EUROlocal - European storehouse on the local and regional dimension of Lifelong Learning.

Project Summary

The term ‘Learning Region’ is commonplace in the lifelong learning debate. This is logical -they are a key plank of EC policy - places where lifelong learning is implemented. The EC definition is 'A city, town or region which recognises and understands the key role of learning in the development of prosperity, stability and personal fulfilment, and mobilises all its resources creatively to develop the full human potential of all its citizens.’ These resources include both people and organisations - VET, HEIs, SME's, local authorities, schools and adult education, all key stakeholders in a learning region.

Activity abounds. PENR3L's Limerick Declaration identified economic, social and environmental indicators distinguishing learning cities and regions. Germany is covered by more than 64 learning regions, UK and Finnish national learning city networks boast 100+ members and the EC has itself supported projects and programmes to create learning regions, notably the R3L programme, TELS, LILLIPUT, INDICATORS, PALLACE, LILARA, PENR3L and others. All this effort has produced data,tools,indicators,reports,videos,projects,recommendations,plans,strategies,learning materials - a wealth of potentially valuable knowledge for EU regions that urgently needs to be brought together in one place and made available to them. There is a clear qualitative difference in a learning region, and yet research shows that in many places there is little awareness or action. In EUROlocal, PENR3L , a network created by an EC project to spread the learning region message, will lead other networks in gathering together all European knowledge and practice in this area from all sources across all sectors and countries, test the tools, find the best practice, dynamically organise it in an interactive website, produce learning materials, and actively disseminate and exploit it to effect a transformation of Europe's regions. The impact this would have on regional economies and social well-being is huge.

Project Specification

Principal Partners

PASCAL (Glasgow, Scotland)

Lynette Jordan, Principal Investigator

The University of Glasgow, through its Department of Adult and Continuing Education undertakes leading-edge, internationally-competitive research and development, while offering a challenging learning environment. As the adult education arm of a leading international university, we bring global knowledge and practice to local and national and European adult and lifelong education. DACE hosts the European centre for PASCAL (the Observatory for Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions), a global network of academics and practitioners in lifelong learning; PASCAL is the administration centre for PENR3L (PASCAL European Network of Lifelong Learning Regions), a European network of expertise in every country on learning regions, established in 2008 by a grant from the EC. This network will be mobilised to ensure the success of EUROlocal, and a number of sub-contractors are drawn from PENR3L to ensure pan-European coverage.

The role of the organisation in the project:

PASCAL will act as coordinator, ensuring good management, high quality and smooth running. It will lead the work package on the development of the Audit working with other partners to create a quality document that will facilitate the collection of data on learning regions from all sources. It will gather the knowledge in UK, Ireland and Benelux using PENR3L members to assist, and contact European regional development organisations. It will analyse the data obtained, organise tests of tools and develop dissemination/marketing/learning materials that enable regions to use them. It will organise a seminar for academics, education decision-makers and regional practitioners to discuss the data and its implications for regional development. It will host meetings and attend the other workshop. It will also manage other assigned workpackages and produce reports and information required by the Commission. It will assist the web developer to construct a quality fit for purpose product.

Universus – CSEI (Bari, Italy)

Antonio Massari, International Unit Coordinator

Universus is a non-profit University consortium, a linking, flexible and pro-active organisation between the field of University education (with its scientific and research potential) and the industrial, service and territory sectors in the dynamic and evolving Apulia region.

Universus works in these fields: Management, Energy and the Environment, Quality, Construction and Territorial planning, Cultural Heritage, ITC, Technology (plant engineering, quality, security, mechatronics), Health and safety.

The know-how gained in over 30 years of activity places Universus as an experienced and accredited organisation in designing training courses and learning pathway in the vocational and managerial training sector. Its activities, such as the “Regional Eco-development Centre", testify its knowledge and expertise in the sustainable approach culture.

Universus participates to several European training network, as EUCEN, THENUCE, ICEE and realized several European projects.

The role of the organisation in the project:

Universus, as a core partner in EUROlocal will participate in all work packages. It will bring its expertise to the drafting of the Learning Regions Audit and use its extensive knowledge of Italian regions to amass the information which will be presented on the website. It will also use its other European network contacts, including PENR3L, in Southern Europe to oversee the collection of data there. It will also play its full part in the management structure of EUROlocal, taking charge of the implementation of the exploitation workpackage and supervising the provision of all reports. Its experience in using a learning region framework for integrating the efforts of VET, HE, Adult Education, SMEs and local and regional authorities in Puglia will be invaluable to the project. It will test tools and help write, translate and distribute learning materials and marketing literature.

Lernende Regionen Deutschland e.V. (Munich, Germany)

Jutta Thinesse-Demel, 1st President

Learning regions in Germany through the past vast years have taken a leading role in establishing, planning, delivering and supporting lifelong learning, adult learning, VET and education initiatives. LERNENDE REGIONEN DEUTSCHLAND e.V. (LRD) is a national association, which emerged from the German national programme "Learning regions". It is aiming at the mainstreaming the products and results aroused by 75 German Learning Regions to umbrella-organisations, ministries, city or regional councils in Germany and other European countries and thus helps to create pilot-regions for lifelong learning-initiatives. Furthermore the association is offering guidance and concrete educational programmes to cities and regions.

The role of the organisation in the project:

LRD, as a core partner in EUROlocal will participate in all work packages. It will bring its expertise to the drafting of the Learning Regions Audit and use its extensive network of 64 regions in Germany to amass the information which will be presented on the website. It will also use its other European network contacts, including PENR3L, in France and Benelux to oversee the collection of data there. This includes some working with European Commission DGs and associations. It will also play its full part in the management structure of EUROlocal, taking charge of the quality control workpackage and supervising the collection of the regional database in workpackage 6. Its experience in using the German learning region framework for integrating the efforts of VET, HE, Adult Education, SMEs and local and regional authorities will be invaluable to the project. It will test tools and help write, translate and distribute learning materials and marketing literature. It will host the seminar.

University of Pecs (Pecs, Hungary)

Balazs Nemeth, Head of Centre

The Regional Lifelong Learning Research Centre is an integral part of the University of Pécs (27.000 students; 3000 employees), the second biggest in Hungary. The university has 10 faculties and operates a Faculty of Adult Education and HRD that has a 30 years experience in researching the education and training of adults, including those from Industry. The Faculty is one of the outstanding educational and research centres in Hungarian higher education in the field of adult education, human resource management, cultural management and lifelong learning. The University is an official member of EUA, the Hungarian Universities’ Lifelong Learning Network (MELLearN). The Regional Lifelong Learning Research Centre is leading the learning region initiative in the South-western region of Hungary, which promotes knowledge transfer between University, Industry and Regional developers in all sectors. It is thus well placed to play a defining role in EUROlocal.

The role of the organisation in the project:

Pecs University will contribute to the development of a Learning Regions Audit that will be applied to European regions in order to collect data on learning region activity for uploading onto the web site. It is responsible for obtaining and analysing data from Hungary and the Eastern countries - Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic, and for actively marketing the concept to regions in these countries through the associations and networks for schools, adult education. universities and regional administrations. PENR3L members will help in this. It will provide reports as necessary and lead the workpackages on tools testing, publicity literature and dissemination. It will help to organise and attend the project seminar. It will keep to the timetable, manage locally and insert quality into all its activities.