WORKING GROUP 6
Final Report
The NUCE - Working group 6Networking in University Continuing Education (UCE)
Introduction
The following commentaries are based on the information contained in the national reports prepared in 1997
as part of the first stage of the NUCE project. Given this evidential base, there may well be important
omissions and gaps in what follows for which apologies are offered in advance. One general issue raised by
the national reports is the extent to which there is a common understanding of UCE. The conclusion would
appear to be that although there is not a common understanding of UCE there is a common set of concerns
and commitments amongst the providers of UCE. Some obvious examples would be, Adult Education
Provision, Access and Equity, Updating and Continuing Vocational Education, Curriculum Innovation and
Change and so on.
Given the diverse range of activities under the umbrella term of UCE it would seem that a good deal of the
networking that goes on occurs as a result of common interests in one or more particular aspects of UCE
rather than in any general sense of the term. One way of making sense of UCE at a national or indeed
international level is therefore, to see it as a coalition of interests drawn from the various areas identified as
UCE.
What follows from this is the point that networking, let us say on the question of distance learning, will not
only involve colleagues from UCE centres but also perhaps computer specialists as well as other subject
specialists.
The particular issue that this has triggered for us, is what do we define as UCE networking? For the sake of
this report the working assumption has been that we take reported instances of networking highlighted in the
national reports as the basis. This way of proceeding may have disadvantages in some ways, nevertheless,
it does mean that the instances of UCE networking described in the following derive from the definitions
implicitly use usually applied in each of the national reports.
1. Spain
A particular focus for much of UCE in Spain is Continuing Vocational Education and Training. The National
Continuing Education Agreement which applies to University providers of CE defines CE in the following
way; "Continuing Education is defined as all those educational activities undertaken by companies designed
to improve employees skills and qualifications or retrain them and allow companies enhanced
competitiveness to be combined with individual worker education."
The existence of the national agreement on Continuing Education has itself been a great encouragement to
national UCE networking between UCE providers, companies and social partners. Formal agreements
between, for example, national representative organisations like the Spanish Confederation of Employer
Organisations, the Trade Union Confederation of Workers Commissions and a number of other national
organisations who were all signatories to the National Vocation Education Agreement which came into
existence in 1993 seem to be major factors in UCE networking.
There would seem to be considerable networking at least between different stakeholders in UCE type
activities. An example of networking at a national level which links to UCE would be the Foundation for InCompany Continuing Education, this organization involves representatives from across Spain
The structure of government in Spain is such that there are seventeen Autonomous Communities, each of
these bodies has some responsibility for University provision with its region. UCE in Catalonia for instance
has a different profile than another region, although there may well be provision in common. No reference
was made in the national report to any national UCE body. At a European level a number of Spanish UCE
centres are actively involved in EUCEN and also EU funded projects both of which would suggest
considerable networking activity at the international level.
2. Portugal
To a large extent UCE in Portugal is not seen or understood as a separate or discrete activity. Universities
tend not to have CE departments as such but rather have one or more individuals who has some
responsibility for CE work (unspecified). Although in an organizational sense UCE tends to be rather
dispersed this does not mean that UCE is not seen as an important part of University work as a whole. On
the contrary, the Rectors Council has clearly recognized the importance of UCE "universities must become
also partners of CE." What this means is that UCE is understood as a key dimension for university–society
co–operation which, along with research and training of both graduates and post–graduates, must be
considered as one of the three main functions of the university.
An important feature within universities of CE networking would appear to be the extent to which it has
begun to facilitate partnerships and connections between different departments and faculties for the purpose
of, for example, short course CE provision. In some universities cross institutional support systems have
been established which could be seen as an encouragement to networking opportunities.
The national report on UCE experienced difficulty in collecting information on the volume and type of CE
activity occurring precisely because there are few central points to collect the information from. Another
characteristic of UCE networking is the extent to which it is subject–led rather than CE–led.
