European Projects and Funding

Introduction

One of Linking London’s key objectives since 2010 has been the bidding for and securing of additional funding sources.

In the current climate this became more urgent and increasingly competitive. Therefore joint/partnership bidding for funds was a more efficient and effective way of accessing funding, particularly from the European Union.

Europe

In March 2011, Linking London submitted a bid to the flagship European funding programme in the field of education and training, the EACEA, for a project to platform the work of the network over the last 5 years, with a particular focus on the effect which social class and gender can have on participation in HE.

We made good use of help and advice from colleagues at the The Higher Education European Funding service (HEEFS) www.heefs.ac.uk, (which has since become EU funds for HE www.eufundsforhe.org.uk)  in preparing our bid and found out that we were successful at the end of July 2011.  We are in the process of finalising the legalities and aim to start the 2 year project in October 2011

Our subscribing network partners will have the opportunity to get involved with this comparative project, and potential staff mobilities, looking at similar systems and learning from institutions in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Contact k.burrell@linkinglondon.ac.uk to register your interest in working with us on this project.

European networking

Earlier this year Linking London joined The European Association for Lifelong Learning (EUCEN) (www.eucen.co.uk) as an associate member.  One of EUCEN’s aims is “to contribute to the economic and cultural life of Europe through the promotion and advancement of lifelong learning within higher education institutions in Europe and elsewhere” by providing “a forum for the development, interchange and dissemination of innovation and good practice on lifelong learning within European higher education”.

Also, Linking London is named as an associate project partner in the Association of Colleges bid “New approaches, new skills for social inclusion”, which was launched in May 2011 at the House of Commons and runs for one year in the first instance.

If you are keen to work with us to explore and platform the work of your institutions and that of the Linking London network in Europe, please get in touch for a preliminary discussion with k.burrell@linkinglondon.ac.uk