The ageing demographics of Hong Kong and Japan was the theme of the exchange. Presentations by students from Hong Kong and GRIPS student Karen Yamashita outlined some of the challenges of ageing populations common to both countries.

Karen commented that the “ageing society is one of the biggest problems in Japan, and it was interesting to learn that Hong Kong’s situation is quite similar to ours. It was a precious opportunity to exchange our opinions and think about our future together.”

A highlight of the Hong Kong presentation was learning about the community service that the students are doing as part of their degree, which sees them working directly with elderly people – and even being trained to give them haircuts.

GRIPS student Vladimir Rusev of Bulgaria said that the Hong Kong program “demonstrates there are a number of ways to promote social inclusion as a way to tackle the problem of ageing population.”

Following the presentations, small group discussions enabled students to discuss the policy implications of ageing in Hong Kong and Japan in more depth. Ellen Lam and Amelie Lau of Hong Kong felt that the group discussions helped them to “spread our vision and expand our understanding of international issues.”

The exchange ended with an informal party so students could further broaden their networks.

The ageing demographics of Hong Kong and Japan was the theme of the exchange. Presentations by students from Hong Kong and GRIPS student Karen Yamashita outlined some of the challenges of ageing populations common to both countries.

Karen commented that the “ageing society is one of the biggest problems in Japan, and it was interesting to learn that Hong Kong’s situation is quite similar to ours. It was a precious opportunity to exchange our opinions and think about our future together.”

A highlight of the Hong Kong presentation was learning about the community service that the students are doing as part of their degree, which sees them working directly with elderly people – and even being trained to give them haircuts.

GRIPS student Vladimir Rusev of Bulgaria said that the Hong Kong program “demonstrates there are a number of ways to promote social inclusion as a way to tackle the problem of ageing population.”

Following the presentations, small group discussions enabled students to discuss the policy implications of ageing in Hong Kong and Japan in more depth. Ellen Lam and Amelie Lau of Hong Kong felt that the group discussions helped them to “spread our vision and expand our understanding of international issues.”

The exchange ended with an informal party so students could further broaden their networks.