European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning – EUCIS-LLL
Newsletter #65 – September 2013
/// EUCIS-LLL NEWS ///
Lifelong Learning Week 2013 to take place in December at the European Parliament
EUCIS-LLL organises its 3rd Lifelong Learning Week in the European Parliament, Brussels, from 2 to 6 December 2013. This year, the Week will have a particular focus on the upcoming European Elections of Spring 2014. At this occasion EUCIS-LLL will launch its Manifesto for the European elections and many events will take place in order to create a space of dialogue between civil society representatives, practitioners and policy-makers on the future of learning in Europe. Stay tuned.
EUCIS-LLL online consultation – 2013 European Education, Training and Youth Forum
The 2013 Education, Training and Youth Forum organised by the European Commission, which will take place on 17-18 October in Brussels, will promote the idea of “Working together for Reforms” emphasising the need for policy makers and key stakeholders to work in partnership, in order to foster the successful implementation of reforms at national and regional level, in particular through the opportunities offered by the new “Erasmus+” programme. To prepare an open and rich discussion at the Forum, all stakeholders are called upon to take part in the online consultation set up by EUCIS-LLL and make their voice heard. Read our infonote and take part in the survey before 4 October.
EUCIS-LLL policy debates on “Rethinking Education”: reports are out!
In Spring EUCIS-LLL organised two policy debates in the European Parliament echoing the 2012 release of the Commission’s Communication on “Rethinking Education”. The goal was to exchange views between various stakeholders and value some of our members’ good practices on key topics of the Communication. In May MEP Katarina Nevedalova (S&D) hosted the first event, named “Partnerships for LLL, an new idea?” and co-organised with the European Youth Forum (see the report). Participants notably discussed what sustainable coordination structures could mean to move towards concrete partnerships. In June MEP Heinz K. Becker (EPP) hosted the debate “Entrepreneurship skills: common understanding? Common expectations?”; one of the key messages was the need to agree and promote a broad understanding of the entrepreneurship competence. Read the full report.
/// NEWS FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ///
EUROCLIO International Training Course
How to use digital resources for cross-border history education? This is the European Association of History Educators’ next international training course theme that will take place in London on 12-17 April 2014. A common approach to history teaching methods and challenges will be drafted through workshops and trainings supported by the Historiana online portal but also through on-site learning in London. Register and contact your LLP National Agency to obtain a Grundtvig or Comenius grant before 17 September.
EUCEN’s “Dialogue” Final Conference
The “Dialogue” project, partnering the European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN), aims to bridge the gap between academic research on University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) and the professional practice around adult teaching, learning and guidance within lifelong learning provision. The project is creating a European space for dialogue between researches, practitioners and policy makers in the field. The project final conference will take place on 15 October in Brussels, Belgium, where key findings and recommendations will be presented and debated. Read more and register.
EU Year of Citizens 2013 Alliance: news from Zagreb & Citizen Participation Week
While the 2013 European Year of Citizens is slowly coming to an end, the EYCA(which EUCIS-LLL belongs to) has achieved consequent work all over the continent towards a citizen-based European project. One highlight was the European conference held in Zagreb (Croatia) in July 2013 on “Crossing perspectives” where civil society leaders, policy-makers and other key stakeholders gathered to reflect on the meaning of this European project and on the role of organised civil society. The report of the event is now available. The EYCA is also preparing its big campaign of the year, the “Citizens Participation Week” that will take place all over Europe.
Participate in a Grundtvig workshop on the potential of libraries to tackle illiteracy
Lithuanian NGO Creativitas will hold on 15-23 November a Grundtvig workshop in Lithuania on “Library goes literacy in Europe” to discuss literacy development of adults via libraries. The workshop assumes that one of the main players to work with adult literacy education might be library workers. Participants will learn creative and interactive methodologies to use in their daily work to help adults to develop their language, to read, write and use ICT in their everyday life. See also the Facebook page and online registration tool. Application is open until 20 September.
/// INSTITUTIONAL NEWS ///
News from the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee
MEP Katarina Nevedalova (S&D)’s report on the Commission’s Communication “Rethinking Education” will be voted on 17 September in CULT Committee (see draft agenda). Mrs Nevedalova had received EUCIS-LLL and other key stakeholders during a roundtable in March and listened to the main concerns expressed in our position (see more positions, amendments and events on Rethinking Education on our website). Over the summer, the CULT Committee also voted a report on the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012, notably stressing the “importance of non-formal and informal learning for the development of values, aptitudes and skills for young people”. A draft report has also been released on historical memory in culture and education in the EU, supporting the work of NGOs in the field (see EUROCLIO’s trainings) and calling for a Platform of European Memory and Conscience.
