Inaugural Conference of the ESREA Network on Policy Studies in Adult Education Trans-nationalization of Educational Policy Making: Implications for Adult & Lifelong Learning - Fri 10th – Sun 12th February 2012, University of Nottingham.
Globalization, and the trans-nationalization of education policy-making which accompany it, have many implications for policy studies in adult and lifelong learning. As globalization deepens, so does its impact on national policies and on how educational research is done.
The inaugural conference of ESREA’s Network on Policy Studies in Adult Education will explore how globalisation affects agency and policy processes, and the conditions or structures under which policy processes occur. It also aims to deepen understanding of how scientific inquiry – as a means of comprehending and interpreting current policy processes and their implications – can accompany and support contemporary developments in adult education and learning.
Ongoing debates on the trans-nationalization of governance, and on the changing role of the nation state, need to be scrutinized and researched – not only the processes underlying globalization, but also those underlying Europeanization and localisation, and how these are linked. For example, with the trans-nationalization of education has come a shift away from national collection of data: comparative international data is now required – and itself plays a role in driving national policy-making.
In the light of these trends, the research community should pay greater attention to the roles international organizations play in national policy-making, and to the growing phenomena of policy borrowing and policy learning. It should also investigate the role of authority structures in fostering and pinning shared meanings to common vocabulary and agendas in adult education and lifelong learning – and hence the impact on communication and governance in the area, from both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ perspectives.

What is the Women in Lifelong Learning Network?
The Women in Lifelong Learning (WiLL) Network is one of UALL’s six specialist networks, providing both a forum for discussion of issues relating to women and gender in lifelong learning and a professional network for women employed in the lifelong learning sector. The WiLL Network has a mailing list of over 90 members, publishes a quarterly e-bulletin and runs events, open to all and sometimes jointly with other UALL networks on topics related to women and lifelong learning. If you would like to join the WiLL mailing list, please contact the Network Convenor, Kate Thomas.
NEW: Advance Notice: A date for your diary... Wednesday 26 October 2011.  Women E-Mentoring in Lifelong Learning (WELL) Workshop at the Women's Library, London. The Workshop will present findings from the evaluation of the Women in Lifelong Learning E-mentoring Scheme.  More details to follow.
NEW: UALL Work Based Learning and Employer Engagement 2011 Annual Conference, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC).  28-29 June 2011. For further information download the flyer
What is UALL?
The Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) is the professional association for the lifelong learning community within higher education. UALL plays a leading role in national and international policy formulation, advocacy, research and practice in lifelong learning and continuing education. It has well-established links with all major agencies in lifelong learning and higher education including Funding Councils, UK Government Education and Lifelong Learning Departments, University and College Associations, Quality Assurance Bodies, as well as with other national and international organisations.  Membership is drawn from the higher education and lifelong sectors in the United Kingdom and overseas. For further information about UALL, including membership, see the website and/or contact the Administrator, Lucy Bate.

La France n'est pas le seul pays touché par l'abus d'acronymes. L'article qui suit le montre aisément. Un des meilleurs exemples: BARBIE (a basic accountability regime will be inevitable almost everywhere).
Aussies, Acronyms, and Accountability. By Ben Wildavsky. Quick quiz for non-Australians: In a post-AUQA world, how will TEQSA make sensible use of the AQF, the ERA, the CEQ, the AUSSE, and perhaps the CLA?  As DEEWR adds the functions of the recently abolished ALTC to its many other responsibilities, how useful will the government’s new My University web site be when it is unveiled later this year? Will the imminent “uncapping” of government-sponsored university places, in tandem with a new funding system in which government dollars follow students, lead to the kind of extreme, market-driven differentiation of academic offerings within and between institutions that critics have warned of...

