The UIL-IAU Global Survey on Higher Education Institutions’ contribution to lifelong learning is available since October 7th, 2020 and its objective is to to develop a knowledge base reflecting how and to what extent HEIs contribute to the implementation of LLL, as well as to the development of LLL as a research field, since LLL remains an insufficiently researched area at the global level.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in collaboration with the International Association of Universities (IAU), the Shanghai Open University (SOU), the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), and the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO-IESALC) were responsible for the elaboration and release of the Survey.

The results of this survey will lead to the following outcomes:

• A survey report will be produced, including an assessment of HEI’s current levels of engagement in LLL, the identification of areas where further interventions are needed and a set of recommendations for HEI’s contribution to LLL.
• The survey will inform further research on the topic as part of a comprehensive research project.
• The results will be presented at national and international conferences and events, including the IAU 16th General Conference on the Relevance and Value of Universities to Society, October 2021, which will feed into the UNESCO Future of Education Initiative and the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in 2021.
• The results will be widely disseminated to UNESCO Member States, United Nations programmes and specialized agencies, Ministries of Education, universities and other HEIs, and relevant national and international organizations, to inform policy-making and practical approaches for HEI’s engagement in LLL.