ERA is a unified research area open to the world based on the Internal market, in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely. Through ERA, the Union and its Member States will strengthen their scientific and technological bases, their competitiveness and their capacity to collectively address grand challenges.
The European Commission's 2012 policy Communication on the European Research Area (ERA) should lead to a significant improvement in Europe's research performance to promote growth and job creation. The measures in the Communication will have to be implemented by EU Member States, the Commission and Research Organisations to ensure the completion of ERA by 2014 as called for by the European Council.
To complete ERA and maximise the return on research investment, Europe must increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its public research system. This requires more cooperation so that the brightest minds work together to make greater impact on grand challenges (e.g. demographic-ageing, energy security, mobility, environmental degradation), and to avoid unnecessary duplication of research and infrastructure investment at national level. It also requires more competition to ensure that the best researchers and research teams receive funding - those able to compete in the increasingly-globalised and competitive research landscape.
With the explicit objective of opening up and connecting EU research systems, the ERA reform agenda focuses on five key priorities:

• More effective national research systems
• Optimal transnational co-operation and competition
  On common research agendas, grand challenges and infrastructures
• An open labour market for researchers
  Facilitating mobility, supporting training and ensuring attractive careers
• Gender equality and gender mainstreaming in research
  Encouraging gender diversity to foster science excellence and relevance
• Optimal circulation and transfer of scientific knowledge
  To guarantee access to and uptake of knowledge by all.

Useful Links

The Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning (CRELL) was established in 2005 in order to provide expertise in the field of indicator-based evaluation and monitoring of education and training systems and their contribution to the achievement of Community objectives specified in the Lisbon Agenda and more recently in the EU2020 agenda as regards this domain. CRELL combines expertise in the fields of economics, econometrics, education, social sciences and statistics in an interdisciplinary approach to research.
CRELL is sponsored by the European Commission Directorate General Education and Culture (DG EAC) and co-ordinated by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (DG JRC).
The Centre is hosted by the Econometrics and Applied Statistics Unit of the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen at the JRC in Ispra, northern Italy.
more about CRELL...
The policy demand for the monitoring and evaluation of national education systems is increasing on an international level.  The Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning  (CRELL) based on indicators and benchmarks, located at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, northern Italy, was established in this context and in response to the need to underpin monitoring instruments with sound scientific research.
The European Commission monitors progress towards the Community goals in the area of education and training using a framework of indicators and benchmarks, reported annually in the report on the Progress towards the Lisbon Objectives in Education and Training- Indicators and Benchmarks (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).
The set of indicators currently employed is less than fully developed. As stated in the Joint Interim Report "Education & Training 2010":
“The work carried out to date has pinpointed the key areas for which there is a lack of relevant and comparable data for monitoring progress in relation to the objectives set. The quality and comparability of the existing indicators need to be improved, particularly in the field of lifelong learning, and regularly reviewed. Priorities should be established for the development of a restricted number of new indicators, taking due account of the work carried out by other bodies active in this area. […] The following areas should come in for particular attention: key competences, and particularly learning to learn; investment efficiency; ICT; mobility; and adult education and vocational education and training."
The Council Conclusions of May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training "ET2020" further emphasize the need for periodic monitoring of progress towards a set objective as an essential contribution towards evidence-based policy making. The strategic objectives defined in the "ET2020" strategy are accompanied during the period 2010-2020 by indicators and by reference levels for European average performance (‘European benchmarks’) and work on proposals for possible benchmarks in the areas of mobility, employability and language learning is requested.
Various strategies are underway to address these needs, among them the establishment of CRELL. The European Council Conclusions of 24 May 2005 on new indicators in education and training recognised that it was necessary to develop a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks to monitor performance and progress, and stated that "the establishment of the research unit on lifelong learning at the Joint Research Centre at Ispra can significantly increase the Commission’s research capacity in terms of the development of new indicators." CRELL is involved in actively supporting the European Commission by providing scientific expertise and research in order to underpin the policy dossiers of  DG Education and Culture. Click here for more information on the Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training "ET2020." Click here for more information on Indicators and Benchmarks. The Econometrics and Applied Statistics Unit at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra has estabished a world-renown scientific expertise in the field of composite indicators. It has co-authored together with the OECD the widely used  Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators and supports an information server on composite indicators.

