The Lifelong Learning Platform is looking for volunteers during the LLLWeek 2018 !On 3-7 December, the LLLPlatform will engage in its most iconic event in Brussels. With several debates, discussions in the EU Parliament, the LLLWeek Reception, workshops and internal working groups, there will be my opportunities to engage the education stakeholders. We are very ambitious with the LLLWeek, but also short-handed and the Secretariat is looking for extra help! Volunteers will be engaged in events activities, such as registration of participants, guiding them in the venues, and will take pictures as well as engage the audience over social media. We unfortunately do not offer compensation, but lunches wherever possible, a certificate of attendance and plenty of networking opportunities! Are you based in the Belgian capital? Interested in joining the most exciting event on lifelong learning in Brussels? Let us know! Get in touch with communication@lllplatform.eu and get a privileged perspective of the LLLWeek 2018!

On September 13, LLLP organised a European conference on innovative assessment methods for validation to present the results of its Erasmus+ project Innoval (2016-2018). Around 90 participants from 18 EU countries and 2 non-EU countries enjoyed a full-day of conference and workshops animated by 15 speakers at the beautiful venue of the University Foundation in Brussels. This was the final conference of the project coming to an end in September and was also a good opportunity to follow up on the validation festival organised by the European Commission in June 2018 and the implementation of the 2012 Council Recommendation on the Validation of non-formal and informal education (VNFIL). The Recommendation stipulates that all EU Member States should put validation systems in place by the end of 2018. The Innoval project focuses on new methods of assessment of which the goal is broader than just certifying skills, by also contributing to better include disadvantaged learners (unemployed, migrants, early school leavers, etc.) in the society and the economy. During the morning session, policy-makers and validation stakeholders at EU and national levels debated the implementation of the 2012 Council Recommendation on VNFIL, highlighting that the main issues and solutions have generally been well identified but what remains a challenge is the implementation of the Recommendation. It has been repeated that validation is a “lifelong and lifewide issue” as it concerns all sectors of education for individuals throughout their lives. The importance of the assessment in the process of validation and the need to move away from traditional examinations to increase the validity and acceptance of invisible and informal learning were emphasised. The new paradigm shift in assessment, and more generally throughout the entire validation path, must be better adapted to the learner and combine a summative approach (certification) with a formative approach (counsell, support, training offer). New tools, such as the one developed as part of the “MySkills” Project (German PES), are now better fit and allow to offer the right job to the right person with the right skills. In some countries, the VNFIL implementation is lagging behind because some stakeholders still consider VNFIL as a threat to the legitimacy of formal education and degrees (Germany for instance). It is, however, possible with obstinacy to change the mindsets. For instance, a speaker shared their experience working with Trade Unions in Lithuania and their success in making them aware of the importance of validation. In other countries, the issue rather lies in the complexity of the system resulting in low uptake of validation (Sweden). The differences in EU countries’ validation arrangements make it fruitful to share and learn from each other but this possibility must be supported by the European Union through peer learning activities. Building the trust among stakeholders within the country is key and it highly depends on transparency as regarding to what is validated, why and how. Further on, the Innoval project partners presented some innovative case studies collected during the project and the Advocacy report with recommendations to practitioners and policy-makers. In the afternoon, participants were invited to join three workshops: 1) The barriers and enablers of adopting innovative assessment methods 2) The different ways of assessing competences with concrete examples from Germany 3) The potential for upscaling in the policies of innovative approaches to validation . Based on the results from these workshop, LLLP will renew its advocacy efforts started as part of the InnoVal advocacy campaign initiated in Spring 2018 toward Member States and validation stakeholders. In the autumn, the secretariat will publish an issue of its LLLP insights newsletter on validation, showcasing interesting projects of members and partners and will prepare a Position paper on the thematic of 21st Learning environments. Programme of the conference Speakers’ PowerPoint Presentations Ernesto Villalba (EU, CEDEFOP) Martin Noack (DE, Bertelsmann Stiftung) Anja Block (DE, My Skills Project) Bie Strypens (BE, IVAN Project) Tarja Lang (FI, Omnia) Gabriella Civico (EU, Lever Up Project) >> See all pictures of the event Contact us for more information InnoVal (Innovative Assessment Methods for Validation) aims to address the urgent need to offer valid and reliable assessment methods that allow all learners to have a chance at validation with a special focus on disadvantaged groups such as migrants, long-term unemployed, and those who have had an adverse experience with formal education including with school-based assessments. Coordinator: Lifelong Learning Platform Partners: DAFNI KEK (Greece); EIESP (France); ANESPO (Portugal); UCLL (Belgium); EUCEN (Belgium) Associate Partner: Bertelsmann Stiftung (Germany)

