PL4SD: Peer Learning Initiative for the Social Dimension (PL4SD)

PROJECT CONSORTIUM:

Institute for the Development of Education / The Institute for Advanced Studies (Institut für Höhere Studien) (IHS) / DZHW-German Centre for Research on Higher Education and Science Studies / European Students’ Union

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:

Peer Learning Initiative for the Social Dimension (PL4SD) was a three-year project (2012-2015) funded by the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus Multilateral projects).

The objective of the PL4SD project was to provide policy-makers and practitioners with resources to develop effective measures for ensuring the social dimension of the European Higher Education Area.

MAIN OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the PL4SD project was to provide policy-makers and practitioners with resources to develop effective measures for ensuring the social dimension of the European Higher Education Area.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

• ensuring transparency in current developments, allowing the actors in the field to assess their own performance as well as to monitor their progress towards reaching the targets set within the EHEA,
• stimulating international exchange and debate on policy measures and adding more creativity to tackling difficulties within the field of the social dimension in higher education,
• enabling peer learning and easing the implementation of policy measures by other countries, higher education institutions and students’ organisations,
• structuring the information and collecting relevant reports and research on social dimension policies, providing a solid basis for further research,
• informing national and international policy makers and stakeholders in all countries of the EHEA regularly during the lifetime of the project about its progress towards these goals.

MAIN RESULTS OF THE PROJECT:

• Development of an on-line database on measures to improve the social dimension of higher education
• Three case studies (on Croatia, Lithuania and Armenia) have been drawn up on the social dimension of higher education
• Two project conferences on the topic of social dimension in higher education were held