For the second year in a row, USC Davis School of Gerontology Dean Gerald C. Davison traveled to Dubai to participate in the Summit on the Global Agenda.

Hosted by the World Economic Forum, a Geneva-based nonprofit, the Nov. 20-22 meeting brought together worldwide leaders from academia, business, government and society with the purpose of advancing solutions to the most critical challenges facing humanity.

Handpicked councils made up of 15 to 30 representatives focused on such issues as climate change, financial risk, fragile states, chronic disease and malnutrition.

In a role he also played last year, Davison participated as a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Aging Society.

Council members discussed the status of older adults around the world and addressed possible solutions to the challenges and opportunities presented by an increasingly aging global population.

“There are significant benefits to an aging world, especially in the notion of ‘human capital,’ ” Davison said. “Most older people represent an underutilized resource for society rather than being an inevitable drain.”

Priorities for the council included ensuring the health and productivity of older persons; redesigning institutions, cities and communities to allow older adults to remain actively engaged; improving relationships between generations; creating a positive attitude toward aging; capitalizing on business opportunities in aging societies; and addressing reforms necessary for aging in developing countries.

“One of the best ways to increase financial resources for the entire age structure is to enact public policies that improve health among older generations so that they need to utilize fewer resources and by investing now in the health of younger generations because they will be the older cohorts of tomorrow,” Davison said. “The promotion of healthy lifestyles is critical to healthier older adults. It’s an issue across the life span, not just in older adulthood.”

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