The study, conducted by the Lifelong Learning Platform in 2016-2017, investigates the cross-sector cooperation at national level and analyses existing national cultures related to lifelong learning and the extent to which they are in line with EU policies and recommendations in five European countries. There is a specific focus on cross-sector cooperation, consultation of civil society by policy-makers and understanding of the lifelong learning concept by national, regional and local organisations. Results show that there is no shared meaning of lifelong learning at local and national levels as perceived by the responding organisations , and lack of awareness of EU policies (ET2020 and youth policies in particular). Most organisations within the same country disagree on the existence or not of national lifelong learning strategies while there should be one according to the European Commission and ASEM LLL-Hub data. Even if a strategy is in place, organisations say that it does not fully cover all dimensions of lifelong learning and sometimes the policies and political reforms are very ‘sector-focused’ instead of being integrated and comprehensive (e.g. adult education focus). Moreover, stakeholders feel that there is limited consistence between the strategy written in papers and the implementation in reality . Cross-sector cooperation practices vary a lot depending on the target country where they are applied. This difference in national consultation cultures and traditions is reflected in the survey’s answers and other research studies on the topic. The cooperation mostly focuses on the “core business” of the respective organisations in education and training, as for example training, learning materials, labour market cooperation, rather than cooperation in order to frame the national political agenda, reforms or policies in education. Overall, educational institutions and civil society organisations are not satisfied with the current level of cooperation with public authorities and regret the lack of communication on national policies which results in weak dialogue with policy-makers. The respondents consider that this is a consequence of a widespread disinterest of the authorities for such cooperation and dialogue. In addition, this is also due to the limited human and financial resources of the various education stakeholders’ to engage in policy-making. A large majority of respondents would be interested in having lifelong learning platforms at national or regional level in order to exchange best practices, develop new partnerships and be more informed about local, regional, national and EU levels in the field of education. Read here the executive summary and download the full study

The first meeting of the new Steering Committe e took place in Brussels on August 31st. The Lifelong Learning Platform is happy to announce that the Steering Committee has appointed Gina Ebner, EAEA , as new President of the Lifelong Learning Platform! The Steering Committee also appointed Giuseppina Tucci, OBESSU , as new General Secretary, and confirmed Luis Costa, EfVET , as Treasurer. Four new members took part in this Steering Committee meeting. On July 7th, the General Assembly had appointed three members for the rotational period of three years, while a fourth one was elected to fill in a vacant post. Here are the new members of the LLLP’s Steering Committee: Laurentiu Bunescu, ALL DIGITAL Tamara Gojkovic, YEU Lucie Susova, SOLIDAR Valentina Pomatto, EEE-YFU (one-year appointment) The LLLPlatform would like to wholeheartedly thank David Lopez, Eszter Salamon and Mare Oja for their invaluable contribution to the work of the Steering Committee and of the LLLP as a whole, and wish them good luck for their future endeavours.

