Talk at the Library: From Japan to Switzerland – Age-Friendly Communities

As societies across Asia and Europe grapple with rapidly ageing populations, an important question is emerging: How can we support people to age with dignity, purpose, and belonging?

While many policy discussions focus on healthcare and social services, a different approach has also emerged in Japan.The Ibasho model reimagines elderly members of communities not as passive recipients of care, but as active contributors who help shape and strengthen their communities. Together with other local residents, they co-create spaces that foster participation, mutual support, and a sense of belonging across generations.

After its initial implementation in Japan, the Ibasho approach was subsequently adopted in the Philippines, Nepal, and Singapore. More recently, the Ibasho model has also been introduced to Switzerland through the first Ibasho initiative in Europe.

In this Talk at the Library, Dr. Sarah Speck and Samira Hüsler from the Institute for Ageing Research (IAF) at OST, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, will present their ongoing research on Ibasho across Asia and Switzerland. Drawing on fieldwork in Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, Singapore, and Switzerland, they will discuss what community-led approaches can teach us about ageing, social participation, and resilience, and how lessons from Asia can help shape more inclusive and age-friendly communities in Switzerland.

Join us for a conversation on demographic change, intergenerational solidarity, and how innovative ideas developed in Asia are inspiring new ways of thinking about community and care in Switzerland.

This event is for Asia Society Switzerland Members only. If you are not yet a Member, you can easily become an Asia Society Member during the registration process.

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About the Speakers

Dr. Sarah Speck is a human geographer and research scientist at the Institute for Ageing Research (IAF) at OST. Her research focuses on ageing, social participation, age-friendly communities, caring communities, and participatory research methods. She has extensive international research experience in Switzerland and across Asia, including Nepal and Vietnam, and explores how local communities can foster inclusion, social connectedness, and well-being in later life.

Samira Hüsler is a research scientist at the Institute for Ageing Research (IAF) at OST and a PhD candidate at the University of Zurich. Her research focuses on ageing, intergenerationality, caring communities, and comparative social gerontology, with a particular emphasis on Japan. Through her doctoral research and work within the Ibasho project, she examines how demographic change, care practices, and community-based initiatives shape the lives of older adults and what lessons can be learned from Japan for the Swiss context. Samira is also a Gen A 2021 Alumna.

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About Talk at the Library

Talk at the Library is a members-only series where we invite an expert to our office library for a conversation on specific niche topics on a variety of countries and regions of Asia. The program consists of a moderated discussion and subsequent audience Q&A. Participants have the opportunity interact with the experts, asking questions. The talks are recorded and made available to the public on our YouTube channel.