Study visit to Brussels

Study visit to Brussels

Visitors group with Heinz K. BECKERBrussels, September 2013. The group of policy makers and experts in adult education from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia attended the Brussels Study visit which took place from 16 – 18 September 2013. The visit was organized by European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) in cooperation with Adult Education Society and support of dvv international. Its purpose was to provide a meeting and initiate cooperation among Western Balkan and EU policy makers and experts, representatives of NGO and think-thank organizations which are involved in adult education and carrying out its missions at EU level. Even more, they had an opportunity to deepen knowledge and understanding of the EU policy in adult education, the European Union’s institutional structure and the institutions and to become more familiar with trends and issues in adult education at EU level. Thus, they shared an example of good practice among each others and define possible framework for future cooperation. The visit was organized around two activities: meetings in EAEA headquarters with representatives of EU organizations and meetings in EU institutions. The host EAEA Secretary General Mrs. Gina Ebner had been facilitating all activities and closely introduced EAEA organization to the participants. In respect to first round of meetings, experts listened presentation and discussed with representatives of EUCIS-LLL (The European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning), EAEA (European Association for the Education of Adults) and SOLIDAR organization. In other case, they visited European parliament, EU Commission DG EAC, Brussels liaison office of the ETF and thus had an opportunity to discuss with policy makers in EU who are in charge of adult education. As the results of meetings, experts and policymakers highlighted importance for further cooperation EAEA with the region. According to this issue, participants expressed necessity for establishing Western Balkan network for LLL and AE in order to become more represented in the international projects on AE and to have more effective advocacy of adult education. Further, in light of further regional activities, participants emphasized lack of information about ERASMUS +. They are more than interesting in to be informed about fund opportunities and possibilities for participation in an upcoming European program. And eventually, besides other important questions that were raised, recognition and validation of nonformal and informal learning has been particularly concerned. Participants concluded that platform at the regional level should particularly address issue of RPL.