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[Upptäck CIVIS Alliansen ](https://civis.eu/sv/discover-civis-alliance) 2. [Vårt arbete ](https://civis.eu/sv/discover-civis-alliance/our-work) 3. [Open Labs & Civic engagement ](https://civis.eu/sv/discover-civis-alliance/our-work/open-labs-civic-engagement) 4. Ageing as a journey Ageing as a journey ===================== Ageing as a Journey is a transnational, transdisciplinary, and intergenerational project that explores ageing as a dynamic and empowering life process. Bringing together universities and community partners from Europe and Africa, the project addresses societal, health‑related, and spatial dimensions of ageing in place through collaborative and participatory approaches. **The project’s scope is structured around four interconnected activities:** - Design Thinking workshops to co‑create user‑centred solutions to local ageing‑related challenges; - A decolonial dialogue on ageing, fostering Africa–Europe exchange on care, inequality, and lived experiences; - Intergenerational seminars linking students, researchers, seniors, and civic actors to build critical perspectives and practical competences; - A multilingual online platform to share research, teaching resources, initiatives, and project outcomes. Together, these activities strengthen co‑creation, education, and scientific community‑building within the CIVIS Alliance while promoting inclusive, community‑anchored approaches to ageing. Main Beneficiaries & Social Impact --------------------------------------- ### Main Beneficiaries **Older adults and caregivers** are the project’s main beneficiaries. They actively participate in participatory workshops and intergenerational learning formats, sharing lived experiences, needs, and perspectives on ageing. Their involvement ensures that the ideas and solutions developed are inclusive, user‑centred, and closely connected to real‑world challenges. **Civic and institutional stakeholders**, including social professionals, community organisations, municipalities, and NGOs, are engaged throughout the project. By contributing to co‑creation processes, public dialogues, and educational activities, they bring valuable insights into systemic challenges related to care, social inclusion, and policy implementation, helping align project outcomes with local needs and priorities. **Students** from a wide range of disciplines are involved through collaborative and intergenerational formats that allow them to apply and transfer knowledge and skills in both academic and future professional contexts. Their participation supports capacity‑building and contributes to the long‑term sustainability of the project’s outcomes. **Academics and researchers** from health sciences, social sciences, psychology, gerontology, and related fields contribute across all project components. They provide methodological expertise, scientific guidance, and thematic input, while strengthening Africa–Europe academic dialogue and enhancing the visibility of ageing‑related research within the CIVIS Alliance. ### Social Impact The *Ageing as a Journey* project generates social impact by addressing the challenges of ageing through participatory, co‑creative, and transdisciplinary approaches. By actively involving older adults, caregivers, students, academics, and civic stakeholders from Europe and Africa, the project contributes to meaningful changes in practices, capacities, and societal perceptions of ageing. For older adults and caregivers, the project offers opportunities to actively share lived experiences and to contribute to the development of responses to challenges encountered in everyday life. This active involvement fosters empowerment, social inclusion, and a stronger sense of agency, while ensuring that the solutions developed are grounded in real needs and local contexts. Intergenerational learning formats further support mutual understanding between age groups and strengthen social cohesion. Students, researchers, and practitioners benefit from hands‑on learning opportunities that enhance critical thinking, co‑creation skills, and civic engagement. Through collaborative and transnational exchanges, participants build durable academic and professional networks while acquiring competences that can be transferred beyond the project, contributing to long‑term capacity‑building within universities and partner organisations. By encouraging dialogue between African and European perspectives, the project raises awareness of inequalities, care practices, and diverse lived experiences of ageing. This exchange strengthens international cooperation within the CIVIS Alliance and supports the development of shared, inclusive approaches to societal challenges related to ageing. Finally, the knowledge generated through participatory activities, teaching, and research dissemination contributes to evidence‑based approaches to ageing. These insights have the potential to inform future research agendas, local practices, and policy discussions, supporting more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable social and care systems. Overall, the project fosters lifelong learning, inclusive participation, and transnational collaboration, ensuring a social impact that is both meaningful and sustainable. ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/ageing-as-a-journey-5.jpg) Core Methodology ------------------ The project applies a participatory and transdisciplinary methodology combining co‑creation workshops, intergenerational learning, and community engagement. Locally anchored activities are connected through transnational collaboration and online exchanges, ensuring context‑sensitive outcomes while fostering shared learning, knowledge transfer, and international dialogue on ageing. 1. Events in the Project ------------------------- The project foresees a joint celebratory and dissemination event in June 2026, held simultaneously at all participating local sites and connected through a joint online program. This “glocal” event will bring together local stakeholders, students, and academics to showcase the outcomes of all activities. The event will also provide space for reflexion on the participatory processes, discussion of lessons learned, and exchange of best practices. The project has also contributed to international academic exchange through its participation in the first Civis African–European forum for research and education continues today in Casablanca, notably through a panel entitled Challenging the complexities of informal elderly care. Towards African‑European collaborative aging research and education. This session strengthened dialogue between African and European partners and enhanced the project’s visibility within wider discussions on ageing, care, research, and education. In addition, two project members are expected to take part in a roundtable organised during the Civis Days 26 in Bucharest. During this session, they will share their experiences from the project and reflect on the benefits of engaging in transnational, collaborative initiatives, highlighting their added value for research, education, and societal impact. ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/ageing-as-a-journey-7.jpg) 1. Partners ------------ ### Tübingen (Germany) - Mone Spindler, Head of the Research Group Colaborative Research and Innovation, International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, - Matthias Meitzler, Researcher, International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW), Tübingen University - Daniel Buhr, Associate Professor of Policy Analysis and Political Economy, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Tübingen University - Anja Rutenkröger, Executive Director and Head of Research, Demenz Support Stuttgart - Thomas Heine, Divisions Innovation Infrastructure (INNO) and Consulting (CON), PflegeDigital@BW - Mareike Kardinal, Open Lab coordinator. Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, ### Lausanne (Switzerland) - Daniela Jopp, Professor of Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne - Lou Rouault, Student Assitant, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne - Christèle Aubry, Open Lab coordinator, University of Lausanne, ### Stockholm (Sweden) - Johanna Berglund, Development manager, City of Stockholm - Sofie Persson, Head of unit, City of Stockholm - Sofia Vikstrom, Associate Professor, Lecturer, Deputy Departmental Educational coordinator at NVS, Karolinska Institutet - Emma Blomquist, Innovation Manager & Professional Education Coordinator, Design Thinking trainer, OpenLab Stockholm ### Bucharest (Romania) - Corina Ilinca, Social Researcher, University of Bucharest - Anca Mihai, Lecturer in social work department, University of Bucharest - Bianca Danaiela Parepeanu, PhD Student in sociology, University of Bucharest - Alexandra Tone, PhD Student in sociology, University of Bucharest ### Salzburg (Austria) - Günter Lepperdinger, Professor of Genetics and Cell Biology,Paris Lodron University of Salzburg - Maximilian Grund, Open Lab Coordinator, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg ### Casablanca (Moroco) - Sana Benbelli, Research Professor, University Hassan II Casablanca ### Johannesburg (South African) - Samanta Barkley, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand ### Maputo (Mozambique) - Esselina Fuel, Lecturer, Eduardo Mondlane University ### Open Lab Coordinator ![Open Lab Coordinator](https://civis.eu/storage/files/universite-de-lausanne.png)- Christèle Aubry - [Email](mailto:christele.aubry@unil.ch) ### Open Lab Coordinator ![Open Lab Coordinator](https://civis.eu/storage/files/eberhard-karls-universitat-tubingen.png)- Mareike Kardinal - [Email](mailto:mareike.kardinal@uni-tuebingen.de) ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe’s Civic University Alliance ![Co-funded by the European Union](https://civis.eu/build/assets/co-funded-by-the-european-union-DSKLW1us.png)Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 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