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs discussed in the European Parliament
The Parliament’s Budget Committee organised in July a Hearing on “Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs” (EYE) (see report), an initiative established in 2008 and strongly supported by the Parliament that enables young (to-be) entrepreneurs to learn abroad from experienced ones. Several experts from the European Commission, Eurochambres and Seinajoki University as well as young entrepreneurs presented their views on the programme. For the next funding period 2014-2020, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs will be financed under the Programme for the Competitiveness of enterprises and SMEs (COSME). Both hosts, candidates and intermediary bodies invited described a win-win initiative and gave advice on how to improve the programme, for instance intensifying cooperation between those bodies. Read also the testimony of the EYE participant invited to EUCIS-LLL policy debate on “Entrepreneurship skills” in the Parliament in June.
Lithuanian EU Presidency conference on higher education
Lithuania has taken the lead of the Council of the EU from 1 July with strong priorities for quality and efficiency in the field education and training (see EUCIS-LLL infonote). The efficient financing of higher education systems and the internationalization of higher education are among the main focuses of this presidency term and a conference on “European higher education in the world” was organised on 5-6 September in Vilnius, Lithuania to discuss the related Commission Communication (see official conclusions). Commissioner Vassiliou (DG EAC) expressed her wish to see “universities [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][…] have comprehensive strategies that go beyond mobility and encompass many other types of academic cooperation such as joint degrees, support for capacity building, joint research projects and distance learning programmes” (see full speech), which the new Erasmus+ funding programme 2014-2020 should support.
/// RESEARCH & INNOVATION ///
Commission report on EU citizenship: acknowledging the central role of education
“Co-creating European Union Citizenship” is a recent policy review from the European Commission echoing the theme of this 2013 European Year. The key findings of 15 research projects are presented in a broad range of policy areas to discuss the maturation of EU citizenship and the obstacles to its embracement by EU citizens. The “EMILIE” FP6 project reflected for instance on multicultural citizenship and concluded that democratic civic education required multicultural curricula, notably via the acquisition of intercultural skills by teachers and a better understanding of diversity by educational institutions. The report also concludes that civic education programmes should develop young people’s interest in political and civic affairs as well as civic skills.
Digital Agenda Assembly 2013 workshop report on digital skills
A Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives, one of its goals being to enhance digital literacy, skills and inclusion. The Digital Agenda Assembly is one of the annual highlights of the initiative and tool place this year in June 2013 in Dublin under the Irish EU Presidency (watch plenary session). One of the workshops was devoted to “Digital skills for jobs and learning” and concluded that a more flexible, collaborative and open education environment was needed (see full report). See the workshop video record and in particular the World Café on “Opening Up Education”, the upcoming Communication from the European Commission (see roadmap). You can also still participate in online discussions on various workshop topics (i.e. “do we still need brick-and-mortar schools if we have digital learning environments?”).
VET in Lithuania: focus on attractiveness and lifelong learning
The CEDEFOP has just released a short description of Vocational education and training in Lithuania as well as a “Spotlight” report that offer a nice overview of this educational field in the Baltic State. VET systems attractiveness and inclusion into a lifelong learning perspective are key national priorities. In this line, increasing adult participation in continuous VET (CVET) is one of the main challenges as national figures are below EU average. The documents feature other interesting facts such as the development of a national concept for VET quality assurance in 2008 or of a Lithuanian qualifications framework in 2010. The Lithuanian EU Presidency has also made of VET an important priority of its mandate (see EUCIS-LLL infonote), working especially towards quality VET systems by making them more inclusive.
Call for submissions: EAPRIL Conference 2013
The European Association for Practitioner Research on improving learning in education and professional practice (EAPRIL) is organising its annual conference on 27-29 November in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. The keynote speeches include interesting interventions on classroom orchestration or educational design research. Contributions such as workshops or roundtable sessions are welcome until 18 September on EAPRIL websystem.
/// EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ///
Implementation of the European strategic objectives in Education and Training (ET 2020) – EACEA/04/2013
Deadline 16 September 2013
European strategic objectives in education and training – stakeholder cooperation, experimentation and innovation
Deadline 16 September 2013
ETF initiatives for human capital development
Deadline 17 September 2013
Call for proposals – Cedefop’s European Network for Vocational Education and Training
Deadline 24 September 2013
Open Call – Study on Drop-out and completion in higher education in Europe
Deadline 25 September
Open Call – European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) – COST 2013-3
Deadline 27 September 2013
Open call for tender EAC/10/2013 – The changing pedagogical landscape: new ways of teaching and learning and their implications for higher education policy.
Deadline: 22 October 2013
Youth in Action Programme
Permanent calls for proposals 2013
/// PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ///
Join the online debate on the Single Market
The EU is organising the Single Market Month from 23 September to 23 October 2013 – a month of online debates between individuals, businesses, organisations, policy-makers and EU leaders to discuss ideas to improve the EU’s Single Market. You can already submit, comment and vote on ideas on jobs, social rights, banks and e-commerce.
/// AGENDA ///
EUCIS-LLL Europe 2020 Working Group, 16 October
European Education, Training and Youth Forum 2013, 17-18 October
EUCIS-LLL Lifelong Learning week, 2-6 December
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]