The European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) provides a common reference framework which assists in comparing the national qualifications systems, frameworks and their levels. It serves as a translation device to make qualifications more readable and understandable across different countries and systems in Europe, and thus promote lifelong and life-wide learning, and the mobility of European citizens whether for studying or working abroad.
In order to make the EQF work, European countries participating in "Education and Training 2020" are invited to relate their national qualifications levels to the appropriate levels of the EQF and to indicate in all new qualification certificates, diplomas and Europass documents the relevant EQF level.
The EQF portal provides the results of the national process for relating national qualifications levels to the levels of the EQF. In "Compare Qualifications Frameworks" page, it is possible to compare how national qualifications levels of countries that have already finalised their referencing process are been linked to the EQF.
The EQF portal further presents information "About the EQF" implementation, "Key Terms" that are agreed by all countries participating in the EQF and are essential to take into account when cooperating with stakeholders at national and international level in implementing the EQF. The EQF portal also seeks to gather relevant "Documentation" - legal text of the recommendation on the establishment of the EQF, other key policy documents and EQF notes and "Useful links" leads to other information sources that may prove useful for the comparability of qualifications. It is also possible to read and subscribe for the various issues of the "EQF Newsletter" through the EQF portal.

Europe gradually raising education levels, but still a quarter of all adults leave school with a low qualification In the EU, around 74 million adults have a low qualification, 27% of the population aged 25-64.
Cedefop forecasts indicate a considerable drop in the demand for low qualified workers between 2010 and 2020. Developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs is an important element of the EU guidelines for employment policies.
Key points
- In the EU (2010 data), there are around 74 million low skilled adults (with at most lower secondary educational attainment), corresponding to 27% of the population aged 25-64. The remaining population has a medium level education (47%) or a high level (26%).
- Low skilled tends to be higher in southern Europe. Malta and Portugal (respectively 71% and 68%), followed by Spain (47%), Italy (45%) and Greece (37%) show the highest shares of people with at most a lower secondary educational attainment.
- Compared to 2005, low skilled people in the EU dropped by around 6.7 million. Their share among 25-64 year olds decreased by 3.4 percentage points. Over the same period, the proportion of people with medium level education was stable.
- The share of low skilled people decreased in all countries for which comparable time series are available. Countries with biggest drops are: Luxembourg Ireland, Cyprus Bulgaria and Portugal (with drops by more than 5 percentage points).
Notes: The indicator presented here is the percentage of individuals aged 25-64 with a low educational attainment (i.e. having completed at most lower secondary education). Data originates from the European Labour Force Survey and are subject to its methodology.
Cedefop's Skills supply and demand in Europe. Related methodology to Labour Force Survey. Labour Force Survey. More statistics of the month. Cedefop Statistics and indicators section.

International and Regional University Associations

Academic Cooperation Association (IAU Affiliate)

Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (IAU Member)

Asian Association of Open Universities

Asociacion de Universidades Grupo Montevideo

Asociacion Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado

Associaçao das Universidades de Lingua Portuguesa

Association of African Universities (IAU Member)

Association of Arab Universities (IAU Member)

Association of Caribbean Universities and Research Institutes

Association of Carpathian Region Universities

Association of Commonwealth Universities (IAU Member)

Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning

Association of Universities of Asia and Pacific (IAU Member)

Circumpolar Universities Association

Coimbra Group

Community of Mediterranean Universities (IAU Member)

Compostela Group of Universities (IAU Member)

Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration

European Association of Institutions in Higher Education

European University Association (IAU Member)

Federation of Universities of the Islamic World (IAU Member)

Inter-American Organisation for Higher Education (IAU Member)

International Association of University Presidents

International Federation of Catholic Universities

Latin American Council of Management Schools

Network of Macrouniversities of Latin America and the Caribbean (IAU Member)

South East Asian Ministers of Education Organisation

Southern African Regional Universities Association (IAU Member)

Union de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe (IAU Member).

