EAEA

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University Continuing Education as a field of
research in the extended European Union 4th
International Conference on Quality Development
in Postgraduate Education 28 - 30 April 2005
Research challenges of lifelong learning at
universities in the countries of Central and
Eastern Europe Dr. János Sz. Tóth president of
the EAEA
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The development and understanding of the concept
of lifelong learning in the new member states

• Level of political mottoes
• Sectors of the existing educational
• systems to keep operating defence
• mechanisms or reforms
• Coherent strategies and concrete
• action plans of lifelong learning

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Providing new momentum
Conclusions The analysis presented in this
Communication tends to confirm the three
observations made at the outset The European
Research Area initiative has radically changed
the research environment and research policies in
Europe. The progress made has varied from one
area to another and in terms of scale
Structural constraints have limited the scale of
results achieved to date and could jeopardise the
achievement of objectives.
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The new paradigms of learning have to be
supported by series of research
This paper attempts to identify the low level of
research activities and outputs in the field,
based on some data from the research activities
conducted in recent years.
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Examples European Service Network for Adult
Learning (ESNAL)

• Adults Learning Regularly Colected Data by
  Statistical Offices on a National Level
• Towards a European Statiscics for Adult
  Education
• Quality Assurance and Development in European
  Continuing Education
• More www.die-bonn.de

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Messages for the future project
Analyses 175 projects for adult learning
supported by the European Commission under the
Adult Education Action of the Socrates I
programme (1995-1999) The full report is
available at www.eaea.org/doc/analysis.pdf
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Examples Adult Education Studies in Colleges and
Universities in the Central, Eastern and South
Eastern Europe. Research Issued in 2003

• It has reached three different types of results
• First, it has added to comparative studies on
  adult education in Central, Eastern and South
  Eastern Europe.
• Secondly, it provided a discussion forum for the
  heads of institutes and departments of adult
  education in the regions universities and
  colleges it has contributed to the tightening of
  international co-operation and the exchange of
  ideas.
• Thirdly, it has laid the foundations for joint
  development of European adult education courses.

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Learning Mall survey in 10 candidate countries

• The products of the one-year project activity
  are
• - Facts and findings of the survey, an analysis
  of the questionnaires
• - Summary of focus group discussions with
  participants of transnational projects
• - Conclusions and recommendations
• Guidelines for self-evaluation and a tool for
  providers of international adult learning
  projects
• The documentation of the MALL study in English is
  available www.eaeabudapest.hu/mall/

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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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Overview of the EU funded educational research
1995-2003 (TSER)
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European Commission Towards a European Research
Area Science, Technology and Innovation Key
Figures 2003-2004
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European Commission Towards a European Research
Area Science, Technology and Innovation Key
Figures 2003-2004
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The challenges of future research agendas Demands
of the closing up of the countries in Central
and Eastern Europe

• Contradictions of the lifelong learning policy on
  European level
• the sole importance of competitiveness
• the emphasis laid on higher education and
• lack of recognition of the practical and growing
  importance of adult education
• the emphasis laid on research and development as
  opposed to the whole of education and training
• lack of recognition of the role non-governmental
  organisations
• the background role of the country side and rural
  areas
• lack of recognition of the practical importance
  of democratic citizenship competencies
• the background role of the development of adult
  key competencies

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Gaps and challenges of vocational training in
the new member countries

• The European Training Foundation has produced an
  extensive analyse on the 13 years of the
  co-operation on VET in Central Eastern European
  countries. Its main findings are the follows
• Adequate resources are non-existent in most
  countries
• Social inclusion objectives have received
  insufficient support
• Recent trends are not positive in developing
  access
• A non-formal sector has developed but is still at
  an insufficient level
• Research in vocational training is drastically
  insufficient in many countries
• Administrative preparation for structural funds
  is very problematic

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Priorities in the system development of LLL on
national level policy in CEE countries

• Urgent institutional reforms
• To establish of the whole governments lifelong
  learning policy instead of fragmented portfolio
  bureaucracy of ministries
• Creating consonance and open bridges between the
  actors of labour market
• The urgent development of the competence based
  training and learning in all areas, levels and
  forms of learning
• Investment into the research and development of
  lifelong learning

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Extensive introduction and practice of the Open
Method of Co-ordination at local, regional and
national level
5. Initiate the wide-ranging concept and practice
of learning organisation 6. Extension of the
culture of learning 7. Supporting innovations
through transnational co-operation (new phase
2007-13)
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• Number of problematic key areas
• of the lifelong learning
• in Central Eastern Europe
• Development of Basic Skills and Key Competencies
• Adult learning for democratic citizenship and
  human rights
• Validation on Non-formal and Informal Learning.
• Assessing Learning to Learn
• The lifelong learning guidance

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Suggestions on promoting a strong research
co-operation Actions planned for
consideration - Concentration on a small number
of more targeted topics - Mapping of excellence -
Training and mobility of researchers - Research
infrastructures - Boosting private investment in
research