Aims & Objectives

In accordance with its mandate and with the provisions of the Agreement signed between the United Nations and the Government of Malta, the Institute's main objectives are to fulfill the training needs of developing countries and to facilitate the implementation of the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing.

The Institute provides multi-disciplinary education and training in specific areas related to Ageing, and also acts as a catalyst as regards the exchange of information on issues concerned with ageing.

Since 1995 INIA has also started conducting training programmes in various countries throughout the world. Each "in-situ" training programme is tailored to the respective country's needs. During the past 12 years, INIA has conducted 47 such programmes in Barbados, Belarus, Brazil, People's Repubic of China (Beijing, Anshan City, Hangzhou and Huariou), Egypt, Ghana, India (Hyderabad, Pune and Tirupati), Kuwait, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia,Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). To date, 1508 candidates have benefitted from these programmes.

These Training Programmes are for persons, coming from developing countries, who hold positions as policy-makers, planners, programme executives, educators, professionals and para-professionals who work, or intend to work, in the field of ageing or with older persons.

The Training Programmes are further reinforced by the Institute's other activities, these being: data collection, documentation, information exchange, technical co-operation as well as research and publications. INIA has thus carried out Research Projects, hosted expert group meetings, and offered Consultancy Services. The Institute is also mandated to act catalytically, and to operate through a network of co-operative cost-sharing arrangements, internationally regionally and nationally in co-operation with the United Nations and its agencies, the Regional Commissions and governmental and non-governmental organisations.

The Institute operates under the guidance of an International Board consisting of nine members. The Chairperson of the Board and six members are appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with due regard to the principle of equitable geographical distribution and two members are appointed by the Government of Malta. The term of office of the Board is of three years and the present Members are listed hereunder:

CHAIRPERSON

Mr. SHA ZUKANG , Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs

MEMBERS

Prof. DU PENG, Professor, Institute of Population Reseach, Deputy Director, Institute of Gerontology, People's University of China, Beijing, China

Professor ROBERT N. BUTLER, President of the International Longevity Center, U.S.A., Founding Director of the National Institute on Ageing and Professor of Geriatrics at the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York

Prof. MONICA FERREIRA, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town; Director, the Albertina and Walter Susulu Institute on Ageing in Africa, South Africa.

Dr. SHAROD GOKHALE, President, Community Aid and Sponsorship Programme (CASP), India

Professor GLORIA GUTMAN, Head of Gerontology Research Center, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Prof. PEDRO PAOLO MARIN, Head, Geriatric Program, Catholic University of Chile

H.E. Dr. HUGO MIFSUD BONNICI, Former President of Malta

Rev. Prof. PETER SERRACINO INGLOTT, Former Rector of the University of Malta

DIRECTOR

Prof. Joseph Troisi