President’s Message

Greetings to all members of the Gerontological Society.

I am looking forward to having our 37th Annual General Meeting after the Annual Scientific Conference on Aging (ASCA). We are excited to be able to re-start ASCA this year, and we are especially happy to be able to have it in collaboration with the Yeo Boon Khim Mind Science Centre of NUS and NUHS, and Presbyterian Community Services.

We also want to thank them and the following individuals and organizations for their invaluable contributions and support to the Society:

• Ms Anita Ho as Hon. Auditor for FY 2022/23
• Mr Dennis Lim  for continuing as Hon. Legal Advisor
• Mr Raymond Lim, Hon. Member, for his generous support to the Society
• Mr Benny Lim for his kind donation to support ASCA 2023
• Emeritus Prof Kua Ee Heok, Hon. Advisor, for continued guidance to the Council
• Ageless Online
• Centre for Seniors
• Community Foundation Singapore – Mind the Gap Mental Health Fund
• Genlab Collective
• Lee Foundation
• Nanyang Polytechnic
• Nanyang Technological University
• Singapore University of Social Sciences
• Temasek Polytechnic
• National Council of Social Service
• NextAge Institute, NUS
• Presbyterian Community Services
• Yeo Boon Khim Mind Science Centre

In the past year, GS has continued to organize regular webinars, a practice we started during the COVID-19 pandemic. These webinars have been made possible thanks to the participation of esteemed speakers who have generously shared their expertise and experiences with us. The discussions during these webinars have been lively and thought-provoking, providing valuable insights and ideas for future topics of interest. 

In May 2023, we also organized a virtual roundtable to discuss the gaps and challenges in gerontological education and employment in Singapore. This special event was led by our council member, Dr. Wayne Freeman Chong, together with two interns from the applied gerontology program in Nanyang Technology University, Ms. Chen Chen and Ms. Chen Yee Ah. We are honored to have in attendance seven academic and industry panelists experienced on the topic. The very robust discussion also involved another some 60 attendees who participated via synchronous text chat and open mic sharing.

GS is unique with a multi-disciplinary membership, it is also special for our purpose to promote Gerontology as early as 1986, when there was little concern about aging. We are indebted to our early pioneer members who have set the foundation for the society. As Singapore becomes a super-aged society, we see more urgency for GS to contribute towards enabling healthier and purposeful aging for the individuals and society. Let's explore more ways for us to learn, share and grow together, and contribute towards a better society for growing old with good health and purpose!

Warmest Regards,

Thang Leng Leng
President