Call for contributions

Enhancing University Lifelong Learning Culture in Europe

Themes of the conference

Lifelong learning (LLL) is a major challenge for Europe in a world that is constantly evolving. No longer limited to a single phase of life, learning across the lifespan has now become almost a necessity for people to flourish in both their personal and professional lives. The challenge for Europe is convincing individuals from a wide array of backgrounds of the importance in engaging in LLL.

Building a robust LLL ecosystem is essential to promote worker adaptability to technological advancements, enhance employability, and meet the demands of a rapidly changing labour market.  It combines diverse expertise from various actors, fosters innovation and productivity, and supports career mobility. Embedding a strong LLL culture in our universities is critical to achieving all sustainable development goals by 2030, as well as meeting the challenge of transitions and emerging jobs requirements. Developing and enhancing LLL culture across Europe is therefore essential to ensure that everyone can get the appropriate knowledge, skills and competences needed to prosper in society, in their professional career, and to enrich their personal life!

The eucen 55th European Conference 2025 aims to explore how universities and key stakeholders can contribute to building sustainable, resilient LLL ecosystems which will help to promote a culture of University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) across Europe. These ecosystems aim to connect all actors, whether from public or private organisations, local or regional authorities, businesses, educational systems, or even citizens themselves. During the conference, we will also open the debate on LLL from a lifelong and life-wide perspective, which could even extend to later-life learning, meaning that LLL continues beyond the traditional working years. We will focus on strategies and lead discussions on flexible pathways and learner-centred approaches which are key to achieving the goals of ULLL. The contributions should bring some insights on the barriers to ULLL experienced by learners (lack of time, high costs of some training programs, limited access to information, ...) and the enablers (financial incentives, personal training account, flexibility, accessibility, recognition of skills, …) that can successfully foster a culture of ULLL.

Sub-topics

Your contributions must address one of the three sub-topics described below. 

Contributions within this theme should focus on creating lifelong learning ecosystems that connect various actors and sectors.

Your contribution could be linked to ideas such as:

  • How can synergies for LLL be developed between public and private organisations, national and regional authorities, educational systems, and citizens?
  • What are the best practices for fostering inclusive and equitable LLL ecosystems?
  • What are the indicators of high quality and efficient LLL ecosystems?
  • How can LLL contribute to regional and local development, addressing specific needs, including sectoral and cross-sectoral ones?

This sub-topic welcomes contributions that examine the evolving practices and skills required within universities to strengthen their role in enhancing the culture of ULLL in Europe.

Your contribution could be linked to ideas such as:

  • Are there strategies and/or practices in your institution that contribute to the development of a successful culture of ULLL? (This might include approaches to quality assurance, strategic planning processes, learner-centred practices, human resource planning, financial planning, etc.)
  • What lessons have been learned from local, regional, national and European level initiatives that contribute to the vision for ULLL? (This might include insights from European Alliances and European Universities, the development of shared European degrees, implementation of a common vision for microcredentials, etc.).

Flexible Learning Pathways

Contributors are encouraged to propose innovative approaches to developing flexible learning pathways that meet the needs of a rapidly changing world - whether technological, ecological, or societal.

Your contribution could be linked to themes such as:

  • How can effective bridges be created between initial and continuing education, addressing local, regional, and sectoral needs?
  • How can we establish pathways between institutions and/or countries through short training programmes and the recognition of micro-credentials?
  • To what extent are digital and blended learning approaches successful at facilitating flexible learning?

Guidelines for Abstracts

Contributions addressing the conference themes are welcome from researchers, practitioners, and all types of LLL professionals from around the world.

The Conference Scientific Committee is responsible for the selection of the submitted abstracts. Please submit your abstract using the online form that you will find at http://eucenstudies.eucen.eu/current-call/

  • Deadline for submission of Abstracts: 14 March 2025
  • Notification of result to authors: 11 April 2024
  • Deadline for authors to register for the conference: 25 April 2024

Abstracts must not exceed 500 words.

Scientific committee

  • Kathleen O’Connor, Université de Lille (FR)

  • Benoît Berthou, Sorbonne Paris Nord (FR)

  • Wieger BAKKER, Utrecht University (NL)

  • Member of the Steering Committee TBC (SC)

Organising committee

  • Sandrine BONNET, University Lille (FR)

  • Veronique CHABOT, University Lille (FR)

  • Pascal MILLO, University Lille (FR)

  • Laurence REZAI, University Lille (FR)

  • Carme ROYO, eucen Secretariat (ES)

  • Montse BELTRAN, eucen Secretariat (ES)

Please contact eucen2025univ-lillefr or eventseuceneu for questions about the Conference.

Please contact journalseuceneu for questions about the Call for Contributions (abstracts and the possibility to submit full papers)