From University Lifelong Learning to Lifelong Learning Universities – developing and implementing effective strategy,

This paper presents a brief overview of the state of play of Lifelong Learning development within European Universities over the period 2005-2012. It highlights the wide diversity of provision and the resulting difficulty in elaborating a common definition for University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) in Europe, even if the one proposed by EUCEN begins to be largely accepted. For the authors, this diversity hides the real implementation of ULLL provision and gives at first glance the impression to observers that ULLL has a very slow pace of development. The reasons usually evoked for this protracted pace are the lack of workable implementation strategies, the lack of an effective funding system, and stakeholders’ resistance to change. Although the authors are totally convinced of the dramatic need for an adequate funding system, the purpose of this paper is to present ways to overcome the two other difficulties. It proposes a well-founded and already proven approach and several tools designed for universities to develop their own strategy in their specific environment to become a Lifelong Learning University, involving all the relevant internal and external stakeholders. The concepts of strategy and strategizing are used and adapted to the specificities of ULL.