The Universities Of The Third Age Worldwide

  
  2003 is a year of anniversaries. U3A in the UK is celebrating its 21st anniversary. Its amazing growth will be chronicled in a special display called 'U3A PAST AND FUTURE,' to be on show at the 2003 Conference in York and on other occasions.  
 

AIUTA, the International Association of Universities of the Third Age, is celebrating its 30th year. There will be no special events but the election of a new President from Canada and the planning of the 2004 International Congress in Shanghai remind us of its international coverage.

 

  
  In 2002, the U3A National Executive, our elected representatives, proposed that we withdraw from membership of AIUTA. After vigorous opposition from the floor, the proposal was defeated. However, many local U3As realised that they knew very little about AIUTA and there was not much information available about its activities, -or in fact about any activities in other countries. When the issue arises again this year, they wish to be better informed.

To meet this need and to provide a much-needed means of international communication and cooperation, the new domain of http://worldu3a.org was launched in 2003. Gradually, it is building up its resources and links and providing information. Its discussion lists offer an opportunity for discussion and its Contact Page brings people together. The AIUTA page will provide news of its international activities, but what is the purpose of the 'World U3As' section?

Just as the demographic ageing of the population affects every country, so efforts to build a meaningful life style for the new social class of 'Third Agers' have emerged all around the world, - in particular the Universities of the Third Age

 

  
  It is sometimes thought that these fall into two patterns, the self-help British model and the University-run continental model. This is a misleading over-simplification. Our 'World U3A papers' set out to show how much UTAs have in common and how far they have diversified to suit local conditions. There is ample scope for us to learn from each other, but first we need to know what is going on.

 

  
  World U3A papers' is compiling information from as many countries as possible and will continue to add more. Contributions-or amendments -are welcomed. Discussion points and questions can be followed up in the General section of the Forum. This is an opportunity to appreciate and understand our colleagues around the world. We will all benefit from mutual understanding. All information is gleaned from the UTAs' own publicity material.

 

  
 

You can read an account by Professor Pierre Vellas on how and why he started the first UTA if you click here.

 

  
  THE FOUNDING OF AIUTA
It is not surprising that the UTA concept spread first of all through the University network to French-speaking Canada, Belgium and Switzerland. .In 1976, Professor Vellas went on to found AIUTA (L'Association Internationale des Universités du Troisième Age).

AIMS
These were:

  • to encourage UTA students to exchange and share experiences at an international biennial Congress
  • to encourage the setting up of new UTAs around the world.
  • to gain recognition as the representative voice of UTA students in important debates on age issues.
  • to continue research into the ageing of individuals and society.

UTAs would offer multidisciplinary learning and activities to all, with no age limits and no qualification requirements. They would improve the physical and mental wellbeing through the active participation of the students in LEARNING AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES, RESEARCH AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

EARLY UTAS
New UTAs in France, Belgium, Canada, Spain and Italy joined AIUTA, all through University connections. (Belgian and Spanish UTAs are described below.) In 1975, the first UTA in Switzerland, Geneva, was set up by the Dean of the University Medical Faculty. In Poland, the first UTA in central and eastern Europe was founded in Warsaw in 1975 by Halina Szwarc, Professor of Gerontology at the Medical Centre for Post Graduate Education.


 
 

A country-by-country account and useful background information is found in the 1995 paper by R Swindell and J Thompson (published by Taylor and Francis 0360-1277/95).

  
     
 

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