Education databases and catalogues
BEI- British Education Index
Index to the contents of 300 education and training journals published in the British Isles, together with some internationally published periodicals. Includes: Education-line, a freely accessible database of the full text of conference papers, working papers and electronic literature which supports educational research, policy and practice; catalogue of professionally evaluated internet sites; conference programmes and papers.
CERUK - Current Educational Research in the UK
CERUK aims to provide a complete record of current or on-going research in education and related disciplines.
EENEE - European Expert Network on the Economics of Education
Network on economics of education with a directory of experts and researchers by field and country, journal databases and other information.
EPPI-Centre - Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordination Centre
EPPI-Centre supports the writing of systematic reviews of research evidence in the field of education. Seventeen review groups undertake reviews of individual topics, and a series of reviews commissioned by the Teacher Training Agency is also produced. All the reviewed research is included in a database.
ERIC - Education Resources Information Centre
Sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the US Department of Education, hosts a large database of journal and non-journal education literature.
ETV Library - European Training Village
The ETV library maintains a host of databases and catalogues on VET, including: European Research Overview (ERO Base); bibliographical database; VET internet resources; training institutions database; collection of 300 electronic-journals.
Eurostat - Eurostat
The statistical office of the European Communities, with extensive data collections in the area of education and training (Population and Social Conditions).
Eurydice - Eurydice
Information network on education in Europe. Includes several databases on education systems, Key Data publications and thesauri.
INCA - International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks Internet Archive
INCA provides descriptions of government policy on education in Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland (forthcoming), Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Wales. It focuses on curriculum, assessment and initial teacher training frameworks for pre-school, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education in schools (3-19 age range).
NCES - National Centre for Education Statistics (US)
Database of US education statistics and analysis. The Education Statistics Quarterly is also available - an overview of all work carried out at NCES, including publications and data products.
PERINE - Pedagogical and Educational Research Information Network for Europe
The 'PERINE Internet Resource Catalogue' is a collection of information about national and cross-national resources supporting educational research in Europe. The catalogue will contain references produced by partners, presented within a multilingual search environment utilising the European Education Thesaurus. Initially the catalogue is experimental, providing information on themes identified by educational researchers connected with the European Educational Research Association (EERA).
VOCED - Vocational Education and Training Research Database
VOCED is the UNESCO/NCVER research database for technical and vocational education and training, an international database of research abstracts, in English.
WIFO - Gateway to Research on Education in Europe
This website has emerged in the context of European research projects carried out by the Research Forum WIFO (Wissenschaftsforum Bildung und Gesellschaft). It is an free information service provided by researchers for researchers. Focus on vocational education, recently also including human resource development. The database also includes a ‘search by method/approach’ facility.
See also About CRELL (Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning).

Higher education plays an essential role in society, creating new knowledge, transferring it to students and fostering innovation. EU-level actions help higher education institutions throughout Europe in their efforts to modernise, both in terms of the courses they offer and the way they operate.
Europe has around 4 000 higher education institutions, with over 19 million students and 1.5 million staff. Some European universities are among the best in the world, but, overall, potential is not being fully realised. Curricula are not always up to date, not enough young people go to university, and not enough adults have ever attended university. European universities often lack the management tools and funding to match their ambitions.
In the light of these challenges, governments and higher education institutions are looking for ways to create better conditions for universities.
National governments are responsible for their education and training systems and individual universities organise their own curricula. However, the challenges facing higher education are similar across the EU and there are clear advantages in working together.
The role of the European Commission is to support national efforts. This is done in the following ways:
* By working closely with policy-makers from Member States to help them develop their higher education policies. The Commission published a modernisation agenda for higher education in 2011, identifying five priority reform areas for action. Read more about the agenda.
* The Commission actively supports the Bologna Process, the inter-governmental process which promotes reforms in higher education with 47 countries, leading to establishing a 'European Higher Education Area'.
* By encouraging the exchange of examples of good policy practice between different countries – in particular, it gathers together a group of national experts – the 'cluster' on the modernisation of higher education – to share experiences and look at common challenges.
* The Erasmus Programme funds around 200 000 students every year to study or work abroad, along with other projects to increase co-operation between higher education institutions and other relevant institutions.
* There are a number of European programmes to promote co-operation in higher education with countries beyond the EU, including Tempus and Erasmus Mundus. Read more about these external co-operation initiatives in higher education.
* The Commission launches studies on specific areas relevant to higher education policy by gathering, analysing and sharing information on the state of play across Europe. Find EU studies and research on higher education.
More information
* Documents on EU actions in higher education.
* Summaries of EU legislation/initiatives relevant to higher education:
o Modernising universities
o Reform of universities in the framework of the EU2020 Strategy and the Education and Training 2020 initiatives
o The role of universities in the Europe of knowledge
o The Bologna Process: make higher education systems in Europe converge
o Quality of higher education.

