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This edition is focused on Knowledge, Engagement & Higher Education. The Conference will provide visibility and will critically examine one of the most significant trends: the growth of the theory and practice of engagement as a key feature in the evolution of higher education.
In the Conference, GUNi aims to approach the challenge of engagements by higher education institutions in the larger society in an integrated manner: it will explore ways in which engagement enhances teaching, learning and research;  it will explore ways in which engagement enhances teaching, learning and research; it will approach engagement in ways that accept the multiple sites and epistemologies of knowledge, as well as the reciprocity and mutuality in learning and education through engagement.
In exploring this contemporary issue, the Conference will attempt to describe how university-community engagement is evolving nowadays and will propose to go beyond by offering new visions and ways for the future. GUNi invites the international academic community to jointly analyze how to build transformative knowledge to drive social change.
You are cordially invited to attend Conference or nominate the member(s) of your institution. In this space you can find information regarding the conference, as well as details of its programme and contents.
Presentation
The 6th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education and the 5th GUNi Report are focused on Knowledge, Engagement & Higher Education. They will analyze how to build transformative knowledge to drive social change. In exploring this contemporary issue, the Report and the Conference will attempt to describe how it is evolving nowadays, and will propose to go beyond the narrow and compartmentalized approach to engagements of higher education by offering new visions and ways for the future.
In the Conference, GUNi aims to approach the challenge of engagements by higher education institutions in the larger society in an integrated manner:  it will explore ways in which engagement enhances teaching, learning and research; it will approach engagement in ways that accept the multiple sites and epistemologies of knowledge, as well as the reciprocity and mutuality in learning and education through engagement.
The Conference will look at our changing understanding about who the agents of knowledge creation are, and how the creation, distribution and use of knowledge are linked to our aspirations for a better world.  It will offer us elements of a vision for a renewed and socially responsible relationship between higher education (HE), knowledge, and society. It will also take into account the current conceptualization of the role of higher education in the process of knowledge production.
In this sense, one aim of the Conference is to call upon policy-makers, leaders and practitioners of HEIs around the world to ‘rethink’ social responsibilities of higher education and to become a part of a hub of societal innovation. We aim to move towards a more just, equitable and sustainable planet over the next decades. Thus, the Conference hopes to present experiences and ideas that suggest directions for transformation of higher education (and its diverse institutions) to exercise its social responsibility to citizens and societies locally and globally.
The other aim of the Conference is to provide visibility and to critically examine one of the most significant trends in higher education over the past 10-15 years: the growth of the theory and practice of engagement as a key feature in the evolution of higher education.
Facilitating socially engaged universities is paramount to the necessary creation of knowledge. The practices and structures of engagement are rich and continually evolving. Some scholars speak of a Community-University Engagement movement (Talloires; Holland, 2005), of service learning (Campus Compact; McIlraath and Mac labhrainn, 2007), of community-based research (Strand et al, 2003a/b), of engaged scholarship (Boyer, 1996; Fitzgerald et al, 2012), of community-university research partnerships (Hart et al, 2007; Hall, 2011), and of knowledge mobilization and its variants, such as knowledge translation, impact or utilization (Levesque, 2010, blog).
GUNi invites the international academic community to actively participate in the Conference in an open space to share and learn together, with the conviction that it is by taking action that we can improve real changes in education and enlarge the transformative awareness of our societies.
References
Boyer, E. L. (1996) The Scholarship of engagement, Bulletin of the American Arts and Sciences, 49(7), pp 18-33
Campus Compact web site http://www.compact.org/
Fitzgerald, Hiram, Karen Bruns, Steven T. Sonka, Andrew Furco,  Louis Swanson (2012) “The Centrality of Engagement in Higher Education” in Journal of Higher EducationOutreach and Engagement, 2012, 16(3).
Hall, B. et al (2011) “Towards a Knowledge Democracy Movement: Contemporary Trends in Community University Research Partnerships” in Special Issue of Rizoma Freireano on “Global Developments in Community University Research Partnerships. Vol 9.
Hart, A., Maddisson, E. and Wolff, D. (2007) Community-university partnerships in practice. Leicester, UK: National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education
Holland, B. (2005) Scholarship and Mission in the 21st Century University: The Role of Engagement Keynote Address to the Australian Universities Quality Agency
Forum, 5 July, Sydney Australia.
Levesque (2010) knowledge Mobilization (Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/zbPyME)
McIlrath, L. & Mac Labhrainn, I. (Eds.) (2007) Higher Education and Civic Engagement: International Perspectives. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.
Talloires Network web site - http://www.tufts.edu/talloiresnetwork/

