The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, a nationally recognized thought leader in lifelong learning and retirement planning based at the University of North Carolina Asheville, is one of just six programs and the only U.S. group selected to participate in the International Forum on Promotion and Practice of Elder Education to be held in Taipei, Taiwan on October 20-21.

“Just as the U.S. is experiencing the graying of 78 million Baby Boomers, Taiwan is concerned with an unprecedented maturing of its own population,” said Ron Manheimer, Ph.D., executive director of NCCCR and a noted writer and lecturer on the issues of aging and lifelong learning. “This conference will be an opportunity to share our experiences in the U.S. while also learning from the Taiwanese and other nations.”

One of Manheimer’s books, “A Map to the End of Time: Wayfarings with Friends and Philosophers” (Norton, 1999), is translated into Mandarin Chinese by a Taiwanese publisher and helped create a number of personal relationships with individuals and groups there. These relationships introduced NCCCR and Manheimer’s philosophies to educators in Taiwan and helped prompt the invitation to participate in the forum.

International programs presenting at the conference, which will be attended by Taiwanese researchers, policy makers and the general public, are from Japan, Korea, Singapore, England and the U.S. Participants will share their own country’s approach to lifelong learning and other issues associated with aging populations.

“We are eager to learn from successful international experiences, such as the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, for advancing the state of Taiwanese practice in elder education, as well as relevant policy development and implications,” said Hui-Chuan Wei, professor and program chairman at the Graduate Institute of Elder Education of National Chung Cheng University in Taipei, Taiwan.

According to the United Nations, a country is considered an aging society when 7 percent of its total population is aged 65 or older. Taiwan became an aging society in 1993. The elderly segment has continued to grow steadily since then, reaching 8.8 percent of the population in 2001 and forecasted to jump to 19.7 percent in 2031.

The U.S. faces similar policy issues related to aging. The number of citizens aged 65 and over is expected to double within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1 out of every 5 Americans — some 72 million people — will be 65 years or older. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.

A panel of experts from the Taiwanese government’s Ministry of Education selected NCCCR from hundreds of international retirement education programs. The Ministry of Education is sponsoring the forum and will cover all expenses for three representatives from NCCCR, including Manheimer, Assistant Director Denise Snodgrass and membership governance organization Chairman Bob Davis.

“Aging populations such as in Taiwan, the U.S. and numerous other countries present crucial issues of public policy,” Manheimer said. “The challenge is to find ways of helping older citizens remain active and productive. Lifelong learning and meaningful work and community service opportunities should be key components in any nation’s strategy. We look forward to sharing our experience and learning from other countries that have similar concerns.”

NCCCR is celebrating its 20th year as a not-for-profit lifelong learning, service-leadership and research program sponsored by the University of North Carolina Asheville. Residents throughout western North Carolina are active members of NCCCR, which provides a wide variety of educational and cultural activities for its members.

In addition to service to the Asheville area, NCCCR also sponsors a program known as “Paths to Creative Retirement,” which is a three-day workshop that attracts participants from all over the U.S. who want to explore goals and personal values related to their retirement years, including second careers, continued learning and civic leadership.

Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend (CREW) is another national seminar series sponsored by NCCCR. Participants come to Asheville to discuss issues related to relocation after mid-life. The newest program by NCCCR is the Institute for the Future of Retirement, which conducts ongoing research related to retirement issues and trends.

For more information about NCCCR, visit www.unca.edu/ncccr or www.pathstocreativeretirement.com.