DUB launches magazine about lifelong learning

Lang zullen we leren! (We'll be learning for a long time!) is the title of DUB's latest print magazine, a wordplay with the Dutch birthday song Lang zal ze leven (They will live for a long time). For most graduates, a bachelor's or master's degree is no longer the end of their education.

Whether it's a course to brush up on existing knowledge, acquire new knowledge or learn a whole new subject, the Dutch government and many employers find that people must keep learning. They argue that the world is changing so fast that those who stand still will miss out on opportunities in the labour market. There are several providers of continued education, so why shouldn't Utrecht University also embark on this path?

The university has also recognised the changes in the labour market and the world. Students no longer stay at the same job their entire lives. Instead, they hop from company to company, often needing to acquire new knowledge or refresh the knowledge they already possess.

Furthermore, the professionals of today are affected by new technologies such as AI, the need to transition towards a sustainable economy, increasing polarisation, and wars. They need up-to-date knowledge to deal with all of this, based on recent research.

UU is a comprehensive university with a wide range of disciplines, and research underpins its work. The university considers it its social responsibility to transfer this knowledge not only to bachelor's and master's students, but also to others who need it, says UU President Wilco Hazeleger in his foreword. ‘By doing this, we train students and professionals to become critical global citizens with an eye for the importance of an open society and a healthy planet.’

UU also has a dean of Lifelong Learning, Wieger Bakker, who was tasked with expanding the Continuing Education programme, first launched in 2016. The programme will be fully mature by January 2026, meaning that the entire university will offer courses for graduates and professionals.

A new role for lecturers
The magazine features an article about how Utrecht University started offering extension courses and how the Continuing Education programme has evolved. The range of courses on offer is diverse, both in terms of content and teaching methods. Utrecht University offers training courses delivered in the workplace, as well as traditional courses, learning pathways, master's programs, and workshops ranging from one to several days in duration.

Nevertheless, several lecturers and staff members involved in this type of education feel that the university has not yet fully achieved its goals. One of the things they criticise is that the university should not be the one determining what constitutes an interesting programme; rather, the market should do so. After all, extension courses are not funded by the Dutch government in the same way as bachelor's and master's programmes. This means that such courses cannot operate at a loss.

Teachers often have to adjust to their new role, as another article in the magazine illustrates. However, once they have worked with professionals, they often become enthusiastic about Continuing Education. Not only do participants absorb knowledge “like sponges”, they also bring knowledge with them, which they pass on to both their fellow students and their teachers. “This is knowledge exchange, and that's part of the programme's success,” say Edwin Buitelaar, Professor of Land & Property Development, and Anne van Ewijk, Assistant Professor of Economics. 

DUB also spoke with students enrolled in extension courses. They explained their decision to return to the lecture halls and the reasons behind their choice of Utrecht University. According to figures from Statistics Netherlands from 2023, highly educated people between the ages of 36 and 55 are the most active in seeking ways to further their education. The four master's students DUB talked to say that they can see themselves returning to school yet again after they graduate.

However, Professor Tanja van der Lippe warns that too much stress in life is not conducive to lifelong development. In the magazine, Van der Lippe shares tips for employees, employers on how to reduce work-related stress – tips that are, in fact, useful for the whole of Dutch society.

You are never too old to learn, affirm the UU-based brain scientists Albert Postma and Jeroen Pasterkamp, who explain that although our brain no longer grows after a certain age, people use previously acquired knowledge to gain new knowledge.

Though it may be painful for those who believe there are differences between generations when it comes to work. According to organisational scientist Jasmijn van Harten, there is no evidence whatsoever for this generational thinking.

Current topic
Lifelong learning is a current topic. The Dutch government encourages people to continue learning in various ways, due to the changing labour market, labour shortages, internationalisation and the growing number of skills that people need at their jobs.

The Dutch government also stimulates initiatives in this area, such as cooperative projects between educational providers in Utrecht – including Utrecht University – and local companies to provide employees with further training at their own level.

The magazine also looks to the future. If lifelong learning is essential, the government should make it financially accessible to everyone. The Social and Economic Council advocates a personal learning budget.

Dean Wieger Bakker, who regularly consults with the government on lifelong development through the association of Dutch universities (UNL), also hopes that the next cabinet will allocate the funds to do so. Currently, the costs are borne entirely by the student or the employer. Previous provisions, such as deducting part of the costs through taxes or using the Stap budget, no longer exist.

However, it remains to be seen what the upcoming elections will bring. As far as we know, only three political parties mention lifelong development in their election manifestos.

The magazine is available as of this week in several buildings across Utrecht University. You can also pick up a copy at DUB's newsroom, located at the Utrecht Science Park in the Administration Building, room 0.38A. The magazine will also be sent to all Utrecht University alumni in November, alongside Illuster. All the articles in the magazine can also be found on our website, where you will also find several exclusive articles. Click here for an overview.