From 5 to 7 June 2025, experts in adult learning and education (ALE), researchers, and representatives of think tanks and universities participated in the Eastern European Professional Forum on Adult Learning and Education. This event was organised by DVV International Moldova in partnership with VHS Frankfurt.
The forum brought together 39 professionals, including heads of civil society and private organizations, academic representatives and ALE experts, from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The main objective of the event was to strengthen professional exchange on relevant ALE topics among the countries of the Eastern neighbourhood. With the support of international expertise, this exchange and networking format will contribute to a clear definition of national priorities for promoting ALE in the participating countries.
The Forum’s agenda included speeches, workshops, expert-led sessions, and a panel discussion. The topics covered were:
The legal basis for ALE promotion in Germany, using the example of two federal states;
Insights into the CONFINTEA process;
The political economy of adult learning systems – some institutional features that promote Adult Learning participation;
- EU initiatives related to skills development in adult education - Union of Skills;
ALE funding: key economic models and historical shifts that have shaped education funding.
As a result, the event enabled the participants to engage in exchanges on ALE policy, financing, governance, and stakeholder engagement. It also supported the development of national priorities and concrete next steps tailored to each country’s context. Additionally, the Forum fostered stronger regional cooperation and cross-country networking among ALE professionals.
This event was organized as part of the Continental Exchange Project 'Europe', which is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development #BMZ.