Following the continuing uncertainty of the pandemic development, and our determination to ensure we can still have a great conference, the BSG 50th anniversary annual conference is going online. We will have the same great keynote speakers as planned, the same symposia and parallel sessions on research in gerontology and the same 50 bursaries for attendance – but from the comfort of your own home: no travel or accommodation expenses necessary, and a significantly reduced registration fee! We have kept fees as low as possible, with lower ticket prices for unwaged/students/concessions. We hope this means that even more of our members can participate this year. Registration is now open, for more information please visit our website.
At BSG2021 Online, there will even be virtual networking / socialising opportunities, poster events, lunchtime interactive sessions with community projects and a sponsors’ exhibition, so those elements are maintained, with a great innovative and friendly digital platform to make it all possible. We will share more details on the technology that will support the conference, and instructions for use, in due course. We are still looking forward to receiving your submissions for poster and oral presentations as well as your symposia proposals, submission via the BSG website – remember the deadline is 20 January 2021. For any questions, please contact us on bsgconference2021@britishgerontology.org.
Our Conference theme is ‘Ageing past, present and future: Innovation and change’, and it will still be organised by the Lancaster University team. Research into ageing is an important theme for Lancaster University with the University-wide interdisciplinary Centre for Ageing Research (C4AR) representing over 70 faculty staff and almost 40 PhD students in a range of disciplines. Our focus on research that has real impact on the lives of older people is typified by the location of C4AR within the new Health Innovation Campus, an exciting new co-location of researchers together with a range of business and third sector partners, alongside Lancaster Medical School and the Division of Health Research. Working together with a range of partners, including the C4AR associated Continuing Learning Group, the 50th Anniversary conference will give us time to reflect on what has changed in gerontological research, on the impacts and achievements and the difference we have made, to learn from each other in the present, but also to reflect on how we may make new and innovative strides going forward.
The British Society of Gerontology is a leading forum for the advancement of gerontological research and knowledge across the United Kingdom, and our annual conferences attract attendees from around the world. Whether new to research on ageing, a first-time attendee, a PhD student, or a long-established member, whether interested in older people, ageing populations, or intergenerational issues, at the conference you will discover a stimulating, diverse, and engaging network of academics, students, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Our common goal is to advance gerontological research, education, theory, and practice in order to ensure improved quality of life for all.
We look forward to welcoming you (virtually) to Lancaster in 2021 to celebrate our past, learn about our present and look forward to our future!
With best wishes from the Conference Chair and organising committee,
Professor Carol Holland
Director, Centre for Ageing Research
Lancaster University