Videos

Interview with Trifon Missov (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) ) on Ageing. Questions: 1. Sometimes I look at my friends who are my age and wonder why some look much younger, and others older. Is that an indication that everyone ages at a different rate? 2. What do we actually know about the individual rate of ageing for human beings? 3. Looking back at the totality of my life, were the illnesses and unhealthy habits of my youth more relevant for my rate of ageing, or rather the health problems that occurred in the later years of my life?

An interview with Ross McMillan (Bocconi University) on health over the life course. Questions: 1. I often hear that highly educated people are healthier in old age. Do I have to worry now because I don’t have a university degree? 2. What explains the health differences between people who otherwise live in similar circumstances? 3. How exactly can my cognitive abilities have an impact on my health? 4. Which impact could your findings have on policy makers? Should there be compulsory health education for young children in school for example?

An interview with Iñaki Permanyer (Center for Demographic Studies) on social inequalities. Questions: 1. When I hear about the unemployment rates for young people in many southern European countries, I wonder how they manage to survive – what do you know about their living arrangements? 2. What is the situation if unemployment happens later in life, do families still provide support? 3. How many unemployed people actually have to cope without any support from parents or partners?

"The share of childless people is not that much bigger than it used to be" - an interview with Clara H. Mulder. Questions: 1. What are the most significant changes in intergenerational relations in the last decades? 2. In the future, won't it be mainly older people who will need help from their children? 3. So you don't fear a looming war between the generations? 4. Will it make a difference that less people live in traditional families? 5. How can childless people stay involved with younger generations when they get older?

On 9th December 2014, the Nobel Week Dialogue was held in Stockholm. Representatives from politics, society and the scientific community – among them many Nobel Laureates – came together to engage in dialogue on aging society. MPIDR-Director Jim Vaupel took an active part in the discussions. The theme of the third Nobel Week Dialogue was "The Age to Come - New scientific and cultural perspectives on ageing". Watch all the speeches here. MPIDR-Director James W. Vaupel gave a talk on the demographic consequences of an aging society, his presentation starts at 13:30.

"When you think of migrants, there is a very diverse population" - an interview with Helga de Valk. 1. You are an expert on migration: To what degree and in which ways can migrant populations contribute to softening the trend of low birth rates in Europe? 2. Are there demographic characteristics and behaviours of migrant populations that differ from that of natives? 3. When we think about how migrants adapt to the lifestyle of their new home country, what role does education play?

"The decrease in mortality will continue in the next decades" - an interview with Graziella Caselli (University of Rome "La Sapienza"). Questions: 1. Are all European countries ageing to the same degree or are there differences? 2. Will these differences between countries persist in the future? 3. Is there a limit to mortality decline and longevity? 4. What can be done to adapt the pension system?

"We have to focus on trying to get men to change" - an interview with Pearl Dykstra (Erasmus University Rotterdam). Questions: 1. Are there differences between men and women when it comes to working preferences? 2. What differences exist between European countries in the context of female work patterns? 3. Which policies could help to change these gendered work patterns? 4. What are the social prospects of single and childless people when they get older?

"We have to start thinking about non-productive or non-paid work in a different way" - an interview with Jane Falkingham (Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton). Questions: 1. How do the shifts in population growth and ageing that took place in the last five decades differ from previous demographic transitions? 2. What do you consider to be the biggest policy challenge resulting from these changes? 3. Can these challenges be met within the existing framework of our welfare systems?

"We can not avoid working longer" - an interview with Irena Kotowska. Questions: 1. Are the ageing societies of most European countries bound to face a shrinking workforce and therefore declining economic productivity? 2. What are the differences in this respect between regions in Europe? 3. How could policy makers address these developments? 4. Which type of pension reform could be seen as a best practice example? 5. Will we have to not only work longer but work more?