Welcome to 2008! As I write this report from my desk at Keele it’s pouring rain outside, the oak tree is resplendent in its nudity, and the day is reluctantly trying to come to life. A far cry from my Christmas in Australia where the sun was shining, the wine was chilled and white, and the prawns on the BBQ were fat and juicy.

Kate Davidson’s very comprehensive President’s report in this issue sets the foundations for another exciting year for BSG. New initiatives such as the Alan Walker prize and the proposed system of BSG Fellowships will acknowledge and reward those who have made a substantial contribution to British gerontology, while the newly badged BSG-ERA under the leadership of Ian Sidney promises to take forward the interests of emerging researchers. Plans for the annual ERA conference are well underway, with dates and further information to be announced soon. Conferences are an important part of the BSG diary, providing opportunities for members to present their work and keep up-to-date with research, policy and practice. This year’s annual BSG conference in Bristol 4-6 September promises to continue the high standards set last year at the Sheffield conference and I encourage members to submit abstracts. See the conference website http://www.bsg2008.org.uk/ for further details.

One of the things I love about my job as a gerontologist is the opportunity to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds as they pursue their studies in ageing. This week I’ve been privileged to co-ordinate the Keele module of the European Masters in Gerontology (EuMaG ) programme (http://www.eumag.org/), with students from the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, Curacao, Canada, and Japan bringing new perspectives on ageing to the course. With her permission, I’d like to share with you the thoughts of Japanese student, Noe Morita as she discusses her reasons for studying gerontology.

For happy ageing in Japan

“My career objective is to become a Japanese gerontologist who will assist elderly people achieve a successful ageing process. By working as a gerontologist with global experience I hope to contribute to a high quality of life for elderly people.

I was working at a Japanese cosmetics company. Our target clients were over 50 years old. The clients sometimes made complaints about our products such as their tight caps or heavy glass containers which are typical troubles elderly people face. I asked co-workers in the development department to make improvements but nobody paid attention or thought these opinions worth hearing.

The Japanese population is increasing rapidly. I would like to change the Japanese aspect which is not kind for elderly people. I know I should wait until my English is better before doing EuMaG, but I want to help older people in my country so much that I just can’t wait for my language skills to catch up.”

For me, Noe shares the true spirit and passion of gerontologists throughout the world. Whether it be through scholarship, policy or practice our goal, like Noe’s, is to improve the quality of life of older people.

And as the New Year begins, I’d like to wish all our members a happy and successful year. I look forward to seeing many of you at the ERA event and/or at the BSG conference in Bristol.