The Lifelong Learning Platform welcomes the European Commission’s Communication “Building a stronger Europe: the role of youth, education and culture policies” and other proposals launched on 22 May as the second package of measures for creating a European Education Area. It is glad to see the commitment to ensure this Area covers learners of all age groups and sectors, including VET and adult learning, and to support Member States in improving the “lifelong-learning based nature” of their education and training systems. It is indeed high time that the European Union and its Member States place learning at all stages – ‘from cradle to grave’ – high on the political agenda. Nevertheless, it is vital to recall that lifelong learning as a holistic concept of education not only encompasses many different sectors but different types of learning – formal, non-formal and informal – often referred to as ‘lifewide’ learning. LLLP has consistently called for this holistic approach in its reactions to the first package of measures released in January and to the 2017 Communications on schools and higher education. Our key message is that recognising this diversity of learning practices and spaces, and ensuring the right conditions for effective partnerships within and between them, should be at the heart of building the European Education Area. After all, learning happens both within and beyond the four walls of the classroom, both during and long beyond compulsory education, and is demanded on a permanent basis by the pace of technological and societal change around us. “We need to look at how to connect different learning environments, objectives and outcomes as they have more in common than we may initially think, for example, parents encouraged to learn again when their children start school, or pupils and students who develop new skills through volunteering or sports – the European Education Area should take this nuanced reality of learning into account,” argues LLLP Secretary-General Ms Regina Ebner. LLLP thus calls for education and training – but also culture, employment, research and innovation – policies that match and support this vision of lifelong learning, with due attention to where they fit in national and European funding priorities. –> Read the full statement here <–

The Lifelong Learning Platform as launched this year’s Erasmus+ Survey! The LLLPlatform makes an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the Programme. This survey is conducted by the LLLPlatform to evaluate how beneficiaries have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: we asked targeted European NGOs what they think of the Erasmus+, whether they very satisfied with the new features of the application procedure, and what suggestions for improvement they would make. This year, LLLP will target European NGOs, civil society organisations and networks. Would your network like to participate in the survey? Contact us and let us know! The survey will run until 30 September 2018.

The Lifelong Learning Platform has launched this year’s Erasmus+ Survey!The LLLPlatform makes anannual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementationand shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This surveyis conducted by the LLLPlatform to evaluate how beneficiaries have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: we asked targeted European NGOs what they think of the Erasmus+, whether they very satisfied with the new features of the application procedure, and what suggestions for improvement they would make. This year, LLLP will target European NGOs, civil society organisations and networks. Would your network like to participate in the survey? Contact us and let us know! The survey will run until 30 September 2018.

VIENNA – The Annual Conference of the Lifelong Learning Platform on “Lifelong Learning Culture: A partnership for rethinking education” took place at the very beginning of the Austrian Presidency of the European Union. On 5-6 July over a hundred representatives from the education and culture sectors including political representatives, civil society organisations, academics and practitioners gathered in Vienna for the Lifelong Learning Platform’s Annual Conference “Lifelong Learning Culture: A partnership for rethinking education” . The purpose of the conference was to highlight the state-of-play and steps required to accelerate the shift towards a lifelong learning culture , inspired by recent developments at EU level including the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage and the ambitious initiative to establish a European Education Area Over the two days participants explored together a number of pressing questions such as how to define learning environments in the modern era and strengthen cooperation between these spaces across formal, non-formal and informal settings; what the barriers and enablers are, particularly in socio-economic terms, to fostering a culture of lifelong learning in the European societies; and what place culture has in our education and lifelong learning systems. Several participants emphasised the need for strong political will and commitment to build genuine synergies between education and culture and to invest sufficient resources in education in all its forms . [1] Furthermore, lively debates took place on the future role of teachers and educators as they adapt to technological and other forms of change and what this means for their relationship with the learner. Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Ms Denitsa Sacheva presented the main outcomes of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU which, during its mandate, secured agreement on the Council Recommendation for common values, inclusive education and European dimension of teaching and Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. She stressed the importance of the lifelong learning continuum from early childhood education to adult learning and the fact that we should approach lifelong learning in a “holistic, flexible and open-minded way” . Other speakers including Mr Stefaan Hermans, Director at DG EAC, and Mr Stefan Zotti, Director of OeAD – the Austrian Erasmus+ Agency – recalled the necessity of lifelong learning for dealing with societal challenges including digitalisation, migration and ageing societies. Experts from Europe and beyond provided interesting insights into the world of education and lifelong learning and its intersection with culture. Keynote speaker Prof Dr Kim Shinil, former Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister of South Korea, presented his country’s efforts in pursuing the creation of a lifelong learning society with 5-year national strategic plans and the designation of over half of the country’s municipalities as “lifelong learning cities” – where strong partnerships are sought within communities between schools, universities, NGOs and cultural centres. Building on the importance of communities, Prof Rineke Smilde, University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, inspired us with her keynote about the links between music and lifelong learning , showcasing the value of a holistic approach integrating both for health and well-being, while Prof Ulf-Daniel Ehlers, Vice-President of EURASHE, recalled the need to transform our education systems , achieve permeability and recognise that learning happens, for the vast majority, in non-formal and informal ways. Discussions with experts in interactive sessions brought to light the sheer diversity of spaces where learning can happen including in the cultural sphere and the subsequent need to make all knowledge and skills count, no matter where they are acquired . The topics under discussion will be further explored this year, notably during the 2018 Lifelong Learning Week taking place at the European Parliament on 3-7 December.   For more information, please contact: communication@lllplatform.eu [1] For more on this please read the Joint position paper “Building synergies between education and culture”