In depth

ACA is pleased to announce that its 2011 Annual Report has just become available for download on the ACA website. The website also gives access to all previous annual reports starting from the year 2000. The 2011 report provides a thorough overview of all key activities of ACA over the past calendar year. ACA’s membership developments, project activities, publications, seminars and conferences, governance issues, staffing and financial information are all covered in detail in this seventeen-page retrospective.
To receive print copies of the report, please write to the ACA Secretariat directly. Download Annual Report 2011.
Annual Report 2011
In 2011, ACA was delighted to admit three fine organisations as new members: 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 manages all aspects of the European programmes for which it is responsible; it also liaises with national organisations in the fields of education and vocational training and organises many conferences, seminars and workshops.
Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE): FRSE serves as Poland’s National Agency for the Lifelong Learning Programme, the National Structure of the Erasmus Mundus Programme, and the National Contact Point for Tempus. Since its founding in 1993, FRSE has administered the main European education programmes and been involved in national efforts to modernise the education system, particularly with regard to quality and competitiveness. It has also promoted the Polish higher education system abroad.
Foundation for Federal Co-operation: Headquartered in Solothurn, the CH Foundation (as it is more commonly known) is an inter-cantonal organisation with members from all 26 Swiss cantons. It was created in 1967 and has for many years been engaged in efforts to support national and international educational, cultural and linguistic exchange and mobility activities. Since 2011, the CH Foundation also acts as the Swiss National Agency for the Lifelong Learning Programme.
Mapping Mobility in European Higher Education
2011 saw the much-awaited conclusion of Mapping mobility in European higher education, one of ACA’s largest and most complex projects of the last few years. Work on this European Commission-funded study was initiated in October 2009 and focused on two primary lines of inquiry. First, through an analysis of existing data from EUROSTAT, OECD and UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics, the project sought to provide a clear picture of the volume and patterns of student (and to a lesser extent staff) mobility into, out of and between the so-called Europe 32 countries over a recent ten-year period. “Europe 32” in the context of this study, consists of those countries covered by the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme: the 27 EU Member States, the four European Free Trade Association states (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), and Turkey. Second, the project aimed to assess the adequacy of the international data stock – and the approaches to its collection – with regard to the mobility phenomenon in the Europe 32 countries.
ACA served as the coordinator of the project, in close collaboration with Ulrich Teichler of INCHER at the University of Kassel. The work also benefitted from significant contributions by Campus France and DAAD (both ACA member organisations), as well as HIS (a German social science research institute). A number of researchers connected to Professor Teichler also participated in this mammoth exercise, which involved extensive analysis of both quantitative information and contextual considerations across the 32 very diverse countries covered by the study.
The final two-volume report provides amongst other things:
• a state of the art picture of student mobility into, out of and between the Europe 32 countries, on the criteria of both nationality and country of prior education/residence (‘real mobility’); it also features an historical account of this information (time series), displaying the major mobility trends
• in-depth studies of student mobility in 11 EU countries
• a critical assessment of the present state of international data collection and analysis, with recommendations for improved practice in the future
• a state of the art picture, including a historical dimension, of student mobility in European programmes (mainly Erasmus)
• a presentation of the (few) available data on staff mobility in Europe, as well as a suggested methodology for future data collection in this area
• an analysis of national policies for international mobility in all 32 countries covered by the study
• recommendations to boost student and staff mobility in Europe.
The full text of this epic report was made available on the European Commission’s website in autumn 2011. DAAD also graciously provided support for the publication of a hard copy version of the study, which came out in its Dok&Mat series in December 2011.
Study on European and National Mobility Policies (ENPMOB)
Over the course of 2011, ACA devoted significant resources to the completion of the Study on European and National Mobility Policies (ENPMOB). This project, initiated in November 2010, was dedicated to the exploration and analysis of mobility policies and strategies at both the European level and in the same 32 countries covered in Mapping Mobility in European Higher Education project (see previous section).
Building on the quantitative foundation laid by Mapping Mobility, ENPMOB has aimed to make sense of the concrete set of objectives, instruments, responsible actors, monitoring actions, and timeline specifications for mobility articulated in the study countries and within the broader EU framework. This work was made possible by funding from the ERASMUS Programme’s ‘Accompanying Measures’. ACA served as project coordinator and worked closely with colleagues from Nuffic and DAAD to realise the project’s goals.
ENPMOB’s final report is due in early 2012 and will provide a substantial contribution to ACA’s body of work focused on international mobility. This will include a macro-level comparison of the mobility policies of the 32 Lifelong Learning Programme countries and the European Union itself. There will be a historical account and analysis of the evolution of EU mobility policies over the past 25 years as well as in-depth presentation of the national mobility policies in eight European countries – Austria, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom.
A central consideration within the study is the question of convergence or divergence. That is to say, the final report will endeavour to shed light on the fundamental issue of if, how and to what degree national and European-level policies are exerting an effect on one another. There will also be attention paid to the alignment (or lack thereof) between stated policy objectives and the ‘real world’, in the form of discernible mobility trends and the practical application of steering instruments. The final report will be published in ACA’s own monograph series, the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education.
Indicators for Mapping and Profiling Internationalisation (IMPI)
Building on its core expertise in the area of internationalisation, ACA in 2011 continued to play an active role in the on-going IMPI project, which was launched in 2009. Coordinated by CHE Consult GmbH (Centre for Higher Education Development) in Germany, Indicators for Mapping and Profiling Internationalisation is a three-year project funded by the European Commission. ACA members CampusFrance, NUFFIC, Perspektywy and SIU are also core partners in this work, which is focused on the development and testing of a set of internationalisation indicators that can be used by European higher education institutions through the medium of an online interactive “toolkit”. The indicators allow both for self-assessment of different dimensions of internationalisation by individual institutions, or they can be used for a coordinated benchmarking exercise among groups of institutions.
In 2011, ACA took the lead on a variety of IMPI-related activities, principally focused on guiding the team of core partners (and 20 participating higher education institutions from across Europe) through an in-depth testing phase of the indicators. Key activities included oversight of two day-long workshops—one in Vienna in May, the second in Copenhagen in September—as well as the convening of an external experts’ meeting in Brussels in April, which provided important feedback on the project’s achievements to that point, and its on-going development.
The IMPI project is due to be completed in 2012. ACA will be a central actor until the end, hosting the project’s final symposium in Brussels in May 2012.
Mapping “mobility windows ” in European higher education. Examples from selected countries (MOwin)
October 2011 saw the launch of MOWIN, a project led by ACA and developed in partnership with ACA’s Finnish member, CIMO, as well as HIS, a German social science research institute. MOWIN is funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme and its objective is to ‘unpack’ the concept of “mobility windows”, an increasingly popular instrument for integrating study abroad periods into higher education programming. The project will have a lifespan of two years and, among other things, aims to provide a robust working definition of the (often vague) term “mobility window”, create an inventory and a typology of the different types of “windows”, and investigate how different mobility window models are implemented in a small group of countries and institutions.
The European University in the 21st Century. Reconciling the social dimension, excellence, internationalisation and sustainable funding (EUSEIF)
The EUSEIF project was launched in late 2011, with financial support from the Lifelong Learning Programme. This oneyear initiative is focused on analysing the interrelations between five issues of central importance to European higher education today, but which are rarely examined jointly. A core consideration will be the extent to which (if at all) the agendas of these different imperatives—social inclusiveness, excellent institutional performance, internationalisation, mobility, and funding—can be attained in parallel, or if and to what extent they are mutually exclusive. Five high-level concept papers will be produced by a team of experts, and an international conference will be convened in 2012, designed around the project’s main thematic tracks. The conference proceedings will subsequently be published in ACA’s monograph series, the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education.
European Parliament Framework Contract
In January 2011, ACA and DAAD jointly submitted a “Detailed Briefing Note” to the European Parliament (EP), under the title The Bologna Process: Stocktaking and Prospects. This work was specifically commissioned by the EP and came as a result of DAAD and ACA having successfully responded in late 2010 to an EP call for tenders for a ‘framework service contract’.
This very short yet dense report, published electronically by the EP, presented a concise overview of the Bologna Process since 1998, as well as an assessment of strengths and weakness in terms of the overall performance of the Bologna countries. Also included in the publication were nine ‘thematic status reports’ on the main achievements and challenges seen across the main Bologna action lines, from mobility to employability, and from the quality assurance to the external dimension.
Annual Reports
You can download our Annual Reports in PDF format below. Annual Report 2011.  Annual Report 2010. Annual Report 2009.Annual Report 2008. Annual Report 2007. Annual Report 2006. Annual Report 2005. Annual Report 2004. Annual Report 2003. Annual Report 2002. Annual Report 2001. Annual Report 2000.

28 September 2012. DistanceLearningPortal.eu is a brand new study choice platform dedicated entirely to the field of open and distance learning. This comprehensive, collaborative database will finally bring transparency to the wealth of opportunities available – while providing your institution with a way to effectively promote your programmes to millions of prospective students. To be launched at the EADTU Conference 2012, the portal has been developed by EADTU and StudyPortals and is co-funded by the European Commission. Would you like to benefit from this upcoming and major European information source? The beta version will be launched in July: your chance to be part of the portal right from the start. Get involved today and ensure your institution exclusive visibility on a portal reaching millions: www.DistanceLearningPortal.eu or read more here.
Official launch of DistanceLearningPortal.eu
DistanceLearningPortal.eu is a brand new study choice platform dedicated entirely to the field of open and distance learning. To be launched at the EADTU Conference 2012, this comprehensive, collaborative database will finally bring transparency to the wealth of opportunities available – while providing your institution with a way to effectively promote your programmes to millions of prospective students.
Developed by EADTU and StudyPortals and co-funded by the European Commission, DistanceLearningPortal.eu revolutionizes the decision making of orienting students through a two-step approach: First, by using introductory videos, articles and real-life experiences explaining and concretising the broad field of Open and Distance Learning (ODL). Secondly, it allows millions of prospective students to find their ideal distance education by comparing thousands of concrete offers from European institutions already from day 1. This unique combination of general orientation and concrete promotion makes the ODL Portal the number one information source on open and distance learning in Europe – and an ideal marketing channel for any ODL provider.
To maximize visibility, DistanceLearningPortal.eu will be seamlessly integrated into the leading European Study Choice Platform StudyPortals – currently presenting 1,100 universities with more than 25,000 programmes to more than 1.7 million visits each month. This guarantees that DistanceLearningPortal.eu will reach millions of students from its very beginning. In addition, it opens up unique communication channels to those orienting students who think about traditional education first – on that very portal where the actual study choice takes place.
Would you like to benefit from this upcoming and major European information source?
Learn how DistanceLearningPortal.eu may help you to effectively turn interested visitors into your future students. The beta version will be launched in July: your chance to be part of the portal right from the start. Get involved today and ensure your institution exclusive visibility on a portal reaching millions: www.DistanceLearningPortal.eu.

