Workshop on Utilizing SHARE Data in Academic Research and Policy-Making in Helsinki, Finland
On 25th September 2023, a follow-up to the "Introductory Workshop on SHARE Data" was held at the Terkko Health Hub in Helsinki, titled "Workshop on Utilizing SHARE Data in Academic Research and Policy-Making." This event was organized in partnership with The Generations & Gender Programme and supported by the COORDINATE project, part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research initiative. The workshop aimed to delve deeper into the practical uses of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data.
Eight participants from various institutions like the Väestöliitto, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, University of Helsinki, and University of Turku, came together both in person and virtually to explore the potential of SHARE data. Their diverse fields of expertise, including sociology, medicine, computer science, education, religious studies, and geography, added richness to the discussions, showcasing the wide range of queries SHARE data could address.
Building on the knowledge shared in the previous workshop, this session moved towards a hands-on exploration of SHARE data. The host gave practical demonstrations, using the statistical software Stata, in order to make participants better understand the applications of the data.
Participants were engaged actively with the workshop, asking questions and fostering rich discussion on real-world applications of SHARE data, especially in policy-making. The comparison between SHARE and other international datasets initiated an insightful dialogue on global aging patterns, suggesting a cross-national comparative framework to tackle the challenges posed by an aging population. Besides, a key part of the discussion was about merging different waves of SHARE data, preparing the data for analysis, and exploring its potential in machine learning research.
As the workshop wrapped up, participants not only gained a deeper understanding of SHARE data but also acquired practical skills to use this longitudinal survey data for their academic and policy-oriented projects.
(Uotinen Joonas attended the workshop by Zoom)