EAEA General Assembly 2013, EAEA Grundtvig Award Ceremony and Conference
6-7 June 2013, Leicester, United Kingdom.

25 February-2 March 2013, Ireland
The National Adult Learning Organisation (AONTAS) believes that all adults in Ireland should have equal access to learning opportunities. Adult learning has a hugely important role to play in the economic and social future of Ireland. Adult learners and adult learning centres do vital work on a daily basis. The nationwide Adult Learners' Festival is about

• Celebrating adult learning and the achievements of adult learners
• Showcasing the work of adult education providers
• Promoting the work of AONTAS and the adult education sector
• Ensuring that adult education is placed firmly on the political agenda

If your organisation would like to become involved in the 2013 Festival, please contact AONTAS by e-mail: klaing@aontas.com. More information on the festival here.
The STAR Awards are about recognising and celebrating the invaluable collaborative work undertaken by adult learning initiatives in our communities. In the current climate it's even more important that we continue to showcase the value of the sector in responding to the needs of individuals, communities, society and the economy. The STAR Awards application process will open in early September 2012 so get your thinking hats on for great and innovative adult learning projects that you could nominate for 2013. More information here.

By Aura Vuorenrinne. EAEA´s logo will change in 2013. The new logo, designed by the EAEA Communications Officer Aura Vuorenrinne, will be taken into use gradually.
The reason for change is above all practical. The previous EAEA logo is technically difficult in use because of the complexity of the graphics. Additionally, on its own the logomark does not indicate which organisation the symbol refers to. EAEA has gone through a fundamental change during 2012: a great portion of the staff has changed. The new visual identity also represents a fresh chapter in EAEA´s history.
New logo: simple and effective
In the new logo, the acronym "EAEA" has the main role, which makes it easy to use in different settings and in different colours (colourful, black and white, grayscale). The colours are familiar from EAEA´s previous logo and therefore form a bond between the old and new. The form of the new logomark represents community (connection between all the parts of the logomark), vitality (playfulness of the layout) and progressivity (the letters are on the move). The timeless design symbolises the depth and long history of European education.
Communication further enhanced in 2013
The new logo was designed during this autumn and it was approved by the EAEA Executive Board in the December meeting. The transition from the old visual identity to the new will be carried out gradually as the old materials run out. The logo and guidelines for its proper use will be available on EAEA´s website from January 2013. Also other EAEA´s communication tools will be renewed during next year. The newsletter and website will be restructured to answer the present needs better. We will keep you posted!

Curriculum reform in Europe - The impact of learning outcomes
The past decade has seen intense curriculum reform in vocational education in Europe. This has been the result of national policies that seek to make vocational training more attractive, efforts to make economies more competitive by developing skills, and the introduciton of European policies and tools for transparency. Learning outcomes now provide the foundation for curriculum design in all European countries, but these are not understood in the same manner in all countries.
This Cedefop comparative study looks at how curriculum reform based on learning outcomes has affected two sectors: tourism and electronics. The study covers 32 countries participating in Education and Training 2020. Download Curriculum reform in Europe.

Trends in VET policy in Europe 2010-12 - Progress towards the Bruges communiqué
European countries have set themselves 22 specific goals by 2014 to support their long-term vision for vocational education and training (VET). This report is a first step in understanding progress by mid-2012 towards these goals, endorsed in 2010 in the Bruges communiqué to help achieve the Europe 2020 agenda. Attention has clearly focused on helping young people remain in, and return to, education and training through work-based learning routes. Building on their joint work in the last decade, countries have advanced in setting up qualifications frameworks and devising approaches to assure quality in VET, but much work is still in the planning stage. More attention to the professional development of VET staff, better monitoring of VET labour market outcomes, and considering incentives where appropriate, could help progress in the coming years. Download Trends in VET policy in Europe 2010-12.