Data collected from across all universities in Portugal on CE highlighted four main subject areas, Natural
Sciences, Human and Social Sciences, Engineering and Technology and Medical Sciences. In many
instances UCE will be defined in terms of post initial university education in relation to one of the broad
subject areas mentioned above.
Interesting examples of local UCE networking include the network of local centres established by the
University of Averio which demonstrate how CE partnerships with the local council can successfully operate
CE activities. In general, there is a great sense of pioneering UCE networking in Portugal.
As a quote from the national report for Portugal illustrates,"One of the problems in the dissemination of the
good practices is the incipient networking, either at national or international level. Only a few universities are
members of international networks and there are no national networks dealing with CE."
There seems every prospect that UCE networking at all levels in Portugal is set to grow considerably over
the next few years.
3. UK
UCE networking is well developed in the UK and can be seen to be operating at institutional, local, regional,
national and international levels. There are a range of organizational types at the institutional networking
level. Some UCE is delivered centrally with a complement of designated UCE staff who would be
networking with a range of subject specialist colleagues across their institution, to provide both short
vocational programmes as well part–time degree and post–graduate courses. Networking in this sense may
involve a considerable administrative role for UCE.
Research networking in UCE is fairly widespread among the UK UCE community, and often involves
collaboration between UCE centres and a range of employers and social partners. At the regional level UCE
networking can involve shared provision between a number of providers, the establishment and operation of
credit transfer arrangements can also be a service that UCE centres collaborate on.
There are two main national UCE associations which facilitate networking in the form of conferences,
seminars, mail–base and website links, professional journals and so on In addition to the national CE
groups there are a further a number of what might be described as UCE allied organisations, which might
include both UCE providers as well as others interested in CE for vocational training reasons, economic
regeneration and related reasons.
Internationally, UK UCE networking is also fairly well developed with links and partnerships being made
throughout Europe and beyond.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind as the national report for the UK emphasises that arrangements for
UCE and therefore UCE networking are also coloured by the constituent country in which they take place.
4. Austria
Although not a network in a strict sense, AITUW has a partnership agreement with the Economic Chamber
Vienna, covering co–operation in technology transfer and continuing engineering education.
Lecturers from universities are often providing courses for other CE providers; co–operation with other
providers exists at departmental and personal level.
KEBO (Conference of Adult Education Institutions in Austria) represents the most important providers in
adult education, it is formally constituted and legally recognized. Universities are not members of KEBO.
There are no national associations in continuing education.
An informal working party of Austrian universities in continuing education has been installed (co–ordinated
at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna; initiated by the Vice–Rector for Continuing Education,
Professor Schiebel) to discuss common matters and to define common strategies.
5. Germany
AUE(Arbeitskreis Universitäre Erwachsenenbildung) is a membership institution, aiming at inter–regional
support, co–ordination and representation of continuing education by higher education institutions; activities
include support of research and education in the field of adult education.
Within the umbrella organization of the AUE as a national network, networks with strong international ties
are available with the "ÀArbeitsgruppe Fernstudien an Präsenzhochschulen"(AG–F) (working group distance
study at presence universities) and with the "Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft wissendschaftliche Weiterbildung
für ältere Erwachsene" (BAG WIWA) (federal working community scientific continuing education for older
adults).
AG–F concentrated on scientific continuing education related to vocations and post–graduate courses of
study. Its aims were among others to establish an infrastructure for the supra–regional development and
distribution of provisions of (continuing educational) distance study at presence universities and to represent
the distance study of their particular university on a European level together and to participate in supraregional projects on the field of "Open and Distance Learning"(OLDDL). On the European level, AG–F is
active in several co–operative projects of its members (Euro Study Centre Platform Group of the European
Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), world congress of the International council for
Distance Education (ICDE).
BAGWIWA dedicate themselves to the task of opening up the universities for the general and vocational
interests of education of older persons and developing provisions of continuing education which meet the
interests of this group of people; internationally directed activities: eg, European Network Learning in Later
Life.
