental and Social Safeguards Management at the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), Arusha, Tanzania. Rose advocates for inclusive participation and equitable access to programme benefits by all, including vulnerable and marginalized populations, thus ensuring no one is left behind in social protection programmes.

#Gerontology #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #socialprotection #Ageing #DistanceLearning

Get in touch with Rose: metumi2018@gmail.com

20 years of Gerontology at ��ɫ��Ƶ

Hosted by Head of Department, Dr Elisabeth Schroeder-Butterfill, and Director of the Centre for Research on Ageing, Professor Maria Evandrou, the event showcased the journey from the very first intake of MSc Gerontology students in 2007, to the present day, with over 425 alumni from our MSc Gerontology, MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning), MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning) programmes, and nearly 40 PhD graduates.

Keynote presentations from two excellent MSc alumni, Dr Yazhen Yang (China) and Ika Washington (Canada), showed two different yet equally exciting career trajectories after studying Gerontology at ��ɫ��Ƶ. Yazhen’s academic career includes multiple research projects, teaching research methods, and advising on policy relating to older people in China. Ika’s work as a Critical Health Equity Consultant and founder of DiversityTalk has enabled her to provide expert research and policy knowledge on health of indigenous and Black communities in Canada, as well as contribute insights from the lifecourse approach to UN discussions about addiction.

There were ample opportunities to catch up with acquaintances and meet new people over lunch and a tour of Highfield Campus. The afternoon session enjoyed roundtable discussions on the topics of Gerontology in Practice and Gerontology in Academia. We are grateful to invited experts Dr Priya Khambhaita, Funmilayo Opadoja, Dr Christoph Heuser, and Dr Dalia Tsimpida, who facilitated the discussions. These roundtables allowed alumni and colleagues to share their expertise, forge new connections, and ignite ideas for future collaborations. These conversations continued over dinner.

Many of the attendees then travelled on to Oxford for the British Society of Gerontology annual conference and the Emerging Researchers in Ageing (ERA) conference. The strength of gerontology expertise from ��ɫ��Ƶ was striking at these events, and it was inspiring to see the next generation of ��ɫ��Ƶ-trained gerontologists taking their place on the world stage, championing the field of ageing.