Aging & Social Change: Fourteenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Age-Friendly University (AFU) was initiated at the University of Dublin, Ireland in 2012, following life expectancy increase, higher awareness to ageism, and the need to reduce inequalities by ensuring that education and employment opportunities are open to all ages. The University of Haifa (UoH), located in a city with a higher proportion of senior citizens, compared to the national average, and is leading the first AFU in Israel, in accordance with UN’ SDG. The UoH was the first of Israel’s institutions of higher education to adopt the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as its roadmap. According to the Times Higher Education (THE) impact rankings, in 2023 the UoH was ranked in the top 101-200 from among some 1,700 institutions worldwide. Among others, its activity is evident in the following goals: good health, (ranked 52nd); quality education, (ranked 30th). Method: We used the Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey (ICCS) questionnaire. After translating into Hebrew, and cultural and technical adaptations and validation with a panel of five experts. The survey was disseminated across the campus, garnering responses from 1500 participants. Analysis reveal generally positive attitudes towards the integration of older individuals within the campus community, with insufficient progress in various domains. Study findings serve as a basis to develop educational programs for older learners and reorientation of university policies towards age inclusivity. They also provide recommendations for fostering age-friendly environments through policy formulation and organizing social-cultural initiatives on campus and beyond.