There are several co–operative forms of organisation on both regional and supra–regional levels, in which
the universities function as a partner, eg,co–operation with trade unions, co–operation with industry and
commerce, centres for education are clearly directed at professions. In order to safe–guard a broad regional
embodiment of the universities through continuing education, however, the relations to social associations
and communities have to be much stronger. Co–operation with other universities reveals that continuing
education makes use of resources of neighbouring universities to a great extent – a development which has
to be very much approved of on the whole and which shows that existing scientific competence can be
utilized without stationary ties.
Industry is a special (potential) partner, because it – with its demand of continuing education – supplies
participants with the restriction that the financing of activities will be much more difficult.
The relation to other institutions of continuing education is threefold: on the one hand private institutions are
competitors on the market of continuing education, on the other there is an obvious co–operative potential in
offering attractive programmes to particular target groups together. The co–operation, however, does not
only imply those sectors that are directed at the market, but also the collaboration in developing provisions
from the area of general and cultural continuing education that cannot yet be commercialized.
Professions in engineering and the natural sciences have a long tradition of continuing education. Unions of
vocations, as for instance, the "Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI)"(union of German engineers) committed
themselves to the continuing education of their members. Amongst others, they founded the "Technischen
Akademien".
On a programmatic level, the as–hoc group of "konzertierte Aktion Weiterbildung"(KWA) of the federal
ministry of education, science, technology and research has occupied itself with educational
politics(economic, political and cultural aspects of the European integration) and has presented
recommendation for further treatment of this thematic area.
Scientific continuing education at universities requires an organizational frame, inside which the necessary
internal and external structures and processes of communication and co–operation are established and
shaped. A corresponding professional management was institutionalized in various ways, each taking into
account the differing conditions and possibilities of realization.
Sufficient information forms the basis for any collaboration between suppliers and customers. It has to be
supported in the regional
environment, but also through contacts reaching beyond places and subjects, optimally by a supra–regional
network in which the umbrella rella organizations of both the suppliers and the customers sides work
together. Insofar as infirmation is being distributed via data banks in the future, the supra–regional
distribution of information also requires a supra–regional network. Presently, data banks are mainly
organized regionally. The compatibility of data bank systems – as it was recommended by KAW – is
therefore of special importance for the sectoral, highly specialized supply and demand of scientific
continuing education.
The federal state of Lower Saxony has a special model for the co–operation with the institutions of
continuing education in the region, especially with "Volkshochschulen". The "Zentrum für Weiterbildung"
(centre for continuing education) of Oldenburg University, for instance, publishes a yearly catalogue of
special courses ("Seminarkurse") of continuing education conducted by university teachers. From these the
institutions may choose seminars for their programmes and include it into their supply of courses. These
seminars will then be carried out on the premises of the local institution of continuing education. Funds for
financing are raised from public means according to a specified mode.
In order to be able to establish supra–regional contacts between the sides of supply and demand, the
representations of interests of competent/appointed top organizations should set up places of contact which
collaborate in the sense of supra–regional network. In this way, questions of demand and supply of scientific
continuing education reaching beyond the limits of subjects of places can be taken up and deficits can be
tackled. Part of the instruments of the regional network may also be extended for supra–regional purposes
to promote supra–regional co-operation of suppliers and customers. Insofar, there is no longer a sharp
dividing line between regional and supra–regional instruments. Particularly worth mentioning are the
following:
Consortia
Triggered by the financial support politics of the European Commission, some consortia were establishes on
a European level (EUROPACE,EUROSTEP, SATURN, European Round Table of Industrialists), in which
suppliers and clients of scientific continuing education develop and carry through joint projects.
Media
Considerations on the establishment of a supra–regional network should be assisted by the bodies
responsible of the new media.
Data banks of continuing education and consultancy of continuing education
Data banks of continuing education are increasingly important instruments of infirmation helpful for
customers. It is important to take compatibilities into account when establishing data banks, so that a supraregional exchange of information in specialist sectors is guaranteed.
