The European Master’s Programme in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management (MA LLL) is one of the European Union’s flagship Erasmus Mundus programmes. This truly international programme, with students from over 40 countries worldwide, operates through a network of four universities in Bilbao, Copenhagen, London and Melbourne. More...

The Second International Conference of the German Research Center for Comparative Vocational Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) was held at the University of Cologne, Germany from 22 to 24 September 2014. UIL presented evidence from its recent compilation of 33 country case studies for the Global Inventory of National Qualifications Frameworks to argue the importance of alternative pathways for youth in transition. More...

The UIL Global Observatory of the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of Non-formal and Informal Learning, in short, Global RVA Observatory, is a new online resource providing access to information on RVA in UNESCO Member States. It brings together recent RVA developments by inviting policy-makers, national experts, practitioners and all those with a professional interest in RVA to share and exchange their countries’ specific models of RVA. Eleven country profiles and 27 case studies were launched in autumn 2014.
With the ultimate aim of developing a useful ePlatform, further profiles and case studies will be added and existing ones updated on an on-going basis as we receive responses from Member States about their RVA systems.

Links:

• Global Observatory of Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of Non-formal and Informal Learning
• Global Observatory of Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of Non-formal and Informal Learning (PDF version, 442 KB)
• Forms for contributing, sharing and updating of Country Profiles and Case Studies. More...

The 9th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) took place from 13 to 15 November 2014 at the University of Barcelona, with over 450 participants in attendance.
Under the theme of ‘Changing education – QA and the shift from teaching to learning’, a range of trends and challenges were discussed, including the move towards student-centred learning; the importance of pedagogical training; opportunities and challenges created by technological advances, and the recognition of non-formal learning.
Presentations and papers from the Forum are also available on the EQAF website. More...

The EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) thematic workshop, on the topic of “Regional Engagement and Doctoral Education”, will take place at Aix-Marseille University in France from 22 to 23 January 2015.
The workshop, the latest in a series of thematic workshops organised by EUA-CDE which are open exclusively to EUA-CDE members, will bring together university leaders, vice-rectors, deans and heads of doctoral schools, researchers, administrators and other actors interested in the development of doctoral education.
From the perspective of doctoral education, the workshop will look at how universities manage their regional role, the initiatives they take, how they establish dialogue with regional authorities, and will present examples and good practices in regional engagement.
More information is available on the workshop website. EUA-CDE members should also note that a call for presentations will also be open until the 5 December 2014. More...

On 26 November, the European Commission (EC) presented details of a new “Investment Plan” which it said aimed to get “Europe growing again and get more people back to work”. Meanwhile, earlier in November the EC released the latest (2014) edition of its annual Education and Training Monitor. More...

The European University Association (EUA) has published a new study, entitled “E-learning in European Higher Education Institutions”, which aims to contribute to ongoing policy discussions on e-learning in Europe and to support universities in their efforts to further enhance and promote innovation in learning and teaching.
The full publication can be downloaded here. More...