Studying the needs and opinions of older students of regional educational programs

Do older adults want to study and remain socially active? Today, tens of thousands of older students are enrolled in "Silver Universities". How and in what direction are these social elevators operating, which issues of inequality and accessibility are being addressed, and which remain unresolved? What are the expectations of the teachers in these courses (also known as "geragog"), why are some classes packed with older students while others are less popular? What is more important here – personality, subject, respectful approach to older students?

The International Laboratory for Social Integration Research of the HSE University and the Institute of Continuing Professional Education for Social Workers in Moscow are implementing the project "Studying the needs and opinions of older students of regional educational programs".

The project aims to compile survey tools, such as questionnaires and expert interview guides, to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The survey will be attended by older students of regional educational programs, as well as teachers with extensive experience working with the elderly and researchers.

The project is being implemented under the guidance of Professor Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova, who is the head of the ILSIR. The project team includes Professor Victoria Antonova, a leading research fellow at the ILSIR, Daria Prisyazhniuk, a leading research fellow at the ILSIR, and Natalia Bulchenko, a research assistant of the ILSIR.