May 2011 sees the launch of our new website. The website has been redesigned and rebranded to become more interactive and offer more services to our Members.
Work on the new site will continue, and you might come across features (Members' area, e-bulletin for example) and content not yet available. This is normal: the fully operational website will be ready and officially launched in June 2011.
Meanwhile, we hope you like the new design, find the new website more user-friendly, and that content on our activities and services is easy to find.
Le nouveau site web de l'Association a été mis en ligne en mai 2011. Sa structure et sa présentation ont été complétement revues pour en faire un site plus interactif et offrir plus de services à nos membres.
Il est encore possible que vous rencontriez des options (Espace membre ou e-bulletin par exemple) ou des contenus non disponibles ou incomplets lors de votre navigation car nous travaillons encore sur le site. La version finale du site sera prête et lancée officiellement au mois de juin.
Entre-temps, nous espérons que vous aimerez sa nouvelle présentation, sa convivialité et que vous n'aurez aucun problème à trouver l'information que vous recherchez sur les activités et les services de l'Association.

Barcelona. Position: Professional (D-1). INSTITUTE: UNU-IIAOC. CLOSING DATE: 31 July 2011. ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: United Nations University International Institute for the Alliance of Civilizations (UNU-IIAOC). REFERENCE NUMBER: 2011/UNU/IIAOC/DIR/22.
United Nations University seeks a founding director for its new institute established in 2010 in Barcelona, Spain with the support of the Government of Spain. The Institute will carry out research, postgraduate teaching and knowledge sharing on the crucial issues related to the Alliance of Civilizations. Note: This announcement is available, via the PDF files in the right sidebar, in Arabic, English, Spanish and French.
United Nations University’s Mission
The United Nations University (UNU) is an international community of scholars, engaged in research, postgraduate teaching and capacity development and dissemination of knowledge in furtherance of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The mission of the UNU is to contribute, through research, postgraduate teaching and capacity development, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States. The UNU serves as a think-tank for the United Nations system, contributes to capacity development, particularly in developing countries and serves as a generator of new and creative ideas.
UNU-IIAOC Objectives
The mission of UNU-IIAOC will be to contribute to the analysis and resolution of pressing challenges related to the alliance/dialogue of civilizations. The overarching concern of the Institute’s work will be the promotion of the good governance of cultural diversity and of democracy and human rights. Its research, teaching, advanced training and capacity development, and dissemination of knowledge activities will focus on: (a) education; (b) youth; (c) media; and (d) migration. The Institute will be located within the Historic Site of the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain.
Responsibilities
The Director is the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of UNU-IIAOC and has overall responsibility for the direction, organization, administration and programmes of UNU-IIAOC under the direction of the Rector of UNU. The Director’s qualifications should lend to UNU-IIAOC the necessary prestige in the international scholarly community; guaranteeing scientific excellence through internal quality control and providing leadership and guidance for the conduct of UNU-IIAOC activities.
Required Qualifications
-Ph.D. or equivalent in the natural, social sciences or the humanities that will provide the candidate with an understanding of the main issues related to the alliance/dialogue civilizations;
-Strong background of research and publications in areas related to the issues of civilizational dialogue;
-Proven record of effective leadership and management experience at a senior level in academic or research institutions;
-Candidates should have good communication skills and the ability to work with colleagues of diverse national and cultural backgrounds and with communities in industrialized and developing countries;
-Proven commitment to issues of human development and welfare;
-Fluency in English and at least one official language of the United Nations, preferably Spanish.
Remuneration
Approximate net salary (tax-exempted) of US$100,258 p.a. (single status) to US$108,822 p.a. (with dependants) plus post adjustment. Post adjustment is subject to change. The post carries the standard set of UN entitlements/benefits, including participation in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, the possibility of participation in a health insurance programme, education grant for eligible children, removal expenses and home leave. For more information please visit: http://www.un.org/. Staff members of the United Nations are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Rector and may be assigned to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations University. The Rector reserves the right to appoint suitable candidates at a lower category. Applications from suitably qualified women candidates are particularly encouraged.
Duration of Contract
This is a full-time employment. Initial appointment would be on a fixed-term appointment of a four-year term with the possibility of renewal for a further four years on the basis of excellent performance. The mandatory retirement age for United Nations staff is 62 years old.
Starting Date
It is expected that the appointee will take up the position by end of 2011.
Application Procedure
Interested applicants should submit their applications, preferably by e-mail or mail, and must include the following:
-a cover letter setting out how the qualifications and experience match the requirements of the position and indicating how the applicant would plan to organize the programmes of UNU-IIAOC with a strong emphasis on applied and/or user-focused research;
-latest curriculum vitae with a complete list of publications attached with a completed and signed UNU Personal History Form (P.11). Please avoid using similar forms provided by other United Nations organizations; and
-full contact information of three referees.
The application must also indicate the reference number of the vacancy announcement (2011/UNU/IIAOC/DIR/22). Closing Date : 31 July 2011.
Send applications to:
UNU-IIAOC Director Selection Committee
c/o Office of the Rector, United Nations University Headquarters
53-70, Jingumae 5-chome, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
Fax: +81 3 3499-2828, E-mail: unuiiaocdir@unu.edu. All applications/nominations will be acknowledged.

