What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country)?
European Universities’ Charter on Lifelong Learning called on universities to make ten clear commitments to lifelong learning and recommended concerted action from governments in providing the appropriate legal and financial frameworks to promote lifelong learning widely. The commitments include:
- promoting social equity and an inclusive learning society;
- including lifelong learning objectives in national quality assurance systems;
- recognizing prior learning;
- removing legal obstacles that prevent potential learners from responding to LLL opportunities, ensuring the necessary university autonomy and incentives for universities;
- acting as role models in relation to their own employees.
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
The European University Association (EUA) drafted the charter following the seminar on Lifelong Learning at the Sorbonne in December 2007. The Charter has been elaborated on the basis of extensive consultation, not only with EUA member universities and Rectors’ Conferences, but also with a wide range of European higher education stakeholder organizations.
The Charter was developed to respond to social and economic challenges generated by the increasing speed of globalization, the demographic transformation of Europe into ageing societies and the rapid pace of technological change.
The purpose of the Charter is to assist Europe’s universities in developing their specific role as lifelong learning institutions forming a central pillar of the Europe of Knowledge. The universities, governments and regional partners are bound to commit to the development and implementation of lifelong learning strategies.
The overall goal of the Charter is to find ways to open up a wider range of educational services to new and returning learners and to ensure continued opportunities for lifelong learning. Expanding the range of learners becomes the key strategic issue. The key activities for universities to develop are the establishment of systems for fair assessment and validation of all forms of prior learning, and the provision of relevant, creative and innovative educational programmes. Another goal is to establish crucial links between employers and employee organizations, as well as with parents and students, by strengthening partnerships on the local level.
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The Charter is based on the collaboration between governments, universities, and regional partners that need to respond to the growing demands of the modern world with sustainable research-based higher education for lifelong learning.
Universities commit to:
- embedding concepts of widening access and lifelong learning in their institutional strategies;
- providing education and learning to diversified student populations;
- adapting study programmes to ensure that they are designed to widen participation and attract returning adult learners;
- providing appropriate guidance and counselling services;
- recognizing prior learning;
- embracing lifelong learning in quality culture;
- strengthening the relationships between research, teaching and innovation in a perspective of lifelong learning;
- consolidating reforms to promote a flexible and creative learning environment for all students;
- developing partnerships at local, regional, national and international levels to provide attractive and relevant programmes;
- acting as role models of lifelong learning institutions.
Governments commit to:
- recognizing the university contribution to lifelong learning as a major benefit to individuals and society;
- promoting social equity and an inclusive learning society;
- including lifelong learning objectives in the missions and work of national QA agencies and systems;
- supporting the development of appropriate guidance and counselling services;
- recognizing prior learning;
- removing specific legal obstacles that prevent many potential learners from returning to higher education;
- ensuring autonomy and developing incentives for lifelong learning universities;
- encouraging partnerships at regional level with local authorities, employers and agencies;
- informing and encouraging citizens to take advantage of lifelong learning opportunities offered by universities;
- acting as role models of lifelong learning institutions.
Europe’s universities rely on governments and regional partners in providing funding and fostering appropriate legal actions to realize these commitments.
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
The Charter adopts the term lifelong learning as an umbrella term for many concepts, among them initial education for disadvantaged groups, continuing education and training for well-qualified graduates and post-retirement opportunities for cultural enrichment. The term is subject to considerable local, regional, and national interpretations.
References:
European University Association. 2008. European Universities' Charter on Lifelong Learning. [online] Available at: https://eua.eu/resources/publications/646:european-universities%E2%80%99-charter-on-lifelong-learning.html [Accessed 4 September 2020].