Universities of the Netherlands present Lifelong Learning Platform
If you're looking to improve your chances on the labour market or make the world a better place, you now have the opportunity to continue developing your skills at the university at every stage of your career. Today, the Universities of the Netherlands are launching a new online platform: www.universitairdoorleren.nl.
“Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate, says president of Maastricht University", Rianne Letschert, "The labour market continuously changes and always demands new knowledge and skills. Especially because of the great transitions our society is facing. UM wants to emphasize the importance of ‘Life Long Development’ with its current offer, and at the same time further develop the offer in that area. Participating in the LLO catalogue is a great step towards that goal. It will lower thresholds for our alumni, for other professionals and also for our own staff members.”
There is a growing demand for Lifelong Learning - it's the logical consequence of the rapid changes that are taking place in the various professions and careers, which are becoming more flexible, says Peter Duisenberg, president of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands. He stresses that both our work and the labour market have changed markedly in recent years:
"Our working lives and the labour market have undergone dramatic changes. People are increasingly aware of the importance of continuing to develop their skills. Training no longer stops at the initial qualification. We are launching this new online platform to make our existing online courses more visible to those who wish to continue learning at the university."
According to Duisenberg, this portal also meets a growing need for new knowledge and skills to solve major social issues, such as the energy transition, digitalisation and the fight against infectious diseases.
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More than 1,400 modules on offer
The fourteen universities in the Netherlands are currently offering 1,423 modules on their joint online platform, with a huge variety in terms of content, length and structure. You can find one-day workshops, such as ‘How do I develop a successful business model?’ at Delft University of Technology, a 42-day Design Thinking course at Erasmus University or a 1080-day Master’s programme in Environmental Sciences at the Open University.
The list of courses featured on the online platform changes all the time. In consultation with companies and civil society organisations, new modules are constantly being developed in line with developments on the labour market.
You can read the press release here.
Universities of the Netherlands
The lifelong learning platform is the first joint project to be presented by the umbrella organisation of Dutch universities under its new name ‘Universities of the Netherlands’. The new name "gives more recognition to our collaboration and explains precisely what we stand for together as universities," says president Pieter Duisenberg.
Recent years have seen the development of networks focusing on an increasing number of substantive themes, giving academics from the various universities the opportunity to meet and support each other. These networks include the Open Access & Science programme, the Acceleration Plan for Innovation in Education with ICT and a joint effort to tackle the shortage of lecturers.
Duisenberg: "There is a growing need for these and other networks within our association, which we wish to connect and facilitate in a contemporary way in the future. Our new name and logo underline this practice."
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