The talks were facilitated by Balázs Németh, eucen. David Lock, Magna Charta Observatory opened the discussion with an input on the ‘value of values’ in higher education. The rights of universities as autonomous institutions he suggested, must be safe guarded; teaching and research must be inseparable and most of all universities as “the trustees of the European humanist tradition…[must]affirm the vital need for different cultures to know and influence each other”. The economic purpose of education was addressed by Simon Broek, VET who spoke about cooperation between the world of education and the labour market calling for expanding work based practices in education.
Josephine Finn, Maynooth University (IE) spoke about the social purpose of university adult education positioning it with the consciousness raising ideas of Paulo Freire and its role in promoting personal and collective agency and emancipation.
The discussions closed with feedback from group work that recommended support from university leadership for LLL. In an unpredictable future the question was raised about the role of social relations in creating the conditions for a happy life.