Towards an organisational model of ‘interface’ university structure as a means of serving Lifelong Learning needs

Abstract

The paper conceptualises on the experiences of the Centre of Information Society Technologies (CIST), Sofia University, Bulgaria, in serving the learning and training needs of non-university audiences who fall in situations that can be described as lifelong learning-determined. In developing this conceptualisation we use the research findings and policy agendas in two distinct areas – Lifelong Learning, and Higher Education Systems. More specifically we explore the organisational and management issues and challenges of the quite interesting situation of a structure behaving “in between” the market shaped lifelong learning demands, and the rules and practices of “classical university” structures to which CIST is subordinated. As a result of these three streams of thought and practice we outline an ‘interface’ model of university interdisciplinary structure, which aims to explicitly meet the demands of the lifelong learning market.