The International Programme on Adult Education, University of Minho/2000 (IPAE) was a training programme that was developed from February to May 2000. It was organised by the Unit for Adult Education of the University of Minho (Portugal), co-ordinated by Licínio C. Lima, Head of the Unit for Adult Education and Full Professor of the Institute of Education and Psychology, with the international co-ordination of Professor Herman Baert from the Catholic University of Leuven.

The programme was funded by the ERASMUS Programme/European Union and the following Universities participated:

- Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
- University of Berlin (Germany)
- Catholic University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands)
- University of Helsinki (Finland)
- University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
- University of Rome 3 (Italy)
- University of Patras (Greece)
- University Paul Valéry (Fance)
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain)
- University of Prague (Czek Republic)
- University of Minho (Portugal)

It was open to European Union students, mostly master students, and it was conducted in English by professors from the mentioned Universities. The main theme was Continuing Education and Adult Education in Europe, and was developed in classes, with oral exposition of the subjects, workgroups, field visits to interesting adult education activities existing in the Northern Portugal, and seminars with the participation of professors from other Portuguese universities, policy makers, professionals of the field, community animators, educators, trainers, etc.

What about the University of Minho and Braga

Braga is a town located in the Minho region at the northwestern corner of Portugal. The river Minho, which has given its name to the region, is the natural border between provinces of Minho, in Portugal, and Galicia in Spain.
The town has a long past and was the place for the establishment of different civilisations, in particular the Romans that lived in Braga 2.000 years ago. This long past can be seen by the large number of monuments, especially churches, that it is possible to find in town and in the surroundings.

Today it has approximately 150.000 inhabitants living in town and in the surrounding region. It is the third major town in Portugal and is about 50 Km from Porto.

You can find more information about Braga on the following web sites:
-  http://s700.uminho.pt,
- www.acbraga.pt,
- www.bragavirtual.pt
 
The University of Minho is a public higher education institution founded in 1973. It began its courses in 1975/1976. Since then, the number of students and degrees has been increasing, and today one can say that the University of Minho is one of the largest universities in Portugal as well as one with the most dynamism, characterised by its academic activities and its young academic staff, both professors and researchers.

Most teaching and research take place on either Gualtar Campus in Braga or Azurém Campus in Guimarães, 20 km away from Braga. Most technological courses are taught in Guimarães, but science, economics, education, management and arts are predominantly based in Braga. In the academic year of 1998/1999 there were over 15.000 students and some 1.000 academic staff.

You can find more information about the University of Minho on the following web site: www.uminho.pt.

The classes of IPAE were held in Braga, in the University building of Rua Abade da Loureira, in the town centre, where the Unit for Adult Education is. Students had classes from Monday to Friday. The field visits or the seminars took place on Wednesdays. During the weekend students were free to travel around or to study and do their homework and papers.

The International Programme on Adult Education (IPAE) students’ stayed at the students’ residence halls – the University Residence Hall Prof. Carlos Lloyd Braga and the Santa Tecla Residence Hall. In the students’ residence halls, two or three students shared each room. For the others that stayed in apartments or guest houses it was possible to choose to stay alone or with other colleague.

Students that stayed in the Prof. Doutor Carlos Lloyd Braga Residence Hall can walk to the Campus, it’s 500 meters away. The students that were at the Santa Tecla Residence Hall came to classes by bus, by bike or walking.

Professors stayed at the Hotel D. Sofia, down town.

Students joining the IPAE were from the universities that participated in the programme, which were the following:

- Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
- University of Berlin (Germany)
- Catholic University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands)
- University of Helsinki (Finland)
- University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
- University of Rome 3 (Italy)
- University of Patras (Greece)
- University Paul Valéry (Fance)
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain)
- University of Prague (Czek Republic)
- University of Minho (Portugal)

These were students of Educational, especially of the adult education and training subjects. Most of them were master students but some were students that are finishing their university degrees.

Forty-five students did participate in the IPAE from different European Universities and also some Portuguese students from the Education degree did join the programme and were the link to Braga and to the good things that we can find in town and in the region!

Professors that hold classes and prepared the field visits were coming from the universities that were joining the programme. Some were known by the students, previously they were these students’ professors, and others were “new” ones that did discuss different matters on adult education and training and the adult education reality of their own countries.

In general terms the IPAE had the following aims:
 
to acknowledge the reality of adult education and training nowadays in different European countries;
to identify the main issues in adult education and training in Europe in the present time;
to analyse the trends of development of adult education and training in different European countries;
to share among students various experiences and opinions about the situation of adult education and training in different European countries among students;
to acknowledge the Portuguese situation of adult education and training, the main issues and the most important problems;
to discuss new experiences and new trends of development in the adult education and training fields in Portugal.

These aims were supported by:

- traditional classes, in which professors will expose the main issues and trends of development in the adult education and training fields in Europe;
- workgroups, that will include students from the different countries participating in the programme;
-field visits of interesting and innovative adult education and training activities in Portugal;
- and seminars with policy makers, national and local authorities, leaders from popular associations, adult educators and trainers, etc.

When needed, translation was provided.