Training leave - Policies and practice in Europe
The need for lifelong learning is leading to rising demand for training opportunities. This will involve a transformation of the learning environment within companies,  but also the provision of training outside the job itself. 
For adult employees, some of the most important barriers to training are lack of time, and conflicting training and work schedules. Paid training leave can therefore encourage more adults to add to and upgrade their skills. In times of economic crisis, paid leave can also be combined with part-time work to alleviate the effects of decreased demand.
With this study, Cedefop maps the application of training leave in Europe, reviews how it operates, analyses its performance in several countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain),  and sets out recommendations as to how to improve its effectiveness. Download Training leave, Training leave (ebook).

Vocational education and training (VET), a major part of lifelong learning, is critical to Europe’s effort to reposition itself in the global economy and respond to its major economic and social challenges.
To do this, policy and the policy making process need to be informed and supported by robust and internationally comparable statistics and indicators on, among other things, vocational education and training, adult education and its labour market and business context.
Cedefop’s work on statistics and indicators supports and contributes to statistical developments at European and international levels to improve the relevance and quality of data as well as methods and tools for data collection. Cedefop cooperates with key stakeholders to develop and improve international statistics, for example with Eurostat and the OECD.
Cedefop’s statistics and indicators work also aims to support evidence based policy and practice in vocational education and training, lifelong learning and skills. Products and services include dedicated publications and regular updates of key online statistics. Users can also access further statistics, indicators or related information. Cedefop’s focus on vocational education and training statistics draws on European data collections and surveys to provide key summary indicators, from country trends in initial and continuing vocational training to resources and financing of VET.
Contact Cedefop's Statistics team:
If you have questions concerning the statistics project in Cedefop or suggestions for indicators and further information, please contact us at . [Latest trends] [Data by theme] [Key documents] [Links] [Bibliography] [Cedefop publications].

In 2011, around 55% of early leavers from education and training were jobless (up by nine percentage points compared to 2008).
Labour market prospects for young adults that leave education and training early are generally bad. This is one reason why it is so important to encourage young people to continue their education and training beyond lower secondary level, a key objective of the EU 2020 strategy, as well as of vocational education and training policy. This becomes even more urgent in the current economic downturn, where job prospects are deteriorating.
Key points

• In 2011, 13.5% of 18-24 year-olds in the EU were early leavers from education and training. Around 55% of these young adults did not have a job.
• For young people leaving education and training early, 2011 labour market prospects were particularly bad in Bulgaria, Ireland, Hungary and Slovakia, where, 70% or more of them were not employed.
• This is a challenge across Europe. In 18 EU countries, 50% or more of young early leavers from education and training were not employed. In the remaining EU countries for which 2011 data are available, such shares were still high, ranging from 40% and 50% in three countries to between 25% and 40% in three other countries.
• Spain, Italy and Romania combined very high levels of early leaving (respectively 26%, 18% and 17% of young adults) with relatively high shares of early leavers not in employment (between 59% and 51%).
• In the period 2008-11, the share of early leavers among young adults declined by 1.4 percentage points in the EU. Over the same period, the share of early leavers that were not employed increased by 9.2 percentage points.

