/// EUCIS-LLL NEWS ///
Do not miss the next Europe 2020 working group & the Coalition meeting on 6 February
The second session of EUCIS-LLL’s Europe 2020 working group will take place on 6 February at EUCIS-LLL premises for our members. The meeting, chaired by our board member David Lopez, will be mainly dedicated to the new Commission Communication on “Rethinking Education” but many other topics will be discussed such as the European Year of Citizens 2013 and EUCIS-LLL upcoming annucal conference. The Stakeholders’ Coalition meeting on the future EU programme for education, training, youth & sports will take place in the afternoon. Find soon all information in our members’ area.
14 May 2013 – EUCIS-LLL Annual Conference 2013: save the date!
“Lifelong learning and active citizenship: the missing links” will be the theme of EUCIS-LLL’s next Annual Conference that will take place on 14 May in Vilnius, Lithuania and be followed by our General Assembly on 15 May. Save the date and find soon more details on our website. EUCIS-LLL is also member of the European Year of Citizens 2013 Alliance and is currently preparing the second edition of its Lifelong Learning Magazine dedicated to citizenship, soon available here.
EUCIS-LLL offices have moved…
EUCIS-LLL offices are now located in 39, rue des Deux Eglises 1000 Brussels. Do not hesitate to pay us a visit!
/// NEWS FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ///
EURASHE’s 23rd Annual Conference on Knowledge Triangle
The European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) will hold its 23rd Annual Conference on 9-10 May 2013 in Split, Croatia to mark the imminent entrance of the country in the European Union. The conference will be named “Higher Education – Making the Knowledge Triangle work” and several topics will be discussed including innovation in the knowledge triangle; registrations will be open very soon this month.
EAEA Grundtvig Award 2013 for adult learning on active citizenship
The call for applications is now open for the EAEA Grundtvig Award 2013 for Adult Learning on the theme “Active citizenship and transnational solidarity – Adult Education as a tool against nationalism, chauvinism and xenophobia”. This yearly award is the occasion to celebrate innovation and excellence in adult education and, in the framework of the European Year of Citizens 2013, to discuss civic education and active citizenship. Submit your application before 7 April 2013.
EDEN Summer School for Teachers: improve your digital competence skills!
The European Distance and e-Learning Network Secretariat (EDEN) is organising a Teacher’s Summer School for enhancement of digital competence skills in Crete, Greece from 30 June to 5 July 2013. The objective is to gather and develop content, services, pedagogies and practices for lifelong learning in school and promote the role of ICT and digital media in the learning process.
MEET European Citizens Initiative: a high quality European education for all
The MEET European Citizens Initiative aims to gather associations active in the fields of education, research and training, in intercultural dialogue, social cohesion issues and the European dimension around a common proposal for the European Commission. The initiative seeks to provide equal access for all European citizens to high quality education in a multi-cultural environment.Sign up here to help collecting a million signatures.
/// INSTITUTIONAL NEWS ///
Ireland takes over EU Presidency: what priorities for education?
As Minister Quinn for Education and Skills underlined in a recent interview, the Irish Presidency will focus in education and training during its term as a key field of action for growth and jobs; and the Irish team will have a lot on its plate since it comes during the first part of the year to reach an agreement with the Commission and Parliament on Erasmus for all/YES Europe, the future funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. The recognition of professional qualifications, the European Social Fund, the teaching profession and the openness of higher education are also among the key priorities to be tackled by the Presidency.
Launch of the European Skills Passport!
The European Commission launched its latest tool to enable people to better present their skills and qualifications online: the European Skills Passport. Elaborated in the framework of the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs as one of the thirteen actions to tackle actual labour market challenges, this kind of portfolio provides evidence for the qualifications and skills mentioned in the traditional Europass CV.
New Communication outlines the crucial role of entrepreneurial education and training
The Commission released a new Communication entitled “Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan: Reigniting the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe” to highlight the need for entrepreneurs in Europe in order to contribute to the EU strategy for growth and jobs. The first recommended action pillar emphasizes the need to invest in entrepreneurial education and training to support growth and business creation; the Commission explains there its will to reinforce in this field cooperation with Member States and develop a pan-European entrepreneurial learning initiative gathering expertise on this topic.
European Social Fund 2014-2020: Member States committed to involve stakeholders
Busy times for the last days of the Cyprus EU Presidency: Member States endorsed mid-December in COREPER an interim agreement on the cohesion policy after harsh negotiations with the European Parliament. Member States can now start to prepare their Partnership Contracts and Operational Programmes for the new “European Structural and Investment Funds” including the European Social Fund. Importantly enough, they committed to involve stakeholders and notably civil society organisations in the design of those documents; this is an important step forward for EUCIS-LLL that had been advocating for the concretisation of this Partnership Principle (see the common letter initiated by WWF).
/// RESEARCH & INNOVATION ///
Civil society and the crisis: new EESC publication
The European Economic and Social Committee just released a “Study on the Impact of the Crisis on Civil Society Organizations in the EU –Risks and Opportunities”, elaborated through desk researches but also many interviews of civil society representatives across Europe. The crisis in the study is seen as an opportunity to initiate a new reflection on the meaning of democratic participation in policy-making and the role civil society has to play as a facilitator.
VET: curriculum reform & learning outcomes, trends in VET policy and quality assurance
The CEDEFOP issued at the end of the year a study on “Curriculum reform in Europe. The impact of learning outcomes” that examines the consequences of the learning outcomes approach on curriculum design and especially in the VET sector. “Trends in VET policy in Europe 2010-12”, their latest working paper, is also a useful document to have an overview of the state of play of actual European challenges in the VET sector. Moreover, EQAVET – the European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training, has just released its latest newsletter that notably reports progress on the 2010 Bruges Communiqué.
Final reports of the European Map of Intergenerational Learning Round Tables 2012
EMIL, the European Map of Intergenerational Learning, is a network of members sharing expertise and reflecting upon intergenerational learning in Europe, created in 2009. In the framework of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012, EMIL organised several roundtable events across the EU, which reports are now available as a very useful resource to consult on EMIL website.
/// EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ///
Call for proposals “Youth in Action” Programme 2007-2013
The call for proposals for the Youth in Action Programme is out, notably aimed at promoting young people’s active citizenship and employability. Non-profit organisations can submit their applications on the website of the executive agency. See deadlines according to sub-actions.
Call for proposals “Erasmus Mundus” 2013
The Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 Action Programme is focused on the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries. Submit your application for the 2013 call for proposals before 15 April 2013 on the executive agency’s website.
/// AGENDA ///
6 February 2013: EUCIS-LLL Working Group on Europe 2020
14-15 May 2013: EUCIS-LLL General Assembly and Annual Conference
More events on our website!