The national report mentions areas of special priority for strengthening the European dimension.
NKL3D (National Committee for Lifelong Learning Germany) is currently in the phase of constituting itself as
a membership association; among the members are several universities.
6. Switzerland
Swiss universities are co–operating at international level. They have participated in numerous European
project under COMETT, ERASMUS,SOCRATES and LEONARDO Da VINCI. Most projects launched under
COMETT are still running. They are developing new partnerships, training modules, exchanges and
multimedia tools. New collaborations in Socrates and Leonardo projects are engaged.
A Working Group comprised of UCE Directors from the eight Swiss Universities comprised of UCE
Directors from the eight Swiss Universities, the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the Teachers
Professional Training Centre in Lucern or CPS has the following objectives:

to co–ordinate UCE activities in Switzerland
to disseminate information about UCE (database, joint publications, exhibitions and
demonstrations)
 to inform members about development of UCE in the Universities, Swiss and European policy
on university matters, new decisions from OFES and CUS
 to participate in research and assessment projects
to collaborate with European networks.

Sub–groups work more specifically on certain subjects like drawing up a charter for quality in university
continuing education, setting up a database on the Web, organizing a particular demonstration or exhibition,
etc.
Analyzing the economic fabric and needs either locally or Europe–wide must be the subject of special
research. Results would enable the political decision–maker to take decisions, and the universities to better
define their role as centre of excellence and skills at the service of the region.
7. Italy
CE courses organised by Regional Councils (example – Sicily).
The region of Emilia Romagna has introduced a system of connection between all the centres of CE.
ISFOL – Institute for the Development of Workers "Vocational Training,for some years now, has been
promoting a series of experimental projects aimed at training trainers through flexible and distance schemes.
It trains staff from numerous Italian enterprises.
There are numerous distance thematic networks in function or under construction: Associazione CAMPO is
a non–profit making organisation based in Siena with the aims to favour multimedia open and distance
learning through the development of national and trans–national pilot projects and the set up a monitoring
system of trainers training needs in the field of multimedia, open and distance learning and favour the
development of accompanying training measures.
DIDAFORUM ITALIA is a permanent initiative resulting from the FORUM of Infirmation Technology, which
promotes the knowledge, and dissemination of Learning Technologies (LT). Its main objectives are to
promote and disseminate the knowledge of LT within both enterprises and Public Administrations; to
optimise the implementation and development of LT based projects; to identify opportunities of collaboration
in the field at national and international level and co-ordinate the Italian participation in international events;
to organise conferences and workshops, to publish surveys and research results and stimulate the debate
among experts. DIDAFORUM is a point of reference not only for universities but also for companies and
organisations using and providing both traditional and LT based training.
NICOLE – Network Interface for Collaborative Learning – is an initiative launched by some organizations
linked to the Ministry of Universities for Scientific and Technological Research – MURST. Its main aim is to
develop a pilot network combining the interests of teachers in BBS with the potential of linking up to Internet.
Access to the network is via Internet, modern and Fidonet. NICOLE is open to all.
BDP (Biblioteca di Documentazione Pedagogica di Firenze) – Teaching Documentation Library in Florence.
The data processing of the BDP manages a diversified system of thematic connections to allow access to
the information service and databases resident on the Host Computer. This system of connections by a
remote user on public networks for data transmission, which are linked to other European and international
networks. It is thus an open system whose architecture tends to develop, whenever possible, according to a
client server model. BDP is a public organization linked to the Ministry of Education with whom it
collaborates on the development of thematic projects by means of RIDP software and which involve
numerous state schools. The BDP is the national agent for the SOCRATES programme and partner in the
Ortelius project.
At present the two main actors in the development of distance learning are CUD and NETTUNO. Both
consortia incorporate several universities and major industries in the field of new technology.
