USING FLLLEX RESULTS IN DEVELOPING AN INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY ON

LIFELONG LEARNING:EXISTING IMPLEMENTATIONS AND

DISCOVERED IDEAS

GÖKAY ÖZERİMYAŞAR UNIVERSITY - TURKEYFLLLEX

THE AIM: The aim of this presentation is to share lifelong learning

strategy analysis of an HEI by explaining prominent inferences, with existing implementations and discovered ideas derived /obtained from the process of FLLLEX project.

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AS A BACKGROUND:LIFELONG LEARNING AND TURKEY

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REMARKABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKEY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Young and Dynamic Population: It is expected that 70% of

population in Turkey will be working age in 2020.

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Due to the university entrance exam system in Turkey, many people cannot enter and follow the university department that they wish.

Therefore, new learning opportunities after formal education period is a need of Turkish public and also there are many people who would like to follow courses and programmes that they couldn’t enter due to the university entrance exam.

REMARKABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKEY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

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There are several LLL opportunities in Turkey but the missing link is the «institutional LLL strategy»

Many LLL providers act as a stakeholder in Turkey. Public and Private Sector Institutions & Organizations and also

NGOs offer Lifelong Learning through non-formal education and training.

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Institutional Experience in FLLLEXYAŞAR UNIVERSITY

IZMIR-TURKEY

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Yaşar University is established in 2001 as a foundation university by one of Turkey’s leading corporate groups, Yaşar Holding.

It is located in Izmir, the third biggest city of Turkey, on the western coast.

The number of registered student is around 4.220 and the number of academic staff is around 400.

Academic programmes: Yaşar University has 7 faculties, 25 undergraduate programmes, 10 vocational school programmes, 11 master and 4 PhD programmes.

The only used credit system is ECTS and all programmes designed consistent with Bologna Process.

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YAŞAR UNIVERSITY

Yaşar University has a comprehensive strategic plan for the period from 2011 to 2015 which was prapered by the

participation of all relevant stakeholders. Three tiers of this strategy are “embeddedness, “experiential

learning” and “internationalization”. “Being a city university” is the general base of all university

strategy. The strategy foresees to design an approach according to needs

and demand of the local community.

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Yaşar University does not have any specific policy or strategy paper just related with the lifelong learning.

However, university has many opportunities related with the LLL and these opportunities based on the general university strategy and regulations.

LLL is a concept which may be highly associated with the “embeddedness” policy of the Yaşar University with the local community.

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FLLLEX Project and particularly FLLLEX Radar was helpful for discovering university’s existing LLL opportunities and the new ideas to improve it.

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What is derived from the FLLLEX Project?

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To use more advantage of strong ties with business community Existing: Yaşar University is a foundation university of Yaşar

Holding so actually has strong ties with the business community. Discovered: Yaşar University might use actively these networks in

development of the new LLL offers. Employers and companies should be more integrated to the

learning process and educational opportunities at Yaşar University. In design of the new lifelong learning offers, learners think that to

see and hear from the actual life is quite important. Therefore, business and university should be more integrated and learners should be familiar with the implementation process of their learning.

Partnership should be established and strengthen with trade associations and professional chambers.

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Existing: Yaşar University is in strong communication with companies in the region. For instance in 2010, lecturers from Yaşar University Graduate School have started to visit the free trade zone companies, SMEs and trade institutions to promote graduate programmes.

Discovered: Tailor-made programmes specificaly for the companies might be designed.

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To design more tailor made programmes

Existing: Yaşar University has several graduate programmes and they are open to everyone

Discovered: There are general conditions to enter the programmes such as passing through some central exams.

In this context, more flexible LLL opportunities (such as certificate programmes) should be developed for the people who cannot benefit from the formal education opportunities due to the exam requirements or any other reasons.

To design more flexible education and training opportunities

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To consider different need groups-1 Existing: Institutional cooperation and projects with public

bodies. Discovered: Public officers need LLL opportunuties It is generally percieved that professional development is static

in public institions in Turkey. University may create a refreshing impact in this field.

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Existing: Yaşar University has a strategy to follow graduates and to assist them for employment.

Discovered:Yaşar University graduates may be perceived as a LLL learner after their graduation and complementary training programmes may be prepared for them as a LLL opportunity. LLL opportunities may fill the gap in transition from academic life to professional life.

To consider different need groups-2

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Existing: Yaşar University Continious Education Centre offers many training and certificate programmes and a member of EUCEN .

Discovered: Parents of the Yaşar University students might be considered as a stakeholder and they might be integrated to the university life with the lifelong learning opportunities offered by the university.

To consider different need groups-3

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Existing: University’s institutional strategy foresees to design an approach according to needs and demand of the local

community. Discovered: A comprehensive need analysis in the region

should particularly include Lifelong Learning aspect .

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To make a need analysis specifically for LLL needs

To evaluate and design activities of the university as a LLL opportunity Existing: Yaşar University organizes several activities

(seminars, training programmes etc.) open to public. Discovered: LLL activities specifically should be perceived also

as a tool for the universities in order to share their knowledge with the local community.

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What else? University has a prestigious position among the other lifelong

learning providers. EU Projects and Lifelong Learning Programme are important

tools to familiarize institution to the LLL concept. Mobility and lifelong learning are hand by hand.

LLL is also a tool for the development of the institutions’ human resources. Therefore, academic and also administrative staff also might be included and encouraged to the lifelong learning activities.

The e-learning-distance learning is an effective way in giving education without time and space constraints therefore this method should be considered as a tool in LLL

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THANK YOU

GÖKAY ÖZERİMYAŞAR UNIVERSITY

EUROPEAN UNION CENTREIZMIR / TURKEY

gokay.ozerim@yasar.edu.tr