Ageing in a Time of Mobility: Reflections on the Field from Past to Future

- by invitation only -

‘Ageing in a Time of Mobility’ is a Max Planck Research Group which, since 2018, has been studying the interconnections between two key phenomena in the twenty-first century: ageing populations and global migration. With an overarching focus on ageing and migration in regions beyond Europe and North America, project members have researched these phenomena from the perspectives of Asian migrant women in Singapore; older refugees along the Indonesia and East Timor borderlands; internally displaced persons in Cameroon; Brazilian transnational families; and Tajiks ageing amidst mass labour migration. More recently, we have brought into our remit new perspectives from scholars working on these topics in a range of contexts through a writing fellowship programme. Our research findings illuminate the new social, cultural and political-economic transformations of ageing in a globalised world, alongside the enduring challenges and inequalities which shape the lives of older adults, their families, and communities. As our project draws to a close, we take this opportunity to gather with scholars whose work has inspired us over the years and with whom we have developed collaborations. In addition to sharing our findings, we will collectively reflect on this field of study and how it has changed over the years; our interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies; and modes of engagement with broader publics. Finally, we consider how research agendas may respond to new questions and future challenges in the study of ageing and migration.