This paper outlines the vision of the Erasmus+ Coalition on the future generation of the Erasmus+ programme based on its current implementation and potential areas for improvement. The Erasmus+ Coalition , set up in 2015 by the Lifelong Learning Platform and European Youth Forum , is an informal alliance of civil society organisations with extensive experience in working with Erasmus+ and previous generations of the programme. Both organisations coordinate dialogue between the EU institutions and civil society organisations across Europe representing all categories of programme beneficiaries. We meet regularly to discuss issues of common concern in the programme implementation and to formulate common recommendations. As negotiations are now beginning on the Erasmus+ successor, it is a timely opportunity to update our 2016 position with a view to providing decision makers with concrete solutions on how to improve the programme implementation for its beneficiaries and ensure that it remains the flagship programme of the EU for education, training, mobility and youth. Here are the main points to be aware of: Accessibility and social inclusion Cross-sector and lifelong learning approach European added value and decentralisation Coordination and consistency between NAs Simplification Quality information and user-friendly programme Quality evaluation and feedback Policy support actions and civil society cooperation Read here the full text !

Alongside threats from the upload filter ( Article 13 ), the snippet tax ( Article 11 ), and the limits on text and data mining ( Article 3 ), there’s another part of the proposed Copyright Directive that has serious problems. Article 4 covers “Use of works and other subject-matter in digital and cross-border teaching activities”, and calls for a copyright exception for certain kinds of educational use. Although that is welcome, there are issues with the details of the proposal. For example, the Lifelong Learning Platform , a Europe-wide umbrella organisation active in the areas of education, training and youth, is concerned that non-formal and informal learning would be unable to make use of the exception. The group’s President, David Lopez, explains why the draft text of the Copyright Directive’s Article 4 needs to be revised. GM : Could you please introduce yourself and your organisation a little – its history and its aims? DL: My name is David Lopez and I am President of the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) which is a network of over 41 European organisations active in the field of education, training and youth, coming from all over Europe and beyond. We stand for a truly holistic approach to education, which can be seen in in our membership: we have adult education, vocational education and training (VET), youth organisations, volunteers, scouts, sports organisations, university, schools, teachers, parents, early-childhood, covering the full spectrum of education sectors and age groups. These networks represent more than 50,000 educational institutions and associations in formal, non-formal and informal learning. Their members reach out to several millions of beneficiaries. Since it was established in 2005, LLLP’s mission has been to voice citizens’ concerns on lifelong learning issues towards the EU institutions and promote more complementarity between all types of learning – formal, non-formal and informal. For us, education is really the key to foster equity, social cohesion and active citizenship. GM : How does copyright pose a problem for lifelong learning – for example, outside formal educational establishments? DL: Copyright has always been a contentious issue in formal education but the implications go beyond schools and universities to affect organisations such as libraries, museums, community centres and civil society organisations including NGOs, youth and student organisations. The professionals and volunteers working in such organisations are also providing education through free courses, peer-to-peer or community learning. The problem is that in many countries the copyright exemption for education only applies to schools or other formal educational establishments. So, in order to comply with the law, other organisations providing education are in fact required to seek permission before making certain use of copyright-protected material in their educational programmes. These provisions severely limit the pool of resources to which these educators have access – as easily accessible sources on the Internet are often still copyright-protected and cannot be used in practice. Hence, the burden to the work of teachers and educators of all types is considerable – they have to figure out whether a specific resource is copyright-protected or not, whom to contact for permission, wait for a response, see if any costs will be involved, etc., or face anxiety for being fined should they choose to bypass copyright. This situation, with the limits that it puts on the learning experience, contradicts the imperative to provide a high quality provision of education and lifelong lifelong in Europe. GM : Which