The Consortia for the University Distance Learning, CUD – (Consortia per l'Università a Distanza), was
founded in 1984. It is the main source of methodologies and technology needed to set up and manage
distance learning in universities and companies.
NET.T.UN.O Consortium (Tele–didactic Network for Universities Everywhere) is sponsored by the Ministry
for Universities and Scientific Research and is a consortium between Universities and industries to run
diploma courses at a distance. It also researches programmes on new technology for applied processing
communications of teaching and learning at a distance. The Consortium is made up of National Centre, 20
Member Universities and Polytechnics, University Technology Centres. One of the members of the
Consortium is the RAI – the Italian Public Broadcasting Company.
It is important to note that the EU should respect the autonomy of the individual member countries. The EU
should give guidelines to these individual autonomies at local and regional level and they in turn should base
their activities on these guidelines. The EU must also be a continuous source of inspiration to these local
and regional bodies. One of these guidelines stated that all those starting work should have a certain level of
qualification. If they did not have any form of qualification, then they were obliged to follow a training course.
Not all countries, however, adopted this policy. (The national report lists several proposals on the unification
of European and national directives and some initiatives which should be taken by the European authorities
in the various areas of adult and continuing education.)
8. Liechtenstein
The Fachhochschule Liechtenstein is always operating on an international level. In 1991 first actions were
set to participate in European programmes (COMETT, ERASMUS). Several projects were carried out. Since
1995 more activities were started under LEONARDO DA VINCI and SOCRATES as well as during the
European Year of Lifelong Learning –1996".
9. Greece
UCE is new as an activity in Greece, starting as late as 1992. At present 14 out of 18 universities have
centres for continuing education. The centres seem to co–operate, especially when in different EU–projects,
although no concrete examples are mentioned.
At the regional and national level, there is a newly created university (IT-?) network, which links all
universities, and through which it is supposed to provide distance education to more remote (and new)
universities.
The CCE of the National Technological University of Athens has taken a leading role when it comes to
distance education, and NTUA seems to support the use of infirmation technologies, internet,
teleconferencing and multimedia in CE of other academic areas as we...................
Co–operation is also found in EU projects within the ADAPT,Ü
ÜEMPLOYMENT, LEONARDO and
SOCRATES – programmes. No examples, explaining this co–operation in more detail, were reported.
There is no national organisation for university level continuing education. Neither is there a clear European
strategy for CE. There has been one project, where ten universities, together with EUCEN, have
investigated the potential for the Greek universities to participate in European CE projects.
10. Finland
All 20 universities in Finland have CCE's. Most of them were founded during the 1980's. Adult education is
one of the universities tasks alongside research and undergraduate education. This is documented through
statistics, through university policy and through agreements between universities and the Ministry of
Education.
Universities participate frequently in regional development projects In this way also many of the CCE
branches have developed as a result of regional and local initiatives. Open university activities are also
conducted in co–operation with local organizers, and from this year also in the virtual mode between CCE's.
(Note by PL: Education in a network between CCE's has taken place starting in 1995 in continuing
education, in the Environmental PD programme, where 11 CCE's co–operate intensively).
At the national level, there is the Finnish Council of Directors of Centres for Continuing Higher Education,
which has improved the transfer of information and also serves to further common interests.
Finnish CCE's are members of many international organizations of CE, and through them also in different
international activities. Furthermore, educational co–operation is done through the organisations
ESSAM(European Summer School for Advanced Management), EADI (European Association for
Development and Research Institutions) and MPI(Meeting Planners International). Six universities are
members of the Euro Study Centre network.
The centres co–ordinate or are partners in SOCRATES (COMENIUS & LINGUA), LEONARDO, ADAPT and
TEMPUS projects.
11. France
France has traditions from the last century in arranging courses and lectures outside the university campus.
However, it was in the beginning of 1950's that continuing education on the present meaning started. But it
seems that even if there exists a "Service Commun" at the universities, their duties and responsibilities are
strongly varying. There are 90 universities in France, and they all have, by law, included continuing
education in their activities. However, the status and level of activities is strongly varying between
universities.
