2. Presidency Conferences

The conference theme "Lifelong Learning - Learning for Adults in the 21st Century" should be seen in the context of the Commission's input to the Barcelona European Council and the ongoing European process of "Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality". Targets for Lifelong Learning comprise employability, active citizenship, personal fulfilment as well as social inclusion.

Aims:

The aim of the conference is to enhance co-operation and exchange of experience in the field of lifelong learning through: the exchange of experience between public administrations in the EU: the establishment of international networks between practitioners, researchers and government representatives in the field of lifelong learning: discussions on the current trends in lifelong learning/adult learning: an increase in the understanding of lifelong learning in general and of adult learning in particular.

Themes:

While the theme of the conference is lifelong learning, it lays special emphasis on adult learning. In order to avoid overlap with the initiatives within the Bologna process, this EU Presidency Conference on Lifelong Learning will have as its main focus the non-university levels of adult education and training, including liberal adult education, and their contribution to basic skills, social inclusion and active citizenship. During the conference, the following themes will be discussed in plenary sessions and/or in workshops:

Lifelong learning - development of competences, learning in the workplace, assessment and recognition of prior learning (especially non-formal competences), active citizenship, motivation - basic skills, social inclusion, further and continuing education at tertiary level.

Study visits will be arranged to educational institutions and a workplace.

Participants and organisers:

Approximately 140 participants are expected to attend the conference. Member States, candidate countries as well as other countries will be invited together with the Commission and Cedefop. It would be ideal if participants represent not only governments, but also employers' and employees' organisations, the liberal adult education sector, researchers and practitioners.

The conference is hosted by the Ministry of Education and co-financed by the European Commission.

Contact:

Annelise Hauch, Head of Section, Ministry of Education, e-mail: annelise.hauch@uvm.dk

EU Presidency Conference on Education in Science and Technology - Changes and Challenges

8-9 November 2002, Copenhagen

Background:

Many European countries recognise a growing need for students and graduates choosing a career based on natural sciences and technology as an important challenge to their education systems.

As a background to this conference, a "White Paper" will be prepared. It will include focused contributions from the participating countries on their strategies for improving education and recruitment in science and technology.

Contents:

The conference will be an opportunity to discuss and share ideas about the development of teaching methods and the relationship between young people's interest and the needs of society, and there will be an opportunity to discuss how science and technology education can be improved in order to stimulate interest and recruitment.

The conference is organised as a combination of six onehour lectures held by keynote speakers followed by two-hour workshops. Each participant will have the opportunity to choose two workshops. The intention of this structure is to make the conference a dynamic forum for informed discussions and the sharing of ideas. The proceedings will be published.

Themes:

Six important themes have been identified as key areas for the understanding and improvement of science and technology education in both formal and informal learning environments in order to stimulate interest and enhance the outcome.

The six themes are:

Attitudes towards Science - Values and Identities among Children and the Youth.
Mind the Knowledge Gap! - The Image and Essence of Natural Science.
Content, Competencies and Scientific Literacy - an Uphill Struggle.
Improving Informal Learning Environments - Finding Alternative Ways to learn Science.
New Ways to Overcome Barriers in Enrolment and Recruitment.
Building Learning Communities.

Participants, location and organisers:

The approx. 120 participants are expected to be national experts in science education and representatives from the Member States, the applicant countries and the associated countries.

The conference is organised by the Danish Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Mathematics and Science Consortium of the independent educational research institution, Learning Lab Denmark and co-financed by the European Commission.

Contacts:

Chief Adviser Claus Christensen, Ministry of Education,
e-mail: Claus.Christensen@uvm.dk

or

Consortium Director Robin Engelhardt, Learning Lab Denmark,
e-mail: Robin@lld.dk.

The education system is a central element when it comes to preparing the individual citizen for active participation in working and social life and thus an important element when it comes to ensuring the welfare of Europe. There is therefore considerable focus on ensuring that the education programmes remain of the best possible quality - where the subjectspecific level is well-founded, and where pupils and students acquire education and training of high relevance to continued education and employment. The great interest shown in quality and evaluation must be seen in this perspective. The topic is not new in the European debate, but it is important to follow it on a continuous basis, as new political requirements regarding the programmes and methods for documenting quality are added all the time.

Contents:

Two keynote speakers will make presentations for all the conference participants. In addition to these, there will be 9 themes. Finally, there will be a number of small workshops, where the participants can choose topics of special interest to them.

The conference will further elucidate why there is so much focus on quality development, quality assurance and evaluation. There will be presentations which focus on methods for quality development, but also on how management and teachers at the individual school or institution can contribute in the best possible way. There will also be focus on the pupils' and students' role in quality development, and the interaction with external actors will be elucidated. The conference will lay emphasis on imparting ideas, on offering inspiration and the possibility of mutual comparison.

The emphasis will be on how the quality of the programmes can be improved on an overall level, and what the individual institutions can do to live up to the aims set. The theme will be illustrated by contributions from all levels of the education system. The aim is openness and transparency in the entire education system so that the users (pupils and students) and the recipients of the graduates (employers) can find information and gain influence.

Ambition:

The conference will - through presentations in large and small groups - enable the participants to acquire inspiration and knowledge about quality development and evaluation in the field of education in Europe. It will - among other things through workshops and social events - be possible to establish personal contacts and networks which the participants will be able to draw on in their future work.

Participants:

The participants are expected to be persons who are working on a political and practical level with quality development and assurance, including the evaluation of programmes and institutions.

The participants are expected to be civil servants, researchers and persons from the world of education. It is the aim to have representatives from all parts of the education system from basic school to higher education and adult education.

The Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Danish Evaluation Institute. The conference is co-financed by the European Commission.

Contact:

Philip Pedersen, Ministry of Education
e-mail: philip.pedersen@uvm.dk

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© Undervisningsministeriet 2002