The European universities agreed to reinforce in 2008 their role in the permanent teaching as a way to go in depth in the social dimension of upper education and to assist the demands of a society in transformation. In particular, the European Association of Universities (EUA) approved a Declaration of the European Universities on learning throughout life according to which the university will assume an important commitment in this field in order to face the demographic changes in the European society and, in particular, the increase of senior population who want to complete their upper formation, the contribution to increase the integration of immigrant collectives and the necessity to pay attention to the formative requests of people affected by the economic cycle.
From this field of Continuous training is it is included diversified actions of education, from specific postgraduate education in the Cultural Learning Opportunities for seniors. To cover this demand, universities may act on their own or in collaboration with other institutions, employing entities and workers’ association.
Teaching throughout life involves meeting the demands on education from the universities of a homogeneous profile of students, with different motivations and interests.
On the whole. It implicates a different conception of training at the university, which is not just limited to a single stage of life, but it also facilitates the return of former students to university with specific programs with the aim of improving, updating and widening their learning process.
Learning development throughout life is very linked with the social function of the university as they coincide in objectives like:
•Giving a training which makes the autonomous learning easier.
•Divulgating the knowledge
•Encouraging the personal or professional development
•Promoting environmental knowledge
•Facilitating the university students’ access to university at any stage of their life
•Improving life quality or strengthening collaboration, participation or intergenerational relations' development
