briefing papers for policy makers

Briefing Paper 40
Research Institutions:
ISFOL, IT
IVLOS, University of Utrecht, NL
BFER, University of Bremen, DE
Contact address:
Dr. Michael Kuhn
Universität Bremen
SFG BFER
Enrique Schmidt Strabe 7
Bremen 28359
Germany
Tel. +49-421-218.42.80
Fax. +49-421-218.48.96
mkuhn@zfn.uni-bremen.de
This project cluster has been funded by
DG-Research under the Key Action
“Improving the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base” of FP5
Towards the Learning Economy: conclusions from
FP4 and FP5 projects to shape European policies in
education and training
Context
A key aim of the European Council, the European Commission as well as many
national and political stakeholders is to actively change Europe into a “Learning
Society”, a “Learning Economy” or a “Knowledge Based Economy”. It is
widely believed that only by making 'lifelong learning' a reality for European
citizens can individual and regional competitiveness be ensured. Therefore such
a move towards a 'Learning Society' has far reaching economic, political and
social implications.
This project has established an education and training “cluster” to investigate
these implications, especially with regard to learning policies and education and
training practice, by valorising past and present EU research projects in the field
of education and training from this perspective.
Key Objectives
The objectives of the Cluster are to:
• Evaluate the outcomes of previous and present European socio-economic
research projects in the field of education and training (funded under the
European Commission IV and V Framework Programmes) with respect to
the Learning Society debate.
• Initiate a European and international dialogue among different research
disciplines related to the issue of learning in learning economies/learning
societies.
• Critically review the scientific debate, concepts and research relating to
issues of learning economies/learning societies.
• Initiate a dialogue with practitioners and policy makers in related fields in
order to arrive at conclusions for European education and training policies.
Key Results
The project finished at the end of July 2003. A number of workshop reports
have been produced:
� "Learning in learning economies -A critical debate on learning economy theories,
discussion of E&T cluster valorisation measures (Workshop One, September 2001).
� "New contents of skills and knowledge" (Workshop Two, February 2002).
� "Learning and information and communication technologies" (Workshop Three,
May 2002)
� "Living, working and learning in the learning society -the perspective of the learning
citizen in EU funded research" (Workshop Four, February 2003).
Based on the project’s final conference “The learning citizen in EU-research”
(May 2003), two reports will be produced covering the key issues for policy
makers and for research workers.
The results of this project are available at the project web site:
http://www.learningcitizen.uni-bremen.de/index.php
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