The International Institute on Ageing United Nations, Malta (INIA) in collaboration with the International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I) and which is also INIA’s Satellite Centre for the SAARC Countries, organised a training programme in ‘Social Gerontology’. The programme was held at Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune, India, between 13 – 17 January 2020. The inauguration programme was held on Sunday 12 January 2020. Present for the opening were Dr. Jayant Umranikar, Chairman of ILC-I, Dr. K. H. Sancheti, Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon Sancheti Hospital, Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, President of ILC-I, Anjali Raje, Director of ILC-I and Rosette Farrugia-Bonello, Deputy Director at INIA, who also lectured on the course. The programme was attended by 14 participants, all professionals in the field on ageing.

The training programme  covered a wide range of topics in Social Gerontology – such as Population Ageing, Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, Policies on ageing, Health, Psycho-social and economic aspects of ageing, Feminisation of old age, Dementia, Elder abuse, Care Home Standards amongst others. Lecturing on the programme were INIA’s Deputy Director Rosette Farrugia-Bonello, Professor Sivu Raju, Professor at TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai-India, and one of INIA’s international tutors,  together with other academics from  local universities. All participants received a certificate of participation at the end of the programme.