L'apprendimento permanente per la crescita del patrimonio culturale, professionale ed economico del Paese - Il contributo delle Università
Convegno RUIAP - MIUR. L'apprendimento permanente per la crescita del patrimonio culturale, professionale ed economico del Paese - Il contributo delle Università. Roma, 3 Luglio 2012 - CNR, Aula Convegni, Via dei Marrucini 1. Con il patrocinio della CRUI ed in collaborazione con il CUN. Orario: dalle 9.15 alle 13.45.
Il Convegno ha l’obiettivo di delineare e dibattere sul ruolo delle Università per la definizione e lo sviluppo del sistema nazionale per l’apprendimento permanente.
Partendo dai recenti provvedimenti legislativi, Università, istituzioni e parti sociali si confronteranno nella definizione degli obiettivi specifici, sociali e economici, delle attività di apprendimento permanente e degli strumenti e servizi per la realizzazione di reti territoriali finalizzate a offrire alle persone servizi integrati e partecipati.
Nuovi servizi di istruzione, formazione e lavoro, organicamente collegati per la valorizzazione dei saperi e delle competenze delle persone, concorreranno all’esercizio dei diritti di cittadinanza, alla coesione sociale, alla crescita economica, all’innovazione del modello di welfare e delle politiche del lavoro, all’invecchiamento attivo della popolazione, in modo da sostenere la crescita del patrimonio culturale, professionale ed economico del Paese.
Alla realizzazione delle reti, le Università potranno contribuire attraverso l’inclusione dell’apprendimento permanente nelle loro strategie istituzionali, con un’offerta formativa flessibile e di qualità, che comprenda anche la formazione a distanza e l’innovazione digitale, allargando così gli accessi alla formazione superiore per migliorare la qualità delle risorse umane del Paese, anche come vantaggio competitivo.
Per questo, le Università sono chiamate a rispondere alle esigenze di una nuova popolazione studentesca, diversificata per età e condizioni occupazionali, anche attraverso l’offerta di servizi di orientamento e consulenza di qualità, che permettano il riconoscimento e la valorizzazione degli apprendimenti pregressi, comunque acquisiti dalle persone in contesti formali, non formali e informali, e la certificazione delle competenze.
9:20 -10:15 Saluto ai partecipanti – Luigi Nicolais, Presidente CNR, Introduzione ai lavori, Aureliana Alberici, Presidente RUIAP, Marco Mancini, CRUI, Andrea Lenzi, CUN, Stefano Fantoni, ANVUR, Andrea Waxenegger, EUCEN
10:15-10:45 La politica dell'UE per l'Apprendimento Permanente
10:45-11:15 Le politiche per l'Apprendimento Permanente in Italia, Francesco Profumo, Ministro dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca.
11:15-12:00 L'Università nel sistema per l'Apprendimento Permanente, Giorgio Federici, Università di Firenze, RUIAP (slide), Andrea Stella, Università di Padova, CUN (intervento).
12:00-13:30 L'Apprendimento Permanente per lo Sviluppo – Discussione con: Ministero del lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali – Laura Piatti, CRUI – Corrado Petrocelli, UNIONCAMERE – Claudio Gagliardi, Organizzazioni Sindacali – Marco Paolo Nigi (intervento), Giorgio Santini, Organizzazioni datoriali – Riccardo Giovani, Ivanhoe Lo Bello, Associazione Nazionale Comuni d'Italia, Conferenza delle Regioni – Valentina Aprea, Coordina i lavori: Giuseppe De Rita, Presidente Censis.
13:30-13:45 Conclusione
Elena Ugolini, Sottosegretario di Stato al MIUR. Scarica la brochure (link). Segui il convegno in video streaming (link). Torna a www.ruiap.it. Per informazioni: rete.ruiap@gmail.com.

The EUCEN observatory on Lifelong Learning has been developed by the European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN) with initial support from the lifelong learning policies unit of the European Commission. It aims at developing Lifelong Learning at European level.
The objectives are to provide an understanding of the major European reforms that are taking place in Higher Education concerning Lifelong Learning.
The observatory provides information on the major European Policies and three Processes for University Lifelong Learning:
1. The Lisbon Process
2. The Bologna Process
3. The Copenhagen Process
The observatory also provides information about 6 important themes:
1. Validation of non-formal and informal learning
2. EQF
3. Learning outcomes
4. ECTS
5. ECVET
6. Europass
We hope you enjoy it and help us keeping it interesting by sending your opinions and suggestions to the Executive Office of EUCEN.

Main menu

Policies and Process.

Lifelong Learning Strategy.
The Lifelong Learning perspective and the Lisbon strategy constitute the two pillars of European educational strategy. The Feira European Council in June 2000 asked the Commission and the Member States "to identify coherent strategies and practical measures to promote lifelong learning and make it accessible to all". This led to the publication, in October 2000 of the "Memorandum" (Commission Staff Working Document, "A Memorandum on lifelong learning", on 30 October 2000), followed by a wide consultation process at European level. This led to the publication in November 2001 of a Communication from the Commission, "Making a European Area for Lifelong Learning a reality", and to a Council Resolution on 27 June 2002 supporting this initiative and its implementation (Official Journal of the European Communities, 9.7.2002) with a view to achieving a European area for lifelong learning. Since that time, all documents and papers from the Commission refer to this strategy which has been added to by additional initiatives aiming to foster its implementation. Simultaneously, documents published by member states representatives and stakeholders mirror this growing preoccupation on the part of various actors involved in concrete actions and activities.
Lisbon Process.
The Lisbon Strategy or Lisbon process aims to make the European Union "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion by 2010". It was set up by the European council on March 2000 at the Lisbon Summit. (Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council, March 2000).
Bologna Process.
The Bologna Process started with the Sorbonne joint Declaration on Harmonisation of the Architecture of the European Higher Education System signed in May 1998 by the Ministers of Education of four countries (France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom), followed one year later by the Bologna Declaration on 19 June 1999 signed by 29 Ministers responsible for Higher Education ("Joint Declaration of European Ministers of Education, Bologna 1999"). Other countries members of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe have progressively signed this Declaration and joined the movement.
Copenhagen Process.
The Lisbon European Council in March 2000  recognised the important  role of education as an instrument for strengthening Europe's competitive power worldwide ("to become the world's most dynamic knowledge-based economy"). The development of high quality vocational education and training is a crucial and integral part of this strategy.

