2026 (eng)aging! Conference: Full Schedule

We present to you the 2026 (eng)aging! – 9th International Conference on Aging & Technology Fair held on May 14 – 15, 2026, in Prague. The event will take place as an in-person meeting in Česká spořitelna Palace in Prague (Rytířská 29, Praha 1) and also will be streamed online for those who can not physically attend.

This year’s edition will focus on Communities for All Ages. Additionally, it will showcase technologies and solutions that enhance the quality of life for older adults at the technology fair.

The event is co-financed by International Visegrad Fund, Czech-German Future Fund, and Česká spořitelna.

The program can be also browsed on the Sched phone app, search for 2026engaging.

(eng)aging! project is run by Active Aging Center (AAC), a non-governmental organization, which develops
projects focused on improving life of older people - “Happy Senior” and “Good Investment”, in cooperation with KEYNOTE, a well- established consultancy.

Updated program as of May 05, 2026. Seats are limited – register now!

9:45am CEST

Panel on “Inclusive Welfare and Long-Term Care Systems in Ageing Societies“ (Marble Hall)

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am CEST

Marble Hall

This panel examines how ageing societies can strengthen resilience through inclusive welfare systems and sustainable long-term care. It focuses on the roles of public policy, family responsibility, and community-based services in addressing growing care needs and ensuring equitable access.

Moderators

Alexandre Sidorenko

Expert in International Policy on Ageing, Chairman of (eng)aging! Steering Committee

Speakers

Xhilda Papajani

Head of Social Services Policies Unit, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

Xhilda Papajani (Kadriaj) is a senior public administration professional with over 30 years of experience in social policy, labor relations, and social protection. She began her career in the fields of employment, social dialogue, and occupational safety and health, including seven... Read More →

Mariana Buciuceanu-Vrabie

Research Associate Professor, National Institute for Economic Research, ASEM

Mariana has extensive research experience in social and demographic issues, such as social services for vulnerable groups (children, the elderly), the reconciliation of professional and parental roles, active aging, and youth policies. Since 2008, she has been working as a Research... Read More →

Borys Krimer

Leading Researcher, Mykhailo Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Quality of Life Research

Krimer has been involved with studies related to demographic policy, fertility and population aging. Krimer has worked as Leading Researcher in the Mykhailo Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Quality of Life Research since 2020.

Anna Holpert

PhD Student, Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Doctoral School of Sociology

Anna Holpert is a second-year PhD student at the Doctoral School of Sociology, EötvösLoránd University (ELTE), researching care responsibility in the context of long-term care forolder adults. Between 2019 and 2022 she worked as a junior researcher on the "Self-Efficacy Instead... Read More →

Anna Wehrenberg

City Analysis Specialist, Office for City Analysis Prague Institute of Planning and Development

Wehrenberg completed her master's degree in Spatial Planning at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague in 2025. Since September 2024, she has been working as a City Analysis Specialist at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development, where she specializes in social... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am CEST
Marble Hall Česká spořitelna Palace

Designing Resilient Communities, MArble room

11:15am CEST

Panel on "Care, Vulnerability, and Social Relationships in Ageing Communities" (Gallery Hall)

Thursday May 14, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST

Gallery Hall

This panel examines the role of social relationships, caregiving, and institutional contexts in shaping vulnerability in later life. It focuses on caregiver burden, intergenerational ties, and risks within care systems, highlighting key challenges for ensuring dignity and protection in ageing communities.

Moderators

Fruzsina Albert

professor, Center for Social Sciences, Institute for Sociology, Semmelweis University, Institute of Mental Health

I have over 30 years’ of experience in empirical research on various aspects of interpersonal networks, focusing primarily on friendship and family ties. Other strands of my research concern social inclusion, health and well-being.

Speakers

Emilia Kramkowska

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Bialystok

I am sociologist, social gerontologist, assistant professor at the Department of Sociology of Knowledge and Education at the University of Białystok. In the early years of my academic career, my research interests were focused on the issue of violence against older people. The subsequent... Read More →

Anett Mária Leleszi-Tróbert

Assistant Professor, Programme Director of the Active Ageing Programme, Institute of Mental Health, Semmelweis University

Anett Mária Leleszi-Tróbert is a Mental Health and Organizational Development Specialist, Hospital Pastoral Counsellor. Teacher, researcher, assistant professor. For over 20 years, she has been involved in mental health care for elderly patients and their families. Her main research interests are the burden on family... Read More →

Marcela Petrová Kafková

Assistant Professor, Masaryk University/ Faculty of Social Studies

Marcela Petrova Kafkova, PhD. is a sociologist and specialist at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno. She has long been involved in the sociology of ageing and social gerontology, focusing mainly on the topics of active ageing, intergenerational relationships and... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST
Gallery Hall Česká spořitelna Palace

Designing Resilient Communities

1:45pm CEST

Panel on “Wellbeing and Mental Health in Ageing Societies“ (Marble Hall)

Thursday May 14, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CEST

Marble Hall

This panel explores wellbeing and mental health in ageing societies, with a focus on preventive approaches, physical activity, and psychological resilience. It highlights how individual, social, and contextual factors shape life satisfaction and mental health outcomes in later life.

Moderators

Emilia Kramkowska

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Bialystok

Speakers

Kateřina Macháčová

Researcher and Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University

Kateřina is a researcher and lecturer at Charles University specializing in active gerontology and life-course longevity. She is the founder of the movement-education concept PERMANENTO and Principal Investigator of a national health research project on functional resilience in later... Read More →

Marta Němčíková

university teacher, Department of Social and Behavioural Medicine, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University in Kosice

Marta Nemcikova is involved in research into ageing and dementia. Since 2018, she has worked as a teacher at Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. Alongside her work at the university, she manages a day care centre for people with dementia at a diakonal non-governmental organisation... Read More →

Dmytro Shushpanov

Head of the Department of Demographic Modeling and Forecasting, Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Issues, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Shushpanov specializes in demography and public health. Since 1998, he has served as a professor at the Western Ukrainian National University. In 2022, he joined the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Issues, NAS of Ukraine, as Head of the Department of Demographic Modeling... Read More →

Thursday May 14, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CEST
Marble Hall Česká spořitelna Palace

Designing Resilient Communities

9:45am CEST

11:15am CEST

1:45pm CEST

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