The Oxford Institute of Ageing is unique among its major competitors in establishing an internationally recognised research group to address the challenges of demographic ageing in both the more developed and developing worlds. Population ageing is one of the major global challenges for the 21st century. By 2030 half the population of Western Europe will be aged over 50, by 2050 there will be 2 billion older people globally, 500 million of them aged over 80. The positioning of the Globalization of Ageing Research Programme within the 21st Century School will now provide the opportunity to build on this existing research and expertise to establish three interlinked interdisciplinary research components: global ageing (to address the global macroeconomic and demographic imbalances which could arise); redefining institutions for ageing societies (extending our research into the requirements for new economic, social and political institutions); and longevity and radical life extension (addressing the impact on individuals as they realise the potential of life spans which may take them beyond the 9th or even 10th decade).