The Learning Region
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DOCUMENT RESUME CE 085 377 ED 479 670 AUTHOR Guggenheim, Eric Fries, Ed. Agora XI: The LearningRegion (Thessaloniki, Greece, March TITLE 15-16, 2001). CEDEFOP PanoramaSeries. Development of Vocational Training, INSTITUTION European Centre for the Thessaloniki (Greece). REPORT NO TI-49-03-894-EN-C; CEDEFOP-70 ISBN ISBN-92-896-0221-X ISSN ISSN-1562-6180 PUB DATE 2003-00-00 and Portuguese. NOTE 166p.; Also available in French GR-55102 Greece. Tel: 30 AVAILABLE FROM CEDEFOP, PO Box 22427, Thessaloniki, 31 49 01 11; Fax: 30 31 49 01 02;e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:http://www.trainingvillage.gr/ (# 5140 EN, free). For full text: http://www2.trainingvillage.gr/ etv/publication/download/panorama/ 5140_en.pdf. PUB TYPE Collected Works Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. Impact; *Educational DESCRIPTORS Adoption (Ideas); Colleges; Economic Innovation; Foreign Countries; Partnershipsin Education; *Policy Formation; *Regional Cooperation;Regional Programs; School Business Relationship; SocialCapital; *Social Integration; *Vocational Education;Vocational Schools; Vocational Training Centers Regions IDENTIFIERS *Europe; European Union; *Learning ABSTRACT This conference program describes"education and training agencies taking a leading rolein promoting innovation on a regionalbasis" following three key issues to as the focus ofthe Agora and puts forward the region itself and a be debated during it:(1) the concept of the learning critique of its strengths andweaknesses;(2) education and training agencies, including universities, asfacilitators of innovation on a regional social basis; and (3) education andtraining agencies supporting economic and cohesion in building the social economy.Papers presented at the Agora are as and follows: "Regional DevelopmentNetworks in Europe" (Stahl); "Advantages Drawbacks of the 'LearningRegion' Approach" (Richard); "Constructing Learning Regions: Contributionsfrom Social Research" (Gustaysen); "Local Partnerships in Ireland" (Crooks);"ICT Supported Innovation in Regional Training Systems" (Dondi);"South-East Europe and the Learning Region" (Baumgartl); "BulgarianContext and Emerging of Initiatives" (Pantaleev);"Developing a Local Response to the Needs from a Vocational Training"(Courbebaisse); "The European Social Economy and Welfare Regime Perspective andthe Linkage to New Social Partnerships Learning Regions" (Westphalen);"Learn While Working, Work While Learning" (Grucker); "LearningRegion as an Alternative for Enhancing the Economic and Social Dimensionin Tourist Areas. Some Reflections" (Mol,s Education and Mol,$); "Summary ofDiscussions: Promoting the Learning Region Regional Training Agencies Taking aLeading Role in Promoting Innovation on a Basis" (Nyhan). Includes an agenda and a list of participants. Most articles include references. (MO) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. :000° CEDEMP PANORAMA AGORA XI The learning region Thessaloniki, 15 to 16 March 2001 BEST COPYAVAILABLE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS Office of Educational Research and Improvement BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) *This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this 1 document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Agora XI The learning region Thessaloniki, 15 to 16 March 2001 Cedefop Panorama series; 70 Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2003 3 A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2003 ISBN 92-896-0221-X ISSN 1562-6180 © European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2003 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is the European Union's reference Centre for vocational education and training. We provide information on and analyses of vocational education and training systems, policies, research and practice. Cedefop was established in 1975 by Council Regulation (EEC) No. 337/75. Europe 123 GR-57001 Thessaloniki (Pylea) Postal Address: PO Box 22427 GR-55102 Thessaloniki Tel. (30) 2310490111 Fax (30) 2310490020 E-mail: [email protected] Homepage: www.cedefop.eu.int Interactive website: www.trainingvillage.gr Edited by: Cedefop Eric Fries Guggenheim, Project manager Published under the responsibility of: Johan van Rens, Director Stavros Stavrou, Deputy Director Foreword Education and training agencies taking a leading role in promoting innovation on a regional basis Introduction This Agora will take place at Cedefop in Thessaloniki from 15 to16 March 2001. In this note the concept of the learning region is firstly briefly outlined. Secondly, the manner in which this theme is being dealt with in the wider context of the Cedefop Research Arena (Cedra) is outlined. Thirdly, the thinking underlying the Cedefop Agoras, three of which are held every year, is put forward. Finally, a draft outline of the Agora XI programme, which deals with the learning region, is put forward. The concept of the learning region Despite the emphasis on globalisation and the prediction of the demise of place and distance, due in part to advances in interne technologies, the region or locality is continuing to assert itself as a focal point for the renewal and sustenance of social and economic life. In the context of European Union (EU) policy to promote economic and social cohesion, the actions undertaken at a regional level, for example, have been very successful. Due to their smaller scale, regions can better coordinate their planning efforts and be more flexible than larger national entities in coming up with new solutions to address everyday problems. The possibility of close personal contacts along with a feeling of communal identity and a shared history can generate commitment to work hard on a local level, building what is termed `social capital', which is not always the case on a national level. But, this is not to exaggerate the advantages of regions nor oversimplify the task of promoting economic and social advancement. Regions and localities can indeed be inward looking and conservative. Power within regions can also be held by cliques which manipulate affairs for their own purposes and resist necessary national-level reforms. Also, some economically well-off regions can be isolationalist, thinking only of their self-interests and not taking responsibility for broader national social and economic issues or engage with those outside of their own boundaries. However, even within regions which are open to innovation, progress can only take place if there are forward looking institutions and individuals who take the lead in coming up with ideas and facilitating cooperation between all of the actors throughout a region, thus raising the question of what education and training agencies can do in this regard. The word 'region' in the term 'learning region' should be interpreted in a much wider sense than that of a statutory or legally defined region. In very many cases learning regions may 6 refer to small scale communities, localities, towns or villages involved in collaborative learning activities. The important feature is that development is a collective process to produce an outcome that is in the interest of all concerned and in which top-down and bottom-up developments form a dialectic. Successful partnerships, therefore, reflect local circumstances, are not imposed and do not follow a standard model. In the concept of the learning region being put forward here, the focus is on achieving social and economic objectives in an integrated manner. Regional learning initiatives entail empowering local communities (through the involvement of people from different interest groups) to enhance their living standards and quality of life, both from economic and social points of view. The word 'learning' in the term 'learning region' of course raises the question of the role of education and training agencies in the promotion of learning in a regional context and how they might act as catalysts or as active partners with others in this respect. In the first place, the concept of learning in a regional context needs to be clarified. Traditionally, education and training establishments see their main role as being providers of teaching and training (learning) to individuals who, on graduation join other bodies (enterprises, public or community agencies, etc.) to utilise their learning. This can be referred to as a linear way of thinking about learning and is typical of formal learning in initial education and training. Another way of looking at the learning process, which is not so prevalent, but is at the heart of the thinking about the learning region, is that which can be called interactive learning. This refers to social and organisational learning that arises in the course of cooperation between different bodies and interest groupstechnological and social research/development agencies, educational institutes, companies, social partners,