There is a national organization for the directors of the centres for continuing education, Conférence des
Directeurs de Service de Formation Continue, where the directors meet two or three times each year to
discuss questions of common interest. This organization is also a negotiating party for discussions with the
Ministry of Education. The national report from France mentions no further contacts between the French
centres for continuing education in planning of activities nor in the delivery of courses.
The European co–operation is still very modest. The first experiences were within the COMETT –
programme. Later one university has co–ordinated one project within the LEONARDO – programme, and
some universities are partners in other projects. The author sees EUCEN as one channel through which the
international co–operation could be deepened.
12. Poland
The formal status of UCE seems to be varying between universities and generally of lower status than in the
other countries analyzed here. There is no national policy concerning continuing education, or the
universities role in lifelong learning or regional development. The most successful part of it is open university
activities on the local level.
There is a national organisation for the UCE, called UTKU which was appointed following an agreement
between the Polish technical universities in relation to UCE. In addition there is the organization called NOT
(Supreme Engineers Organisation) which conducts CE for civil engineers. There is no national or regional
policy in Poland concerning UCE. Neither seems there to be any considerable co–operation between the
CCE's yet.
However, the Polish national report on UCE includes many proposals where networking or co–operation is
desirable. Also a very concrete wish for a EU funded project on Distance Learning is proposed.
Among the things proposed for a European Education Policy in UCE are:



a European TV station co–operation with the CE system
uniform training programmes for certain sectors
an extension of the distance education system to Central Europe.
13. Sweden
The Swedish experience of continuing education differs very much from that in other countries. It also
seems very difficult to grasp and to get an overall picture of it. It is dispersed within the universities, and the
general responsibility is taken only by some universities.
The European dimension is mentioned in some cases, and here the Euro Study Centre network is of
importance. One SOCRATES project is mentioned.
Distance education seems to be one of the most important means in which the universities can reach the
regions. However, no co–operation between the universities is mentioned in this context.
14. Norway
There are two national organisations working with UCE. SOFF (the Norwegian Executive Board for Distance
Education at University and College Level) appointed by the Minister of Education to administer and co–
ordinate the national activities. There is established a national network consisting of contact persons from all
the individual institutions. NADE (Norwegian Association for Distance Education) is a membership
organization. Its aim is to spread the knowledge of DE and heighten its standing in society and within the
education system.
At the international level, links were mentioned with EUCHEN, EADTU,ICDE, EDEN, IFIP (International
Federation for Information Processing).
There was no infirmation available in the National Report on local or regional networking.
15. Denmark
At the national level the following were noted. DAUS (Danish Open University Co–operation) the five
universities organ for co–operation. Task, marketing and infirmation. DAOU (Danish Association of Open
Universities) organizes the Danish co–operation concerning Danish membership of EADTU. At the
international level links were mentioned with EUCHEN, EADTU and ICDE.
There was no information available in the national report on local or regional networking.
16. Iceland
At the national level co–operation with representatives from the University and the Technical College of
Iceland and four professional associations of academics which jointly offer UCE. International participation in
various European and Nordic projects. Main emphasis on projects in the field of software process
improvement (for example,ESPITI).
There was no information available in the National Report on local or regional networking.
17. The Netherlands
HOVO – Nederland is a national association with the aim of stimulating higher education for mature
students, thus creating new initiatives.
No information on international networking.
Note: Information on networking in UCE was not available for Belgium and
Co–ordinator: John STORAN
Director
Centre for Continuing Education and Development
South Bank University, London
email: storanj@sbu.ac.uk
Members:
Paula LINDROOS
Centre for Continuing Education
Abo Akademi University
Ireland
email: paula.lindroos@abo.fi
Helle OTTE
International Office
Odense University
email: hot@adm.ou.dk
Franz REICHL
University Extension Centre
Vienna University of Technology
email: Franz.Reichl@tuwien.ac.at