The Mission
This ARC8 Expert Group will discuss the opportunities, risks, and challenges related to inclusive lifelong learning and develop a chapter dedicated to this topic in the ARC8 Outlook Report 2030: Inclusive and Diverse Higher Education in Asia and Europe.
The ARC8 Expert Group will present their chapter during the ARC8 Conference on 10 September 2021. During their session, the experts will present recommendations to realize the full potential of lifelong learning to the ASEM Senior Officials and university leaders from Asia and Europe.
Topics discussed in this chapter are: upskilling, reskilling, validation of informal & non-formal learning, flexible learning pathways, inclusive LLL policies, underrepresented groups, gender gap, digital divide, quality assurance, disadvantaged, vulnerable and excluded populations, access to lifelong learning opportunities.
Expert Group Members
ARC8 Expert Group Sessions
In the span of 8 months, ARC8 Experts share knowledge and discuss specific opportunities, risks, and challenges related to inclusive and flexible lifelong learning pathways. During each Expert Group Session two ARC8 Experts give a 10-minute presentation each. After every presentation, members of the Expert Group ask questions, give comments, and contribute towards making the discussion more in-depth.
These ARC8 Expert Group sessions are essential to the process of developing the output, an entire chapter dedicated to the specific topic as part of the report ARC8 Outlook 2030: Inclusion and Diversity in Higher Education in Asia and Europe.
The PowerPoint Presentations of experts and the summary of their presentations are made available here
Summary of Presentations
Presentation of Prof Séamus Ó TUAMA, Director, Adult Continuing Education, University College Cork; Chair of the ASEM Lifelong Learning Hub
Seamus gave a 10-minute presentation. The following questions guided the presentation and discussion:
- In your opinion, how inclusive are current institutional and national LLL policies and practices? What is the status quo?
- What potential risks could jeopardize greater inclusion in LLL in the next 10 years?
- What opportunities and leverage points do you see that can promote inclusion in LLL the next 10 years?
Seamus provide identified risks and opportunities based on the case and specific context of lifelong learning programs from Ireland.
Seamus also defined inclusion in lifelong learning, then introduced data from the Irish context to better explain the demography of those participating in lifelong learning.
There is one potential risk that could jeopardize greater inclusion in the field of lifelong learning . According to Seamus, policymakers and higher education institutions have overemphasize narrowly understood skills.
Seamus identified several mechanisms that could be used to enhance inclusion. More over, Seamus introduced the concept of “Reflexive Activation of Unemployed People” as a potential leverage point.
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⇒ Presentation of Prof Dr Melinda BANDALARIA, Chancellor and Professor, University of the Philippines Open University
Melinda gave a 10-minute presentation. She began her presentation by giving defining lifelong learning, then introduced the lifelong learning policy in the context of the ASEAN.
Melinda identified four potential risks that could jeopardize inclusion in the next decade, specifically: concerns with quality of education, lack of funding, disruptions, and snobbery.
She also presented opportunities and leverage points that will promote inclusion, specifically: expanding use of open source tools, expanding modes of instruction, and assistive technologies for teaching and learning.
Melinda proceeded to provide examples of lifelong learning policies in the context of the Philippine. The 2017-2022 Development Plan issued by National Economic and Development Authority aims to accelerate human capital development through the use of lifelong learning policies and opportunities. Additionally, the Philippine legislation acted to provide rehabilitation and advance self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons. Melinda identified the crucial contribution of lifelong learning in this regard.
Presentation of Dr Alexandra IOANNIODU, Internationalisation Unit, Executive Department, DIE – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning; Secretary and Board Member, European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA)
Alexandra gave a 10-minute presentation. To provide food for thought, she used the following questions as a guide throughout the presentation:
- In your opinion, how inclusive are current institutional and national LLL policies and practices? What is the status quo?
- What potential risks could jeopardize greater inclusion in LLL in the next 10 years?