In February 1999 the European Commission (DG EAC) established a steering group to undertake a study on the possible development of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) into a European Credit System allowing for accumulation and transfer within the LLL perspective.
The project was conceived as a feasibility study designed to be completed in a relatively short period. The members of the Steering Group gained feedback from their respective countries, regions or organisations and in total, over 200 individuals and organisations were consulted.
The FULL REPORT contains four sections: Introduction to the Report; Methodology; Main Findings; and Conclusions and Recommendations. There is also a full set of Appendices (pdf format) that contains: information on the membership of the steering group (Annex1); the project terms of reference (Annex2); the feasibility study information package and questionnaire (Annex3); and the  set of steering group reports (Annex4). A series of questions and answers on the ECTS extension was subsequently prepared by the full group of ECTS counsellors.
Main Findings
In the last ten years many European member States have introduced their own different national credit-based education innovations. Most have also reformed their education and training systems to adjust them to the realities of the global dimension of the education sector. These developments are clearly linked to the creation of a common European higher education area envisaged by the Sorbonne and Bologna declarations. The Bologna Declaration specifically mentions the establishment of ‘a system of credits – such as in the ECTS system’. It suggests ‘Credits could also be acquired in non-higher education contexts, including lifelong learning, providing they are recognised by receiving Universities concerned.’ The work of the Steering Group confirms that this aspiration is feasible. The application of a credits-based approach to lifelong learning will aid the harmonisation of the architecture of education systems in Europe.
Overall, a broadly favourable consensus of opinion emerged from the research. All of the national reports are positive about proceeding with the initiative, whilst at the same time, raising significant issues that have to be overcome in this highly complex area.
Several countries are developing systems to promote lifelong learning but they are all in the early stages. All countries, whatever their stage of development, suffer from similar problems associated with the need to improve the skills and knowledge of their citizens in the context of a highly competitive global economy. The creation of an effective pan-European credit-based framework for lifelong learning would benefit all European citizens. Furthermore, where systems do not currently exist, an ECTS-based framework would act as a template and spur for development.
Some European countries already have sophisticated national credit systems covering different types of education, whilst for others, ECTS is their only experience of credits. National credit systems have clearly been created to achieve quite different local, regional, national and international objectives. ECTS is compatible with all existing credit systems. ECTS is currently designed to act as a framework to facilitate credit transfer. Systems for credit transfer can be distinguished from those for credit accumulation. In the latter the students’ entire educational programme is expressed in terms of credits. ECTS can easily be applied as an accumulation system but this will require appropriate support and guidance.
It should be noted that various negative opinions were raised. However, these emphasise the structural difficulties and long-term practical problems that need to be overcome. One serious negative concern is based on a misconception. This is the opinion that the introduction of credit accumulation creates an ‘à la carte’ framework in which the student has complete freedom to mix credits/units (different types and levels of education) at will, and then demand a recognised qualification. It must be emphasised that this is not possible, nor envisaged. It is for each relevant national structure to determine how educational programmes are validated and constructed, for universities to take the ultimate decision.
The current state of the ECTS is relatively healthy and buoyant. It is accepted and used by over 1000 higher education institutions. The tools it uses are tried and tested and have been shown to be effective. The principles on which it is based are sound. However, it does require further embedding within institutions. For the current purposes of credit transfer ECTS works well. In this context no changes to its procedures and processes are necessary. The principles that underpin ECTS (as a credit transfer system) will also serve to underpin a broader European credit (accumulation) system. However, a number of adaptations and developments to the existing ECTS tools and procedures would be necessary for its application to lifelong learning.
Conclusions and Recommendations
It is timely to go ahead with the development of credit-based pilot projects to facilitate lifelong learning. The majority of those consulted enthusiastically agreed with the development of ECTS to achieve this end. Those who had reservations were concerned with legitimate issues associated with quality, institutional autonomy, and the risk of mismatching units and programmes (‘à la carte’ credit 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.
The development and introduction of an ECTS credit-based lifelong learning framework will be a complex process, best achieved at the strategic policy level through processes enabling a wide dialogue between European higher education institutions, initial education providers, professional bodies and employers. At the tactical level there is a strong argument for short, well-focussed follow-up projects, involving these bodies.
It is difficult to envisage a European system that did not require some convergence at national/institutional level. Like ECTS, a more comprehensive European credit-based system for lifelong learning should be developed on a voluntary basis, first in pilot projects and then with the participation of all interested countries and institutions. The experience with ECTS has shown that countries and institutions may at first resist change but then will slowly adjust to a system that facilitates mutual benefit, understanding and mobility. The Bologna Declaration is an indication of the political support offered by European governments to such a process.