Short introduction to North Hungary Open University for Seniors   „Art of active ageing in the twenty-first century”

Lead-in thoughts:

The one of the most greatest results in the 21st century is the prolongation of life expectancy at birth. The 20th century was the era of population growth and the main distinguishing mark will be the ageing in the 21st century, at least it will be the one main mark of many.

The learning process in old age has a positive effect on development of self-confidence, of self-image. Through these developments, the process has a positive effect on health maintenance and on taking part in active social life. The experiences of many European countries prove that, the lifelong learning reduces the financial expenditure/costs of the state and the social dependency of senior people on the one hand, and improves the self-supporting, self-maintaining abilities of senior people on the other hand. Furthermore, the activity, the quality of life, the prospect of employment will be advanced with it.

The missions of North Hungary Open University for Seniors

• Ensuring the Lifelong Learning in the Northern-Hungarian region. Knowledge transfer for senior people, because knowledge is the one of the most important resource of society
• Disseminate the approach and practice of age-management in the Northern-Hungarian region.
• Increasing awareness to university research results and its promotion among senior people and their families.
• Translating of the knowledge assets in a comprehensible way, and passing on it to seniors in a productive utilizable way.
• Involving of senior people – living in the Northern-Hungarian region – to the practical tasks of ageing-research.
• Increasing the mental potential of citizens, living in t he Northern-Hungarian region ; reducing of the knowledge-gap among generations.
• Surfacing, strengthening, supporting of local values

Organizers and implementers of North Hungary Open University for Seniors

• Faculty of Arts, University of Miskolc (Language and Communication Research Group)
  Faculty representative: Csilla Dobos, dr. habil ; associate professor
• University of the Third Age Miskolc Foundation (3. KEMA)
  Representative: Dobos László, dr. ; chairman of the Board of Trustees
• Szikra Foundation
  Mónika Papp, manager
• Local Training Centers: Local Town Halls, Organizations of retired/elderly people
  Representative: varying, dependent on the event location, for example mayor, notary, manager in an organization of retired/elderly people