Posted in 2025
Towards an impactful university lifelong learning offer. Learning for life with TU Delft
Innovative practice paper written by Bertien Broekhans, Elke Spiessens and Cora van Haaren published in European Journal of University Lifelong Learning in 2025.
Abstract
Lifelong learning (LLL) is gaining strategic importance in universities as societies face urgent challenges in areas such as digitalisation, energy transition, and climate resilience. Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to serve not only degree-seeking students but also professionals in need of flexible and relevant learning opportunities.
This paper explores how TU Delft, a public university of technology in the Netherlands, has worked to integrate LLL into its institutional strategy and daily practice. It focuses on the tensions between the established structures and culture of the university – largely shaped by degree education and research – and the emerging demands associated with continuing education. Through a decade of experience with open and online learning, internal and external collaboration, TU Delft is gradually adapting its organisation, governance, and educational offer. This paper reflects on the challenges encountered, the strategies employed, and the lessons learned. The analysis may offer useful insights for institutions in similar contexts that are exploring how to develop and sustain an impactful LLL offer alongside their traditional missions.
Keywords
Lifelong learning, institutional innovation, impact-driven, technology context
Reference
Innovative Practice chapter |https://doi.org/10.53807/0902p29L
Broekhans, B., Spiessens, E., & Van Haaren, C. (2025) TOWARDS AN IMPACTFUL UNIVERSITY LIFELONG LEARNING OFFER. LEARNING FOR LIFE WITH TU DELFT.,
in
Enhancing University Lifelong Learning Cultures. European Journal of University Lifelong Learning (EJULL), 9(2). © eucen 2025.2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53807/0902o2tH | ISSN 2789-4029.
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License
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), which permits reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator, the purposes are non-commercial and distribution of remixed, adapted or build upon material should be released under the same license.