Fourth Asian Population Forum: Demographic Methods and Models in Global and Local Development Research

The Asian Population Forum is one of the main platforms of the Asian MetaCentre for Population and Sustainable Development Analysis, fostering exchange among collaborating institutes across Asia and beyond. The forum brings together experts, scholars, and policy analysts to share success stories, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges in the field of population and development. It also serves as a hub for innovation — promoting new methods, cross-disciplinary research, and stronger engagement with stakeholders at the global, national, and local levels.

Participation in the Forum reflects IIASA’s long-standing leadership in population research and its commitment to linking demographic science with sustainable development policy. Within the Population and Just Societies Program, IIASA researchers are pioneering multi-dimensional approaches that integrate education, health, age, and gender to better understand population dynamics and their implications for economic and environmental resilience. This work, closely aligned with the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (a collaboration between IIASA, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Vienna) and supported through initiatives such as the Yidan Prize project, advances a global agenda on human capital, ageing, and equitable development.

IIASA Contributions

• Wolfgang Lutz will discuss how multi-dimensional demography offers a more optimistic outlook for ageing populations by incorporating education and labour force participation into future projections.
• Samir KC and Orlando Olaya-Bucaro will present research on population, human capital, and household modeling, showcasing new approaches for understanding development pathways across different regions.
• Michael Kuhn, from the Economic Frontiers Program, will address the intersections between climate change, multidimensional poverty, and child health outcomes, highlighting policy-relevant insights into vulnerability and adaptation.

Together, these contributions underscore IIASA’s integrated approach to population, health, and economic development — bridging global research with regional insights to inform evidence-based solutions for a sustainable future.

For more information and registration, please visit the event page.

In line with the theme of the Fourth Asian Population Forum, ADRI will host a Training Workshop on "Application of the Degree of Urbanization for Demographic Research and Policy Analysis" from 25-28 October 2025, in collaboration with the European Commission, IIASA, and the United Nation Population Division.

The training workshop will introduce participants to the concepts, definitions, measurement methods and modeling tools associated with the Degree of Urbanization (DOU), and will feature national case studies that illustrate its application. It will also explore the significance and practical utility of adopting the DOU framework for setting and evaluating development goals at global, national, and local levels.