University of Manitoba
IN-24: Innovation A

The Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba was established with a mandate to serve as a focal point for the conduct of research on aging. The Centre has developed a national and international reputation for excellence in research. Community representatives contribute to projects, and the Centre distributes its findings to administrators, policy makers, practitioners, and seniors to assist them in making decisions. In 2016, the University of Manitoba was announced as the first Canadian Age-Friendly University. This achievement placed the University of Manitoba with universities in Ireland, the UK and the USA who have also committed to the initiative. There are eleven principles of an age-friendly university, beginning with the encouragement for the participation of older adults in all the core activities of the university, including educational and research programs. The second principle is to promote personal and career development in the second half of life and to support those who wish to pursue “second careers”. The third principle is to recognize the range of educational needs of older adults. The fourth principle is to promote intergenerational learning to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between learners of all ages. Widening access to online educational opportunities for older adults to ensure a diversity of routes to participation is the fifth principle. The six is to ensure that the university’s research agenda is informed by the needs of an aging society and to promote public discourse on how higher education can better respond to the varied interests and needs of older adults. The seventh principle is to increase the understanding of students of the longevity dividend and the increasing complexity and richness that aging brings to our society. Enhancing access for older adults to the university’s range of health and wellness programs and its arts and cultural activities is the eighth principle while engaging actively with the university’s own retired community is the ninth. Finally, the tenth principle is to ensure regular dialogue with organizations representing the interests of the aging population.