At its 22 May 2011 General Assembly in Vienna, ACA welcomed with pleasure a new member: Agence Europe-Education-Formation France (2e2f). Created in 2000, 2e2f serves as France’s National Agency for the Lifelong Learning Programme, as well as the National Contact Point for Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, the Bologna Experts French Team, Europass and Euroguidance. The Bordeaux-based agency employs a staff of 87 and is tasked with managing at the national level all aspects of the European programmes for which it is responsible; it also liaises actively with national organisations working in the fields of education and vocational training and organises a large number of conferences, seminars and workshops. In the last year, 2e2f has further expanded its scope of activities, devoting more time and resources to studies and analyses of trends, networking on a variety of levels and strategic foresight.  
With its focus on internationalisation and international mobility, the profile of 2e2f is very much in line with that of the other ACA members as well as ACA as a whole. This should provide ample opportunity for mutually beneficial cooperation and networking, reinforced by the fact that 2e2f’s profile is nicely complementary to that of ACA’s other French member, CampusFrance.
We look forward to working closely with our new colleagues. Welcome, 2e2f!

LOI n° 2011-525 du 17 mai 2011 de simplification et d'amélioration de la qualité du droit (1).
CHAPITRE IER : DISPOSITIONS TENDANT A AMELIORER LA QUALITE DES NORMES ET DES RELATIONS DES CITOYENS AVEC LES ADMINISTRATIONS.
SECTION 6 : DISPOSITIONS TENDANT A AMELIORER LE FONCTIONNEMENT DES COLLECTIVITES TERRITORIALES ET DES SERVICES DE L'ETAT.
L'article 9 de la loi n° 2009-1436 du 24 novembre 2009 pénitentiaire est ainsi rédigé :
« Art. 9.-L'Etat peut, à titre expérimental pour une durée maximale de quatre ans à compter du 1er janvier suivant la promulgation de la présente loi, confier par convention aux régions ou à la collectivité territoriale de Corse, sur leur demande, l'organisation et le financement des actions de formation professionnelle continue des personnes détenues dans les établissements pénitentiaires situés sur leur territoire.
« L'Etat participe au financement des charges supplémentaires en crédits et en personnel supportées par chaque région expérimentatrice du fait de l'expérimentation. A ce titre, les services ou parties des services qui participent à l'exercice de la compétence faisant l'objet de cette expérimentation peuvent être mis à disposition de la région expérimentatrice, à titre gratuit et pour une quotité de travail à déterminer, dans les conditions prévues à l'article 112 de la loi n° 2004-809 du 13 août 2004 relative aux libertés et responsabilités locales.
« Six mois avant le terme de la période prévue au premier alinéa, le Gouvernement adresse au Parlement un rapport sur la mise en œuvre de cette expérimentation. »