parts of the proposed EU Copyright Directive particularly concern you and your organisation, and why? What are the problems? DL: Article 4 of the Copyright Directive pertaining to the mandatory exception for education is of major concern for LLLP and its members. The proposal grants the exception only to formal education establishments, which is an outdated approach given that the future of learning lies in accessing it anytime, anywhere and delivered in a variety of spaces beyond the classroom. Moreover, the provision for licensing schemes – overriding the education exception – that the proposal allows Member States to set in place, creates a dangerous precedent because it will cause further uncertainty for educators, not to mention potentially unaffordable costs. Many educational institutions, both formal and non-formal such as NGOs, adult learning centres or other small community-based organisations, are ill placed to negotiate a licence contract or are not even able to consider the possibility of purchasing a licence due to limited resources. A further problem is the potential implications for the cross-border exchange of educational resources. The proposal would restrict access to materials to a “secure electronic environment” to which only the students and teachers of the specific educational establishment would have access. This goes against the reality that many teachers are constantly and very gladly sharing their own materials with their peers from other institutions and in other European countries. GM : What would you like to see happen with those parts? DL: Article 4 needs to be re-thought from the perspective of how it can serve as an enabler, not a barrier to high quality education. We would therefore prefer to see a comprehensive exception that applies to the educational purpose underpinning the use of copyright-protected material, rather than the type of user providing the education; that covers both digital and non-digital educational activities; that cannot be superseded by licensing arrangements; and that also supports the cross-border exchange of educational materials. GM : What do you think might happen in the EU lifelong learning field if these problems aren’t resolved? DL: I am afraid that it will lead to more frustration and uncertainty for teachers and educators and, worst of all, contribute to the growing trend of commercialising the learning experience. Education in all its forms is a public good and the proposed Directive risks to undermine that. GM : Any other comments? DL: Just to conclude by stressing again that in the copyright debate EU policymakers need to recognise the nature of education and lifelong learning in the 21st century – the fact that it occurs across borders, across a variety of spaces and is provided by a diverse range of actors. The new directive should adapt to that reality, balancing the rights of copyright owners with the public interest of helping education in all its diversity to move forwards, not backwards.

On 1-2 June The Lifelong Learning Platform participated in the European Youth Event 2018 and contributed actively to the Yo!Fest 2018 . Both events took place in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, to celebrate European youth and its contribution to shaping the future of Europe. The delegation of the LLLP was composed of 11 young Europeans: from the Platform and from member organisations like ESU , EucA and EUF , we all participated to bring the lifelong learning perspective to this milestone event. In fact, the “lifelong learners” delegation took part in many activities concerning the wider topic of education inside the European Parliament. And we could not miss this chance to ask for an #Erasmusx10! The Lifelong Learning Platform was one of the partners of the European Youth Forum for the Yo!Fest: the great youth village, situated just outside the European Parliament, was the nest for over 10.000 young people that arrived in Strasbourg. In this colourful festival, LLLP was involved in the conceptualisation of one of the five external hubs, the one titled “keeping up with the digital revolution”. Here we presented two of our projects : project DIGIT and project COMANITY. The first featured a questionnaire for young people, to understand how digitally aware we are in our online world. For the second one, qualitative interviews were carried out with youth workers. The European Youth Event, which took place inside the Parliament, is a cornerstone event to engage youth in the mechanism of the European Union. And we did uphold to the task! We engaged in debates with MEPs on the renewed programme Europe for Culture, we brought in our vision of education in the discussion “Education and Training at your fingertips”, we tried to assess what active engagement in citizenship education leans, and much much more! This great experience allowed us to truly engage with young European on what matters the most for us: inclusive and accessible education systems, for all. We are delighted to having been able to contribute to the wider debate of the role of youth in Europe through our perspective.

