Origin and future of the Lifelong Learning Center (LLC)

From the Coordination Office for Continuing Education via the Center for University Continuing Education to the Lifelong Learning Center 

With the founding of the Coordination Office for Continuing Education (KWB) in 1990, the University of Bern laid the foundations for academically sound continuing education. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Karl Weber and later Dr. Andreas Fischer, this resulted in the Center for University Continuing Education (ZUW), an expert organization that became visible far beyond the University. Among other things, the Center was responsible for the systematic introduction of continuing education qualifications such as CAS, DAS and MAS. In 2017, Dr. Christina Cuonz took over as head of the Center and continued the development and growth of continuing education at the University of Bern with the team from the ZUW. As part of the Vice-Rectorate Development, the Center for University Continuing Education continued its reflective approach in a targeted manner and continuously addressed social and academic developments, which were particularly evident at the annual autumn conference. This ongoing examination of current challenges and strong innovative strength led to the next logical step: the transformation of the renowned ZUW into the Lifelong Learning Center (LLC) of the University of Bern.  

Lifelong Learning Center (LLC)

With the Lifelong Learning Center (LLC), the University of Bern strategically anchors lifelong learning as a core task. This is based on the University of Bern’s first “Strategy for Lifelong Learning”, which will enter into force in 2025 and responds to the increasing diversity and non-linearity of educational and career paths. The transformation of the ZUW to an LLC is not just a renaming, but a deliberate strategic step toward aligning the University with social changes and future challenges in the long term.
A key innovation is the merging of continuing vocational training with transfer-oriented offers such as the Senior Citizens’ University, the Children’s University and courses for high school students under a common organizational umbrella. As an independent service and competence center with organizational links to the General Secretariat and functional links to the Lifelong Learning Commission (see organizational chart), the LLC strengthens innovative educational formats, interdisciplinary collaboration and needs-based learning opportunities internally (for faculties and institutes) and externally (for partners and society).
This will create a networked, visible and future-oriented offering for lifelong learning at the University of Bern.