DCU - Age Friendly University

10 Principles of Age Friendly University

In 2012 Dublin City University (DCU) launched the Ten Principles of an AgeFriendly University. It has grown into an Age-Friendly University Global Network comprising over 74 institutes of higher education representing Europe, North America, South East Asia and Australia led by DCU.

DCU works closely with a broad range of organisations engaged with older people. For example, the dedicated Age-Friendly Coordinator represents DCU Age-Friendly on the Fingal AgeFriendly Forum, the AGE Platform Europe and the International Federation on Ageing. DCU is a founder member of the Covenant on Demographic Change, contributing to greater collaboration between agencies across the EU.

DCU hosts an Expert Advisory Board keeping true to the Age-friendly movement's fundamental tenet to provide opportunities to participate actively and treat everyone with respect regardless of age. The Ten Principles of an Age-Friendly University outline a commitment to providing age-friendly opportunities within higher education, focusing on the needs of a growing demographic.

DCU provides educational, research, cultural and social opportunities to across its three campuses in Glasnevin, All Hallows and St. Patricks, Drumcondra. In addition to a customised Lifelong Learning Programme, it is also possible to audit (or sit in) a selected number of modules from the undergraduate programme without undertaking exams or assignments. Of course, one can take these modules for credit (complete assignments), contributing to an award. These modules are modestly priced and easily accessed through the AFU office.

In every higher education institution, there is a vast amount of ongoing research that provides another area for engagement to contribute to the research by way of focus groups or being more involved in research as a "citizen researcher" from the start of the project to its outcome. Participation in EU and national projects is encouraged along with peer led learning where we look to the participants' expertise to lead, for example, several participants made presentations on subjects as diverse as the History of Whiskey (and a tasting!!) to the role of Women to Aviation in Ireland.

Social activities are encouraged and supported through our Love of Lifelong Learning Association (3LA) comprising members who organise regular social gatherings and visits to sites of interest on behalf of AFU participants. There are also a number of institutional events to which AFU members are invited from honorary doctoral awards (Bill Clinton & Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy) to free public lectures and presentations. On average, over 2,000 older people engaged with DCU every week before the COVID pandemic. Our Sports facility hosts a customised Active for Life Programme, and they have moved online since the restrictions started. Lectures and modules moved online, and we supported participants to engage and maintain connectedness with the university, by offering free Zoom and Smartphone training. This Zoom and Smartphone programme restarting mid-February is offered free to the public and delivered by our Masters students.

We invite you to visit our website: www.dcu.ie/agefriendly for more information or email the AFU Admin Officer: grainne.reddy@dcu.ie or the AFU Coordinator: Christine.okelly@ dcu.ie.