University LLL.
Attention to university lifelong learning (ULLL) in the Bologna process started in a rather weak fashion but has been growing in strength as the primary objectives of the Process have been achieved. The original Bologna Declaration in 1999 had as one of its objectives:  ‘ECTS compatible systems also covering lifelong learning'; and 2 years later in Prague, Ministers emphasised that ‘lifelong learning strategies are necessary to face the challenges of competitiveness and the use of new technologies and to improve social cohesion, equal opportunities and the quality of life.'
However, there was no reference to ULLL in the action points and it remained somewhat secondary to the main concerns of implementing the BMD structure, quality issues and the EHE research area. The Trends Report for the Berlin meeting in 2003 (Reichert and Tauch 2003), not surprisingly, reported very patchy development of LLL strategies at institutional level with significant differences between countries, identifying that the ‘most salient problem is clearly the lack of integration of LLL provision in the general strategies, core processes and decision making of the institution'.
In the Communiqué following the Berlin meeting, Ministers called for the qualifications frameworks that were being developed to encompass a wide range of flexible learning paths, opportunities and techniques and to make appropriate use of ECTS credits.  They also stressed the need to improve opportunities for all citizens to follow LLL paths into and within higher education.  However, the Trends report prepared for the following meeting in Bergen in 2005 (Reichert and Tauch 2005)  had no specific focus on LLL and the short section on ‘the recognition of non-formal/non-academic qualifications' claimed that ‘the topic is part of the wider theme of lifelong learning that has been much neglected so far in the Bologna discussion'.
The subsequent Communiqué from the Bergen meeting seemed to be attempting to redress this imbalance and to be promoting greater attention to LLL: ‘We see the development of national and European frameworks for qualifications as an opportunity to further embed lifelong learning in higher education.  We will work with higher education institutions and others to improve recognition of prior learning, including where possible non-formal and informal learning for access to and as elements in, higher education programmes'.  It stated that over the next 2 years to 2007, Ministers would look for progress in ‘creating opportunities for flexible learning paths in higher education, including procedures for the recognition of prior learning.'  However, the Trends V Report (Crosier et al 2007)   stated that ‘while the rhetoric on lifelong learning has been a constant feature of the policy discussion throughout the Bologna period, action has still to follow' (p64).
EUA has elaborated in 2008 the Charter on Lifelong Learning on the basis of extensive consultation with a wide range of European higher education stakeholder organisations (i.e. Business Europe, EAEA, EADTU, EAN, EI, ESU, ETUC, EUCEN, EURASHE and FEDORA). EUCEN's contribution with the results of the BeFlex project has been crucial for the preparation of this document. The Charter lists 10 commitments for universities and 10 commitments for Governments with the aim to assist Europe's universities in developing their specific roles as LLL institutions forming a central pillar of the Europe of Knowledge.
This Charter was presented by Georg Winckler, president of EUA, to the Ministers responsible for education and training in Europe, at their informal seminar in Bordeaux on the 26th of November 2008. Now the time of implementation has come. A new challenge for universities in Europe.

Adult Education
In October 2006, the European Commission issued its Communication "It's never too late to learn", calling on the Member States to promote adult learning in Europe, which it identified as a crucial element of the European lifelong learning strategy. EUCEN's formal response to this communication. The participation of adults in lifelong learning provision remains weak in most European countries with education and training systems largely focused on young people. To address this, the Commission urged Member States to develop an effective adult learning system and proposed in September 2007 an Action Plan on Adult Learning considering five key challenges to be achieved by 2010.

Themes

Validation of non-formal and informal learning
The notion of giving credit in higher education for learning that takes place outside the university was first raised by the European Commission in the Memorandum on Higher Education in the European Community (1991), issued by the then Task Force on Human Resouces, Education, Training, Youth:
‘The mainstreaming of continuing education raises a number of essential academic issues which must be resolved. Foremost among these is the question of access and the basis on which continuing education students and mature students generally are admitted to higher education courses. The positive policies which are to be observed in some institutions and which give credit for maturity and for knowledge and experience gained in the labour market would need to be adopted on a wider scale, as would the provision of preparatory courses which supply the basic preparation relevant to embarking on a particular course of higher education.' (p24)
It next appeared in 1995 in a White paper which stated that the identification and validation were an important part of realising lifelong learning, in particular making visible is learned outside formal education and training, recognising a diversity of learning situations and settings and looking for credibility and authenticity of such learning.
This orientation was confirmed in 2000 in documents launching the lifelong learning perspective. The Memorandum on Lifelong Learning published by the Commission on 30 October 2000 ("Commission Staff Working Document: A Memorandum on Lifelong Learning") states: "lifelong learning sees all learning as a seamless continuum from cradle to grave". First Experiments. Common principles. European guidelines. Inventories. Initiatives and practice.

EQF
The first mention of a European framework of qualifications for higher education appeared in the Berlin Communiqué  in September 2003. "Ministers encourage the Member States to elaborate a framework of comparable and compatible qualifications for their higher education systems, which should seek to describe qualifications in terms of workload, level, learning outcomes, competences and profile. They also undertake an overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)". Process of adoption, What is EQF, Resolution of the European Parliament, EQF and ULLL, Problems emerging.

Learning outcomes
The notion of "learning outcomes", has been in use for several years in UK, but has appeared more recently in the European landscape, first in the vocational education and training sector and is now moving progressively into all sectors, in particular into higher education. In the early stages of the European educational strategy, greater significance in the European rhetoric with the launch of debates on Europass, on the European Qualification Framework, on the Common Principles for validation of non formal and informal learning or, more recently, on ECVET.
In higher education, the reflection on learning outcomes was introduced quite early in this process. In 2003, the Berlin Communiqué from the Ministers responsible for higher education stated that: ‘Ministers encourage the Member States to elaborate a framework of comparable and compatible qualifications for their higher education systems, which should seek to describe qualifications in terms of workload, level, learning outcomes, competences and profile". In 2004, the "ECTS user's guide" gave a definition of learning outcomes: "credits in ECTS can only be obtained after successful completion of the work required and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomes achieved. Learning outcomes are sets of competences, expressing what the student will know, understand or be able to do after completion of a process of learning, long or short". Learning outcomes were also at the core of the work of the  Tuning project which defined learning outcomes as "statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate after a completion of a process of learning". By 2005, the emphasis on learning outcomes was much  clearer in the Bologna Process: in the Bergen Communiqué when Ministers adopted the overarching framework of three cycles for higher education qualifications (B-M-D), they stated that descriptors for each cycle would be based on learning outcomes and competences.

