Research field

Gerontology

Tampere University

Arvo Ylpön katu 34, 33520 Tampere

Gerontology is a multidisciplinary field that examines ageing from the perspectives of individuals, communities and societal structures. Research and teaching in gerontology generates knowledge that helps to promote health, functioning and active citizenships among older adults.

Finland’s population is ageing rapidly. This demographic change is one of the most critical issues in our society, with significant implications for all sectors. We need a multidisciplinary team of specialists to address the challenges associated with longer life spans.

Numerous sectors in society need research-based knowledge about ageing to integrate theory and practice and support informed planning and decision-making. In the future, we will need a growing number of professionals with the knowledge and skills to accommodate the needs of an ageing population in service design, housing design, labour policy, healthcare systems, urban infrastructures, and everyday social and healthcare services.

Studies in gerontology provide a solid foundation for pursuing diverse careers or further education. Join us to become one of the professionals helping to build an age-friendly society!

Read more about our teaching and the research conducted at the Gerontology Research Center (GEREC) and the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare) funded by the Research Council of Finland.

Research

The Gerontology Research Center (GEREC) and the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare) conduct extensive research on ageing and the ageing population.

Gerontology Research Center (GEREC)

GEREC examines the lives of ageing individuals from a multidisciplinary, life course perspective. Our research spans a broad spectrum of areas related to ageing and delves into the biological, psychological and social aspects of ageing and the societal changes driven by an ageing population. Tampere University and the researchers at GEREC play a pivotal role in studying the health, functioning, and quality of life among older adults, their services and care, and the impact of demographic ageing on society.

Our primary research areas and projects include:

Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare)

CoE AgeCare is one of the twelve Centres of Excellence (CoE) selected by the Research Council of Finland for the years 2018-2025. CoE status is awarded to research communities that conduct world-leading research in their field. These communities are expected to reimagine research, develop innovative research environments, and train talented new researchers for Finnish research institutions and businesses.

CoE AgeCare examines the ongoing transformation of ageing and care through fresh conceptual and interdisciplinary lenses, combining an analysis of the diversification of everyday life with broader societal and policy-making perspectives. In particular, CoE AgeCare’s research focuses on the effects of transnationalisation and digitalisation on ageing and care. The activities of CoEAgeCare are based on close collaboration among researchers specialising in social policy, sociology, gerontology and health. Their goal is to analyse older people’s care needs, agency and equality as well as the evolving nature of care work.

CoE AgeCare brings together four research groups from the University of Jyväskylä, Tampere University and the University of Helsinki and collaborates closely with prominent international researchers in the field. CoE AgeCare also serves as an international training platform for early-career researchers.

Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare)

Research groups within CoE AgeCare

Publications by CoE AgeCare

Studies

Gerontology courses are taught by the Health Sciences Unit as part of the degree programmes in public health and nursing science as well as in collaboration with other units and disciplines. Our courses address factors associated with biological, physical, psychological and social ageing as well as age-related changes from both individual and societal perspectives. As our courses promote multidisciplinary learning, we also encourage students from other fields to study gerontology as a minor subject.

Teaching based on research

Researchers at Tampere University conduct important and diverse research on ageing. Gerontology research is primarily carried out by the Gerontology Research Center (GEREC) and the Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoE AgeCare), which is funded by the Research Council of Finland. Our teaching in gerontology is based on key theories and the latest research findings in the field.

Browse our curriculum to find courses in gerontology.