“This year, students of Social Gerontology Lana Hojs, Saša Kmet and Veronika Gorišek also participated at the festival. Alma Mater Europaea - ECM presented study programs at their booth, especially Social Gerontology, for which there was a great deal of interest among the seniors as well as the younger ones who attended the festival. This year's edition of the festival hosted 10 professional discussions, 80 educational events and more than 120 cultural events.”explained Veronika Gorišek, tutor for Social Gerontology and a doctoral student at Alma Mater.

Since the festival is also a space of networking, exchange of ideas and creativity, dedicated to active aging, improving the quality of life of the elderly and showing solidarity between generations, a round table was organised on Thursday, October 3^rd, entitled: Slovenians, aging and age, prepared and led by prof. dr. Jana Goriup, Study dean of the Social Gerontology Study Program. Other round table participants included professors, lecturers  and students from Alma Mater and other educational institutions (Danijela Lahe from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Maribor social gerontology students Urška Kunčič, Mihaela Kežman, and Veronika Gorišek, and lecturers Peter Seljak and Tomislav Nemec, who is also director of the Home for the elderly Ljutomer).

Discussion was held on the topic of current issues that we are increasingly dealing with in Slovenia and around the world: an aging population and related social changes that present a great challenge, as well as the great need for the profession of social gerontologist.

The Festival for the Third Age is linked in time and content to the 1^st of October, which is celebrated around the world as International Day of the Elderly.

Image gallery