eucen

eucen is the largest multidisciplinary association of University Continuing Education and University Lifelong Learning institutions in Europe. It was founded in 1991 in Belgium, and has more than 150 members from 34 countries including 18 National/Regional Networks for University Lifelong Learning.

The main mission of eucen is to promote Lifelong Learning within Higher Education Institutions in Europe and elsewhere; and to foster universities’ influence in the development of Lifelong Learning knowledge and policies throughout Europe. To fulfil this mission, eucen undertakes a number of processes, such as initiating and leading dialogue for innovation at European level; contributing to European Policy Development; and producing and valorising new knowledge, mainly through European projects.

eucen instruments to achieve the key strategic processes are: the eucen events, the EU-funded projects and collaborations with ULLL networks. The Annual European Conferences and events, including the Spring Annual conference (academic and research oriented), the Autumn Seminar (more practical, with a focus to the staff development of University Lifelong Learning units), the Policy Talks (the annual dialogue with policy makers and key stakeholders based in Brussels) and a number of online seminars in hot topics, with presenters experts in the discussed areas and active dialogue with the participants. Since 1991 eucen has organised 51 conferences with over 5200 participants in 23 different countries.

In the past year, eucen has adapted its activity and is now organising the eucen Seminar Across the Atlantic (a half day event in collaboration with US allies), the eucen Experts’ Seminar (a one day event with a strongly academic flavour, featuring keynote speeches and several workshops), and a eucen University Lifelong Learning Open Fora in November, proposing one daily activity every day throughout the full month.

The EU-funded projects are also a key instrument to the contribution of eucen to Europe. Since 2001 eucen has coordinated 22 projects (including 3 large tenders) and has coordinated 3 projects for third parties. In parallel, eucen has also had a role of full partner in over 40 projects coordinated by others. The current main topics tackled in ongoing projects are: diversity and inclusion, digital skills, HE-VET issues, ULLL enhancement and EU-funded projects management.

The close collaboration with regional/national networks of ULLL allows eucen to know which areas of work in ULLL are being addressed in 16 different EU countries, and which is the state of the art in the development of policies and practices in these countries. This is done through the exchange of information and the annual collection of data.

Reinforcing the work done in events and projects, eucen runs an online eJournal of ULLL, that gathers and edits research papers, on innovative practices, always linked to the current discussions in eucen’s events and projects.

In order to complete all these tasks, eucen has a full team of employees that develop the different works: