The Miguel Hernández University of Elche has formally joined the Ibero-American Network for Active and Healthy Aging (RIES GAUDIUM), an international non-profit that aims to foster active and healthy aging through academic cooperation, research, and the transfer of knowledge.

RIES GAUDIUM, formed in September 2024 and based at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, has as its main objective to promote Ibero-American collaboration between universities, public and private institutions, and scientific and professional organizations working in the field of aging. The development of joint research projects, organization of academic meetings, promotion of training programs, design of interventions to address the challenges of old age, and the fight against ageism are among its priority areas, and these are sought with interdisciplinary approaches based on scientific evidence.

This network is currently made up of institutions from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Spain, and they include universities, professional organizations, foundations, and public sector entities. This composition consolidates its international nature and its commitment to generating synergies to respond to the challenges associated with population aging in Ibero-America.

The UMH Vice Rectorate for International Relations and Cooperation emphasizes that “joining RIES GAUDIUM represents a strategic step in strengthening the university’s international profile and its commitment to academic cooperation in areas of particular social relevance, such as active and healthy aging.”

By joining this organization, and with Esther Sitges, Program Coordinator of SABIEX (a UMH comprehensive program for people over the age of 55), overseeing and coordinating the activities arising from this agreement, the UMH continues to consolidate its involvement with international networks of excellence and its commitment to collaborative research, social innovation, and knowledge transfer aimed at improving the quality of life in older people.