The China-Europe Civilization Forum hosted the "First and Largest" 2024 China-France International Conference on Population Aging, themed "Population Aging in China: Humanities and Society," at Sorbonne University in France from April 29th to 30th.

The opening ceremony took place at Sorbonne University's Faculty of Humanities on April 29th, featuring speeches from Professor Béatrice Perez, Vice President of Sorbonne University's Faculty of Humanities, Professor Guillaume Fiquet, Vice President of Sorbonne University's International Relations, and Professor Du Peng, Dean of School of Population and Health and Director of the Institute of Gerontology, RUC. 

The conference saw six thematic forums covering population development, aging policies, fertility and family support, family and elderly care, social participation of the elderly, and the development of social elderly care services. Twenty-seven scholars from Chinese universities and research institutes, including RUC, Peking University, Fudan University, and others, along with nearly twenty French scholars from European academies, contributed to discussions. 

Notably, the papers presented by Chinese scholars were translated into French by the Sino-French team of the Sino-French Institute and compiled into a collection, marking the first comprehensive French-language documentation of Chinese aging-related research achievements.

On April 30th, the conference hosted a concurrent English-language symposium titled "The Changing Landscape of Population Ageing in the Contemporary World," organized by the Economic and Political Studies Journal, RUC. Scholars from various Chinese and international institutions discussed new phenomena and challenges in global population aging from economic, policy, and social perspectives.

The closing ceremony, held on April 30th, featured summary remarks from Professor Philippe Monneret and Professor Du Peng. 

Additionally, to deepen understanding of the French population aging issues, the organizers arranged visits for Chinese scholars to the Les Arcades nursing home, a medicalized nursing home for the elderly under the Korian group.

The conference was co-hosted by Renmin University of China (RUC) and three French partner institutions (Sorbonne University Faculty of Humanities, University of Montpellier Paul-Valéry, and Kedge Business School), with support from RUC Suzhou Campus, Institute of Gerontology, and Population and Development Research Center. Collaborating organizations included the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SFGG), RUC Institute of Research on France and French-Speaking Countries (IRIFF), University of Montpellier Paul-Valéry's Institute of Cultural Studies (IRIEC), and Renmin RUC Economic and Political Studies Journal.

2024 marks the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations, holding significant importance for mutual academic exchange and modernization of governance systems in aging societies. In the fall, the second part of the 2024 China-France Conference on Population Aging will take place at Renmin University's Suzhou Campus, focusing on "Population Aging in France and Europe: Humanities and Society."

RUC Suzhou Campus, as a new engine for internationalization, will continue to promote academic exchanges, disciplinary cooperation, and cultural dialogue between Chinese and French universities, contributing to mutual understanding and civilization exchange between China and France.