About the Conference
What is PENR3L?
PENR3L (PASCAL European Network of Regions of Lifelong Learning) is a programme designed to establish a dynamic and growing working network of expertise centres and forward-looking local and regional authorities that will work together to accelerate the growth throughout Europe of learning cities and regions, ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
What is PASCAL?
PASCAL is an international research and policy development alliance, which aims to develop, communicate and explain new and emerging ideas about place management, social capital and learning regions. PASCAL was initiated by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the University of Stirling, the Victoria Government, the Scottish Executive and Kent County Council. The Univesity of Limerick and the University of Glasgow together with the founding members have organised this international conference.
Conference Aims and Themes
PENR3L and PASCAL are combining forces to organise one of 2008’s most important conferences covering the issues of Regional Development, Social Capital and Regeneration. The conference will have the twin goals of the dissemination of the findings of the PENR3L project and to showcase the latest research findings of the PASCAL Observatory. The central themes of Regional Development, Learning Regions, Social Capital and Regeneration have been the central areas of investigation for the PENR3L Project and are the pivotal strands of the PASCAL Observatory.
The key focus will not be on regional development or the development of the learning region per se but rather the impact these have in terms of regional regeneration and development that has flowed from the efforts to develop learning regions.
The learning region has now been well defined but for the purpose of this conference it will encompass both urban and rural dimensions and is not confined to administrative or geographical boundaries. In the past much attention has been devoted to issues concerning the ability to mobilise the many and varied players in the region but the focus of this combined conference is outcomes which have been achieved. Not all efforts have been successful and in this regard papers submitted for consideration do not have to be exclusively associated with fruitful initiatives and outcomes.
Parallel sessions of presented papers, demonstration projects which illustrate good practice, and roundtable discussions will allow for debate and discussion on a range of topics associated with the central themes of the conference.
Who Should Attend?
The conference is designed to attract both researchers and practitioners across the many fields of Place Management, Social Capital, Regional Development, Lifelong Learning and Urban and Rural Regeneration. The conference will include keynote addresses, workshops and roundtable debates. It will appeal to the research and academic community working in these fields but will also be of significant interest to practitioners in these areas particularly from regional development agencies, local and national government agencies and regeneration organisations. The structure of the conference will facilitate the sharing of experiences and research findings across a wide range of interests including:
- The role of the Learning Region in developing regional Lifelong Learning strategies
- Learning how to create constructive partnerships at local, regional, national and international level
- Demonstrating the value of policy makers and practitioners from public, private and NGOs working with academic institutions
- Facing the challenges of changing demographics
- Disseminating applied research findings to end users
- Demonstrating engagement with community networks for social change