Abstract: Population ageing is a common challenge faced by countries worldwide in the 21st century. China is currently undergoing the largest-scale and fastest-ageing process in the world. This demographic transition poses severe challenges to both national governance capacity and academic research. However, domestic ageing research started relatively late compared to Western nations and still has considerable room for improvement in understanding the global developmental trajectory and research frontiers of the field. This paper aims to review the evolution, frontier topics, and innovation mechanisms of international ageing research, aiming to provide insights for domestic studies and contribute to the formation of a disciplinary discourse system that is rooted in local contexts yet oriented toward the world.

International ageing research has undergone four main developmental stages. From the early 20th century to the 1950s, the field emerged under the predominant influence of the medical paradigm. The 1960s to 1970s marked a critical phase of theoretical formation and disciplinary independence. During the 1980s and 1990s, a clear critical turn became evident. Since the 21st century, a global perspective and interdisciplinary integration have become distinctive features. This trajectory profoundly reveals the progression of international ageing research from medical dominance to social scientific independence, from theoretical formation to critical reflection, and from a limited focus to a global outlook.

Based on the Web of Science (WOS) and Journal Citation Reports (JCR) from Clarivate Analytics, this paper reviews literature from 38 SSCI-indexed Gerontology journals and identifies ten major hot topics in current international ageing research. These broadly cover ageing population studies, health issues in old age, elderly care services, family issues in ageing, digital life of older adults, silver economy research, age-friendly environments, social work with older adults, social governance of ageing, and other related areas. Building on this, the paper examines innovations in the key elements of international ageing research. Research paradigms are evolving toward greater integration and refinement. Theoretical construction increasingly emphasizes the agency of older adults and critical reflection. Research methods increasingly rely on the integration of data resources and advanced analytical technologies.

These international developments offer multiple insights for ageing research in China. First, it is necessary to avoid the simple transplantation of Western theories and instead construct a local theoretical system that reflects cultural subjectivity. Second, the international comparative perspective should be expanded, with emphasis on contextual adaptation when drawing on the experiences of other countries. Third, greater attention should be paid to the inheritance of traditional Chinese wisdom on ageing. Fourth, it is essential to strengthen the development of data infrastructure, promote methodological and technological innovation, and enhance the practical value of academic outcomes.

This paper provides directional reference and theoretical support for constructing an independent knowledge system of Gerontology in China. It clarifies the international coordinates and innovative dynamics of disciplinary development, underscores the urgency of localized theoretical innovation, and offers evidence-based insights for China to improve its social governance of ageing and contribute Eastern wisdom to global Gerontology amid population ageing.

Keywords: International Ageing Research, Independent Knowledge System, Active Response to Population Ageing, Social Governance of Ageing, Social Gerontology

摘要： 构建中国老年学自主知识体系要立足国际视野。长期以来，国际老龄研究经历了从医学主导走向社会科学独立、从理论形成走向批判反思、从局部经验走向全球视野的过程。目前国际老龄研究热点广泛涉及老龄人口研究、老年健康问题、老年照护服务、老年家庭问题、老年数字生活、银发经济研究、老年友好环境、老年社会工作、老龄社会治理以及其他相关领域。审视国际老龄研究的创新要素，其研究范式正朝着整合和精细化并重的方向演进，理论建构更加注重老年人的主体能动性和批判反思意识，研究方法日益依托数据资源整合和前沿分析技术。这些国际进展启示我们，国内老龄研究要立足本土实际，构建具有文化主体性的理论话语体系，拓宽国际比较视野，有选择地借鉴不同区域经验，推动传统养老智慧的传承，强化学科人文内涵，同时加强方法创新和政策衔接，提高学术成果的实践价值。

关键词: 国际老龄研究, 自主知识体系, 积极应对人口老龄化, 老龄社会治理, 社会老年学