Brussels in brief: EU developments in education and research

The OECD and European Commission have published on 8 October an international Survey of Adult Skills which aims to assess the literacy, numeracy and problem-solving ICT skills of adults. Meanwhile, the “Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities” conference, one of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU events, took place in Vilnius (23-24 September) concluding with a declaration highlighting the value and benefits of integrating Social Sciences and Humanities in innovation processes and Horizon 2020.

EC/OECD Survey of adult skills (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

The OECD and European Commission have on 8 October published an international Survey of Adult Skills which aims to assess the literacy, numeracy and problem-solving ICT skills of adults aged 16 to 65 in 17 EU member states as well as in Australia, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Norway and the United States. According to the EC the key findings of the survey include:

• “20% of the EU working-age population has low literacy and numeracy skills”;
• “25% of adults lack the digital skills needed to effectively use ICT”;
• there are “striking differences between countries in skills provided through formal education”;
• “Lifelong learning policies must aim at sustaining skills over time given the gaps between generations revealed by the survey and the significant economic and social benefits of higher skills”.

More information is available here. 

Lithuanian Presidency’s Conference on “Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities”

The Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of EU Conference entitled “Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities” (SSH) took place last month at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius. The Conference aimed to promote “better visibility, integration, and implementation of social sciences and humanities into science and research policies” and act as a “forum for scholarly exchange of ideas, examination of the common grounds and bridges of social sciences and humanities with technological, natural and other fields of science”. The conference also addressed the opportunities offered by the Horizon 2020 research framework programme within the societal challenges.

Professor Torbjørn Digernes (Former Rector, NTNU, and Chairman of EUA’s European Platform of Universities Engaged in Energy Research, Education and Training) was invited to present in one of the parallel sessions on SSH and societal challenges focusing on “Secure, clean and efficient energy”. As an outcome of the event a declaration has been published on the conference theme,  which focuses on the value and benefits of integrating social sciences and humanities in innovation processes and Horizon 2020. More information on the event and declaration is available here.