On November 14 and 15 Ulixes celebrated its 30th anniversary during its autumn meeting in Vienna, hosted by BBRZ Gruppe. This great achievement was feasted by remembering the spirit and the vision animating the founders, who gave birth to the grouping in a very different context, either in the European Union and worldwide. At the same time, members reviewed and acknowledged Ulixes’ ability to continuously update and adapt, to keep the pace and support individuals and businesses in the changing times.
Participants had the chance to learn and interact with outstanding key speakers on themes at the cutting edge of education and training.
Dr. Andreas Riepl, Head of eEducation Austria, discussed about teaching and learning in the digital era, “When the matrix becomes your classroom”, and about how to assure seamless support, quality and value to trainers and learners through online tools and environments.
Prof. (FH). Dr. Alexander Schmoelz, Professor of Digital Humanism at the FH BFI Vienna and Managing Director of the Austrian Institute for Vocational Education, reported on the National Reference Framework for Digital Competences and on the Digital Initiative in Austria, showing examples of application and their contribution as a valuable basis for the further development of digital skills in the country.
Mag. Ulrike Domany-Funtan, MBA, fit4internet in Austria, completed the scenario regarding the meaning, goals and state of play of the DigComp 2.3 standard.
Mrs. Anna Tozzi, former Professor at Università de L’Aquila (Italy) introduced members to the Capacity Building strand of the Erasmus+ Programme, highlighting objectives, opportunities and benefits, and providing specific hints for a successful proposal submission.
Member representatives took then the chance to comment, discuss and react to the suggestions received by the speakers, and convey them into their vision for the future of Ulixes.
On day two, as part of their statutory duties, the members appointed Mr. António Canhão from EDUGEP (Portugal) as the new Senior Vice President, and -also working live online with colleagues at home- they explored ideas and strategies for possible new project applications and common activities for year 2025: AI, matching soft- and digital skills, inclusion, talent detection and attraction, and micro-credentials were among the outstanding domains on stake.
The next member meeting is scheduled for January 28 and 29 in Antwerp (Belgium), hosted by Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool. Stay tuned!