***PRESS RELEASE***
May 01, 2024
PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 2024 – Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Pension Research Council at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, celebrating seven decades of pioneering research, innovation, and policy on retirement security.
The Council is the nation’s premier organization for substantive and relevant research, dissemination, and outreach, and the oldest pension research group in the United States. Since its establishment in 1954, the Council has played a unique role in shaping the discourse surrounding pension systems and retirement planning, influencing policymakers, practitioners, and scholars worldwide.
In the last 70 years, the Pension Research Council has fulfilled its mission to enhance understanding and address the evolving challenges facing workers, retirees, and pension systems globally. With groundbreaking research initiatives, insightful publications, and impactful conferences, the Council has played a pivotal role in advancing the conversation on retirement security and old-age income adequacy. The Council’s recent volumes, available online for free download, include Pension Funds and Sustainable Investment: Challenges and Opportunities, and Real-World Shocks and Retirement System Resiliency. The Council’s newest volume on Diversity, Inclusion, and Inequality: Implications for Retirement Income Security and Policy is previewed here.
“As we mark this significant milestone, we proudly reflect on the enduring impact of the Pension Research Council,” said Dr. Olivia S. Mitchell, IFEBP Professor of Risk Management/Insurance and Business Economics/Policy at the Wharton School. “For seven decades, the Council has been dedicated to promoting the well-being of today’s workers and retirees, and that of future generations. Our work has helped shape policies and practices that enhance global retirement security.”
Against the backdrop of rapid population aging, the need has never been greater for robust and sustainable retirement solutions, and the Pension Research Council remains committed to leading the way forward. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based policymaking, the Council stands ready to tackle the complexities of retirement security in the 21st century.
“On this momentous occasion, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideals and principles that have guided the Council since its inception,” added Dr. Mitchell. “Together, we will continue to strive toward a future where every individual can enjoy a dignified and secure retirement. The Pension Research Council remains steadfast in its dedication to ensuring a more secure financial future for all.”
As we celebrate 70 years of excellence, the Pension Research Council invites partners, stakeholders, and supporters to join in commemorating this milestone and helping rededicate the investment and policy community to the pursuit of retirement security for all.
For more information about joining the Pension Research Council and to review our work, please visit https://pensionresearchcouncil.wharton.upenn.edu/.
The Pension Research Council
The Pension Research Council is committed to generating debate on key policy issues affecting pensions and other employee benefits. The Council sponsors interdisciplinary research on private pension and social security programs, as well as related benefit plans in the United States and around the world. It supports scholarly research on global aging, successful retirement, and retirement income security while facilitating access to research and data critical to the investigation of retirement security. Working papers are posted on the Pension Research Council website and available for download.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 100,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs, and thousands of pre-collegiate students explore business concepts through Wharton’s Global Youth Program. More than 105,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.
Contact: Wharton Media Relations, 215-898-8036, communications@wharton.upenn.edu