The 2017 PASCAL International Observatory Conference “Trends 2017 – Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities” takes place on 17-19 October 2017. Delegates are reminded of the change of venue for this Conference to Pretoria. This change made the Conference more accessible and therefore more delegates can attend this event. The change sparked an immediate increase in the number of Conference papers submitted.

Please see attached the latest newsletter of the Australian Learning Community Network - winter issue of Ripples.

From heat of summer and crop of mangos, another round of random reflections for your perusal:

The PASCAL Board has asked Peter Kearns, the founder of the EcCoWell approach to learning city development, to undertake a review of progress in implementing the idea since 1992 and to report to the Board by the end of this year. The summary below provides background on the EcCoWell idea and presents some questions where I would welcome comment.

I’d like to inform you that I’ve been appointed as EPALE Ambassador for Sicily. Briefly, there were 252 candidates and 52 ambassadors chosen covering all the Italian regions (except Valle D’Aosta region). On 8th May there will be a ceremony in Florence to officially nominate the new ambassadors in occasion of the Europe festival to celebrate 30 years for Erasmus+.