ECTS
ECTS started in 1989 within the framework of an Erasmus pilot plan involving 145 higher education institutions. It was set up in the beginning as a credit transfer project. The objective was to recognise periods of study abroad, and thus to increase student mobility in Europe. The first pilot plan has been progressively extended. In 1997-1998, 772 new institutions applied for the introduction of ECTS, 290 one year later. What is the Credit System, Key documents of ECTS, Process of implementation, Evolution and debates, ECTS, ECVET and ULLL.

ECVET
The proposition by the Commission of European credit system for vocational education and training is directly linked to the development of ECTS, to its impact on mobility and on transformation of educational approaches in higher education institutions. On the basis of the conclusions of the report on the "ECTS extension feasibility project", the Commission indicated what could be the next step for credit-based systems. "A new European credit system would increase the transparency of national systems, encourage flexibility in the development of personalised study courses and of joint curricula and facilitate agreements for the mobility of learners, not only between educational sectors in the same country, but also between those of different countries. Credit systems are powerful enabling devices, which aid mobility between various forms of education and training. The application of ECTS to different systems and types of education will facilitate the recognition of learning gained both nationally and internationally" (Erasmus, ECTS extension feasibility project). And finally the Joint interim report from the Education Council and the Commission on "Education & Training 2010" implementation, stressed the new impetus given by the Copenhagen declaration to European cooperation on vocational education and training and underlined the foundations laid by Ministers responsible for VET of a European credit transfer system for VET. What is ECVET? Progress in implementation of ECVET, Debates.

EUROPASS
In December 2003, after a consultation of national authorities and social partners, the European Commission introduced a proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council for a single framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences  which rationalises several existing tools for the transparency of diplomas, certificates and competences.
And finally in 2002, the European Forum on the transparency of vocational qualifications was replaced by a technical working group, whose mandate, following what was stated by the Copenhagen Declaration was to develop "increasing transparency in vocational education and training through the implementation and rationalisation of information tools and networks, including the integration of existing instruments such as the European CV, Certificate and Diploma Supplements, the Common European Framework of reference for languages and the Europass into one single framework." Read more about EUROPASS from CEDEFOP. Process of adoption. What is EUROPASS? EUROPASS for ULLL.

EUCEN
EUCEN was founded in May 1991, during a meeting held in Bristol (UK) with the title: ‘Towards a European Universities Continuing Education Network’. The Statutes were registered in Belgium and the Association was legally constituted in 1993.
The most important activities carried out by EUCEN since 1991 are:
    Organising Conferences (two events per year)
    Developing Policy
    Developing Practices
    Leading and managing European Projects
    Sharing of Results
    Networking
    Lobbying
EUCEN has 198 members in 37 different countries. Its contact with National Networks on ULLL/UCE and other stakeholders gives EUCEN the strength and knowledge that makes it unique of its kind. EUCEN developed this website with the support of the European Comission (DG EAC) during 2008-2009 and has kept it available since then. For more information about EUCEN, please follow this link. Useful Information: European Presidency, Bologna Follow Up group. EU Projects. Contact us.
See also EUCEN's 44th Conference - Border-Crossing as a Viable Choice: Collaboration, Dialogue & Access to HE - Valletta,
EUCEN 43rd Universities’ Engagement in and with Society - The ULLL contribution - Graz
EUCEN 42nd Conference Bridging the gaps between learning pathways: the role of universities - Genoa
EUCEN 41st Conference Education as a right - LLL for all - Granada
EUCEN 40th Conference From Rhetoric to Reality - Lille
39th EUCEN Conference Lifelong Learning for the New Decade - Rovaniemi
38th EUCEN Conference Quality and Innovation in Lifelong Learning - meeting the individual demands - Jönköping University
37th EUCEN European Conference Recommendations for universities,
36th EUCEN Conference University Lifelong Learning: Synergy between partners - Tallinn
Founding Meeting: UCE Collaboration & Development- England 4-5 May 1991 - Bristol
Promoting Active Citizenship in Europe- Scotland 5-8 June 2008 - Edinburgh
The University as an International and Regional Actor- Germany 29 November- 1 December 2007 - Hannover
ULLL & the Bologna Process: From Bologna to London...- Slovenia 15-17 March 2007 - Ljubljana
32nd EUCEN Symposium/4º Project Forum. France 16-18 November 2006 - Paris
Universities as a driver for regional development - Poland 18-20 May 2006 - Gdynia
30th EUCEN Symposium - 3rd EUCEN Project Forum- Italy 17-19 November 2005 - Rome
From Bologna to Bergen and Beyond- Norway 28-30 April 2005 - Bergen
28th EUCEN Symposium - 2nd EUCEN Project Forum- Lithuania 4-6 November 2004 - Kaunas
Developing Learning Regions "Thoughts to Actions"- Ireland 9-12 June 2004 - Limerick

The 43rd EUCEN European Conference takes up two major aspects of University Lifelong Learning (ULLL): its diversity (the "lifewide" dimension) and its potential for providing learning opportunities throughout one’s life (the "lifelong" dimension).
ULLL in all its diversity...
Universities all over Europe are at present intensively developing institutional strategies for Lifelong Learning, thus progressing to a Lifelong Learning University. All the individual strategic development processes and the results of European strategic projects supporting universities show clearly that there is no single definition or approach to University Lifelong Learning and that the concept covers a wide range of activities. Best and good practices also demonstrate that this diversity is positive because it allows institutions to find their own answer, at institutional and regional level embedded in an international university environment, to positioning themselves when it comes to ULLL. EUCEN developed a wide definition for ULLL which is more an encouragement for an institution’s development than a definition in the traditional sense:
"ULLL is the provision by higher education institutions of learning opportunities, services and research for: the personal and professional development of a wide range of individuals – lifelong and lifewide; and the social, cultural and economic development of communities and the region. It is at university level and research-based; it focuses primarily on the needs of the learners; and it is often developed and/or provided in collaboration with stakeholders and external actors." (EUCEN BeFlex Project)
With this 43rd EUCEN European Conference we would like to offer an open and stimulating forum for practitioners, policy makers and researchers. We will explore this wide spectrum of contributions University Lifelong Learning is making to societal development. We will look at the contribution ULLL is making to stimulate and accompany innovative processes in regional business and industry, in NGOs, and in the public sector. We will also look at the contribution ULLL is making to Civil Society in a more general sense, providing learning opportunities for individuals and groups for active citizenship and community development, aiming at a democratic development in our societies. Developing ULLL successfully means that more and more "new faces" are knocking at the doors of Higher Education – learners who were usually not considering Higher Education but pursuing other educational and professional paths. As institutions we need to look at how welcoming we really are – marketing is not enough. What do we do with these "new learners"? How can we support them efficiently and effectively?
Universities as "learning spaces" throughout one’s life...
2012 is the European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity promoted by the European Commission and other stakeholders; it is intended to raise awareness, identify and disseminate good practice and to encourage policymakers and stakeholders at all levels to promote active ageing. Within the framework of this conference, we would like to look more closely into this topic by exploring the role of ULLL in individual wellbeing, civic engagement and second careers in later life. Here Higher Education Institutions need to act in a responsible way to include all groups of society and encourage older people to take an active part in society in all areas. However, it is our sincere opinion that the future challenge is "mainstreaming ageing" – learning in later life is not only referring to learning after retirement, but also to people still in employment who want to actively shape their career at a later stage. As ULLL institutions we need to develop new learning opportunities for this group. This is not only to support those wishing to pursue individual career paths, but it is a necessity in view of the decreasing labour force within the next decades in almost all our European countries.
Within the broad theme of "Universities’ Engagement in and with Society. The ULLL contribution", the conference will address the following topics:
TOPIC 1: Innovation in regional business and industry, NGOs and the public sector – the role of ULLL (PDF Document)
TOPIC 2: Community-based education and learning as part of ULLL (PDF Document)
TOPIC 3: An ageing Europe and the role of ULLL (PDF Document)
TOPIC 4: Supporting the individual learner in ULLL (PDF Document)
The objectives of the conference are to:
- provide participants from practice, policy development and research with the opportunity to explore the whole range of diversity in University Lifelong Learning;
- share research results and best practice;
- prepare and discuss recommendations on policy, research and practice for universities and other Higher Education Institutions in Europe, ULLL stakeholders including the European Commission as well as other organisations at national, European and international level.
See also EUCEN 42nd Conference Bridging the gaps between learning pathways: the role of universities,
EUCEN 41st Conference Education as a right - LLL for all,
EUCEN 40th Conference From Rhetoric to Reality,
39th EUCEN Conference Lifelong Learning for the New Decade,
38th EUCEN Conference Quality and Innovation in Lifelong Learning - meeting the individual demands,
37th EUCEN European Conference Recommendations for universities,
36th EUCEN Conference University Lifelong Learning: Synergy between partners,
Founding Meeting: UCE Collaboration & Development- England 4-5 May 1991 - Bristol
Promoting Active Citizenship in Europe- Scotland 5-8 June 2008 - Edinburgh
The University as an International and Regional Actor- Germany 29 November- 1 December 2007 - Hannover
ULLL & the Bologna Process: From Bologna to London...- Slovenia 15-17 March 2007 - Ljubljana
32nd EUCEN Symposium/4º Project Forum. France 16-18 November 2006 - Paris
Universities as a driver for regional development - Poland 18-20 May 2006 - Gdynia
30th EUCEN Symposium - 3rd EUCEN Project Forum- Italy 17-19 November 2005 - Rome
From Bologna to Bergen and Beyond- Norway 28-30 April 2005 - Bergen
28th EUCEN Symposium - 2nd EUCEN Project Forum- Lithuania 4-6 November 2004 - Kaunas
Developing Learning Regions "Thoughts to Actions"- Ireland 9-12 June 2004 - Limerick

Cette conférence inédite réunira une centaine de participants pour une réflexion collective sur l'implication des collectivités territoriales dans les projets éducatifs européens: comment bénéficient-elles de ces initiatives? Quelles synergies observe-t-on? En quoi leur participation est-elle essentielle au succès des projets mis en œuvre?
La réflexion s'articulera autour de l`exemple concret de l'action Comenius REGIO, qui associe collectivités et acteurs de l'éducation formelle et informelle dans des partenariats européens mettant en avant une grande diversité de thématiques: participation des entreprises, décrochage scolaire, etc.
Les différents enjeux à l`œuvre seront abordés dans le cadre d'une table-ronde stratégique et de plusieurs ateliers présentant les bonnes pratiques actuelles.
La conférence se déroulera sous la présidence de monsieur Jean LEONETTI, Maire de la ville d'Antibes, qui accueille la manifestation.
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