The annual HELLIN conference will take place at the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) on December 11, 2019 with the theme of "Lifelong learning: Preparing For Our Future World". The Organising Committee is now issuing a Call for Papers and Poster presentations.

This year’s conference will focus on how Lifelong Learning can help prepare us for our Future World. The conference aims to explore how Lifelong Learning is responding to a changing external environment and how shifts in policy, practice and innovations are helping shape our future. The HELLIN conference is an opportunity for researchers, practitioners, learners and policy makers to discuss these shifts, share practice and research and debate the issues facing all those involved in Lifelong Learning. The conference themes are:

1.  Policy

• The Future for Lifelong Learning
• New Life and Work Trajectories; Re-balancing social and human capital in Lifelong Learning
• International policy developments to support Lifelong Learning

2.  Practice

• The Changing Role of the Lifelong Learning Practitioner
• How the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can facilitate access for Lifelong Learners
• Emerging practice, methodologies and pedagogies in Lifelong Learning

3.  Innovation

• Partnership and collaboration for Lifelong Learning
• How can technology support Lifelong Learning?

Paper and poster presentations proposals should be no more than 300 words and include, beside the general information, information on: aims/objectives; main perspective/ theoretical/conceptual framework; research methods; data sources or evidence; results and/or conclusions; its significance in connection to the conference themes.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30 September 2019.

Abstracts should be submitted  online at https://hellin.ie/2019-annual-conference/

The Conference Organising Committee of HELLIN 2019 is responsible for the selection of the submitted abstracts. Please make sure that your submission contains following elements:  the title; type of session; the name and e-mail address of the author(s); abstract  in word format.

All authors attending must register for the HELLIN 2019 Conference online at https://hellin.ie/2019-annual-conference/

Submitted abstracts will be made available to the participants electronically well before the Conference. Selected papers/contributions will be published after the conference.

Conference Fees:

The conference registration fee is €50.
A reduced rate of €25 is available to students and those in receipt of benefits.
The conference web site is www.hellin.ie.

About HELLIN: The Higher Education Lifelong Learning in Ireland Network (HELLIN) is an all island body that advocates for the interests of the adult and mature student populations in universities and institutes of technology across the island North and South. Its aim is to inform policy relating to all aspects of adult education and lifelong learning whether these be Workplace or Work-based Learning, Continuing Professional Development, Recognition of Prior Learning, Adult and Community Education and older learners. We seek to establish Lifelong Learning and Lifespan Learning as the norm and to communicate with policy makers and the general public the idea that returning to education at different life stages for either personal or career development has benefits to both the individual and wider society that go beyond the mere acquisition of awards and qualifications but that continued study is reward in and of itself.

About the conference host, Waterford Institute of Technology: WIT is the major provider of higher education in the South East region of Ireland and one of the largest IOT's in Ireland. The Institute's range and scope reflect the changing needs of the southeast as well as the country as a whole. The range of academic programmes is extensive, from Higher Certificate through to post-doctoral research and covering the Humanities, Health and Nursing, Science and Informatics, Engineering and Architecture, Business and Education. WIT has been a leader in the Irish higher education sector with regards to the provision of lifelong learning opportunities and access for disadvantaged groups. The School of Lifelong Learning and Education is the newest School in WIT and was established in 2004. The School is home to two academic departments (Education and Lifelong Learning), the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning and the Literacy Development Centre, the national centre for professional development for practitioners working in adult literacy.

The School is responsible for leading the development of flexible, part-time and technology enhanced programmes across the Institute specifically targeted at adult learners. The Education faculty in the School is responsible for the design and development of programmes for educators, research into the field of education and engagement with education partners at a regional, national and international level.