Europe’s universities launch charter for lifelong learning

 

EUA, an organisation representing more than 800 universities across Europe, has launched the first European Universities’ Charter on Lifelong learning during its autumn conference at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Charter, developed at the request of the French Prime Minister François Fillon, is based around a series of 10 commitments from universities in addressing the development and implementation of lifelong learning strategies, with a set of matching commitments for governments and regional partners to make.

The EUA Charter has been elaborated on the basis of extensive consultation, not only with EUA’s 800 member universities and 34 national Rectors’ Conferences, but also with a wide range of European stakeholder organisations – including students and business. It calls on universities to make 10 clear commitments to lifelong learning:

• Embedding concepts of widening access and lifelong learning in their institutional strategies;
• Providing education and learning to a diversified student population;
• Adapting study programmes to ensure that they are designed to widen participation and attract returning adult learners;
• Providing appropriate guidance and counselling services;
• Recognising prior learning;
• Embracing lifelong learning in quality culture;
• Strengthening the relationship between research, teaching and innovation in a perspective of lifelong learning;
• Consolidating reforms to promote a flexible and creative learning environment for all students;
• Developing partnerships at local, regional, national and international level to provide attractive and relevant programmes;
• Acting as role models of lifelong learning institutions;

The EUA Charter also calls for concerted action from governments in providing the appropriate legal and financial frameworks to develop lifelong learning. It matches the 10 commitments from universities with an equal number of desired commitments for governments. These include: promoting social equity & an inclusive learning society; including lifelong learning objectives in national QA systems; recognising prior learning; removing legal obstacles that prevent potential learners from responding to LLL opportunities, ensuring the necessary university autonomy & incentives for universities; and acting as role models in relation to their own employees.

Speaking at the EUA Conference in Rotterdam, EUA President, Professor Georg Winckler said: “After a decade of higher education reforms that have taken place under the Bologna process, the European stage is set for the realization of lifelong learning as a key element in the strategic development of universities in the future. We urge stakeholders to engage with the commitments of the charter so that we can take a major step forward to building a Europe of knowledge.”

The Charter is available to download in English or French.

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Published on: Friday, 24 October 2008 11:38