An age-friendly university in Slovenia

Age-friendly universities are a long-term vision of modern societies oriented towards sustainable development. They should enable the equal participation of older people in the teaching and research activities of universities at formal, informal and occasional levels. During the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Slovenia clearly identified the issue of the integration and opening up of the European Higher Education Area as a means of overcoming the economic and social crisis the region is facing, in particular the consequences of demographic change and the pandemic, and of ensuring sustainable development. The involvement of all generations, including the older population aged 55+, in all forms of higher education in the context of open, for­mal lifelong learning is key to achieving the objectives of smart ageing.

The European University Association (EUA), in its vision document “Universities without Walls”, published in 2021, argues that our evolution towards knowledge so­cieties has placed universities at the centre of human creativity and learning, which is fundamental for survival and societal success. As such, universities have a responsibi­lity for social and sustainable development that should ensure a quality of life for all. The aim of establishing a lifelong higher education system that is open and responsive to individual needs and interests is to ensure the acquisition of knowledge competen­ces in order to adapt to the needs of the labour market and ensure the quality of life in an ageing society.