- What opportunities and leverage points do you see that can promote inclusion in LLL the next 10 years?
She began her presentation by conceptualising lifelong learning. According to Alexandra, “the concept of lifelong learning for the education sector seems to be the equivalent of globalization for the economic sector.”
Presentation of Ms Brikena Xhomaqi, Director, Lifelong Learning Platform, Co-chair of the European Economic and Social Committee Liaison Group of Civil Society
Brikena gave a 10-minute presentation. She began by introducing the work done by the Lifelong Learning Platform, which was founded in 2005.
Brikena focused on “promoting a holistic vision to lifelong learning, from cradle to grave, by facilitating European-wide cross-sector cooperation among civil society organisations in the field of education and training, and by voicing citizens’ concerns.”
She identified the need to build inclusive and democratic education systems and widen access to quality education for all citizens. She also identified the need to increase the relevance of education to modern societies.
Brikena shared her take on the status quo of inclusion in LLL, based on the 15 years of experience of the LLL Platform and based on the voice of the different local national regional European stakeholders in their membership.
Presentation of Dr Sheikh Lukman S A Hamid, Director, Lifelong Learning Centre (L3C), Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam
Sheik gave a 10-minute presentation. He began the presentation by introducinga recent development in Brunei Darussalam, the establishment of the Lifelong Learning Centre (L3C), to which he is the Director of.
L3C was created in 2020 with the mission to build holistic individuals and inclusive society by improving the opportunities for lifelong learners of all ages and expand lifelong learning opportunities for strengthening communities by 2024.
In order to meet this goal, the centre has three strategic goals (1) to develop a policy framework and guidelines to improve opportunities in lifelong learning in Brunei Darussalam (2) Review the provision of lifelong learning programmes (3) Promote public enrolment in lifelong learning programmes. L3C caters to different type of stakeholders:
- Individuals, by giving career advice, training programme advice and up-to-date job market information.
- Employers, by offering a resource centre for training development needs, offering nationally accredited courses.
- CET Providers (continuing education providers), by forging partnerships with them, regardless of whether they are public or private or even international and offering facilities for them.
Presentation of Dr Borhene CHAKROUN, Director, Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems, Education Sector, UNESCO
Dr Chakroun was invited by ASEF to be a resource person for the ARC8 Expert Group. He gave a 10-minute presentation.
Dr Chakroun began by explaining the focus of the discussion was on the challenges faced in inclusive and flexible lifelong learning pathways.
He explained that, while national, regional, and international actors were doing a lot to advance developments in the lifelong learning landscape, stakeholders should not take the progress made thus far for granted. Thus, Dr Chakroun focused on three major challenges:
- Revolutionize the Perspective of Lifelong Learning
- Lifelong Learning as an International Normative Instrument
- Lifelong Learning as a Cross-sectorial and Multi-stakeholder Challenge
Dr Chakroun also discussed points in relation to opportunities:
- Learning Opportunities Close and Narrow by the Age of Seven
- Opportunity, Agency, and the Vygotsky perspective
- UNESCO: Rethinking Education
- How COVID-19 Comes Into Play
Presentation of Dr Ilya KORSHUNOV, PIAAC National Expert, Lifelong Learning Group; Deputy Director of the Institute of Education, Higher School of Economics, National Research University, Moscow
Dr Korshunov was invited by ASEF to be a resource person for the ARC8 Expert Group. He gave a 10-minute presentation.
His presentation focused on the recent developments of lifelong learning in higher education institutions in Russia.
Dr Korshunov began by explaining his standpoint, coming from his experience as Deputy Director of the Institute of Education at the Higher School of Economics. Reviewing the past three years, he and his team developed and collected statistics on the status quo of lifelong learning in Russia.
- Rate of Participation in lifelong learning programmes offered by higher education institutions was below the anticipated rate.
- Support and investment in lifelong learning is growing.
- The development digital platforms has helped increase participation in lifelong learning programmes.
What our experts said...