Brussels, 7 June 2018 On 6 June the European Parliament’s Lifelong Learning Interest Group met to discuss the topic of 21st Century Learning Environments: where is non-formal and informal learning in the Future of Learning? The meeting brought together Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to discuss the concept of learning environments and explore the relationship between such environments across formal, non-formal and informal settings. In that respect, the meeting served as an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which EU policies support a modern understanding of learning environments; in other words, give value to learning that occurs beyond the formal sector . In the course of the discussions speakers highlighted a number of issues relevant to how we conceive learning environments in the 21st century, such as the need to update the traditional relationship between educators and learners, recognising the increasing role of teachers as “facilitators” rather than controllers of the learning experience; the crucial role of lifelong learning in helping people adapt to digital and other forms of change; the value of arts and humanities alongside science-based disciplines (shifting from STEM to STEAM); as well as the recognition and validation of prior learning. The need to integrate such concerns into the ongoing work of the European Commission on realising the vision for a European Education Area was emphasised by several speakers. Opening the debate, the host MEP Roberta Metsola underlined the role of informal and non-formal learning environments in gaining new skill sets, such as media literacy. She highlighted that learning is a lifelong process and education goes beyond entering the labour market after graduation. The importance of constantly updating skills in a fast-changing world was also underscored by MEP Julie Ward . “We need transferable life skills that enable people to respond to different situations in which they find themselves,” she said, explaining that this meant not only skills needed by employers, but also skills that allow learners to become active citizens . Youri Devuyst, Senior Expert at the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission, outlined the three main objectives of the new European Education Area: to give a real boost to learning mobility, to eliminate the barriers to the creation of a genuine European learning space, and to ensure that education systems are inclusive, lifelong-learning-based an innovation-driven. Several initiatives released in the past few weeks will help achieve these aims – such as the proposal for new Erasmus+ programme and proposals for Council Recommendations on mutual recognition of diplomas and study abroad periods, language learning and Early Childhood Education and Care. “What is essential to realise the European Education Area is the input of all stakeholders – teachers, youth workers and adult education centres,” he emphasised. Other speakers brought their perspectives on learning environments, ranging from formal to non-formal and informal. Caroline Kearney from European Schoolnet shared the example of the Future Classroom Lab , a reconfigurable learning space which encourages active participation of pupils. Gina Ebner from the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) looked at non-formal learning environments in adult education, such as Swedish folk high schools functioning as community learning centres. She also outlined the multiple benefits of family learning, which create a win-win for both children and parents. Marguerite Potard from World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and Michiel Heijnen from the Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) underlined the need for a holistic approach to learning, in which different stakeholders cooperate and build synergies instead of working in silos. “ We need to move from standardised to personalised learning and from formal to a combination of formal and informal ,” said Mr Heijnen. Looking at the recognition of learning outcomes acquired in non-formal and informal learning, Adam Gajek from the European Students Union (ESU) emphasised the importance of trust in validation processes both by learners and stakeholders. “The problem is not in our wallets but in our heads,” he said, calling for a promotion of validation procedures at all levels.    The many commonalities between formal, non-formal, and informal settings were evident. Although coming from different sectors, participants acknowledged the need to work together towards a 21st century definition of learning environments. The practices showcased were excellent examples of ways to modernise formal education and showed how adapting the classroom space is a useful step, but not enough by itself. As MEP Julie Ward noted, outdoor and out-of-classroom activities are just as important as other learning environments. The call for more cooperation between sectors was strongly supported by Ms Thérèse Zhang, from the European University Association, who stressed the need for a more integrated approach to lifelong learning . Discussions on how to define learning environments in the modern era and promote collaboration between formal, non-formal and informal learning spaces will continue at the Lifelong Learning Platform’s Annual Conference “Lifelong Learning Culture: A partnership for rethinking education” taking place in Vienna on 5-6 July, as well as at future meetings of LLL Interest Group this year and the 2018 LLLWeek taking place at the European Parliament on 3-7 December. Initiated in 2015 by the Lifelong Learning Platform: European Civil Society for Education and the European Association for the Education of Adults , the EP Interest Group on Lifelong Learning brings together civil society representatives and MEPs to discuss various key issues connected to lifelong learning. It believes that a long-term and holistic vision of education is the key to respond to Europe’s current challenges.