Summit on Continuing Education

Caroline Hoffmann, Division Director Continuing Education at the TUM Campus Heilbronn, also took part in a panel discussion at the event. She discussed, among other things, the future of lifelong learning with Prof. Boris Kühnle, Director of CAS Heilbronn, and Prof. Wilhelm Bauer, Head of the Fraunhofer IAO Institute. Here she left no doubt about the importance of the topic: “My wish is that companies anchor the relevance of lifelong learning in their DNA,” she said.

But what contribution can the TUM Campus Heilbronn play in this, asked moderator Prof. Marc Rüger, director of the Fraunhofer IRB institute. “We don’t want to do anything new that already exists in a proven form,” said Hoffmann. Instead, it’s about rethinking the topics of science and education and generating added value. Not everyone has yet internalized the concept of lifelong learning: “Learning should not end with a doctorate, but should last a lifetime.” Hoffmann emphasized that TUM has established the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning and the Continuing Education at the TUM Campus Heilbronn as its local branch for this purpose. “Under the slogan ‘For the Digital Age’, we want to derive our thematic priorities from what the companies in the region need,” she explained. At the same time, the image of continuing education is to be enhanced.

Rapid development into a knowledge city

The other participants on the panel also pointed out how important further training is: "The magic triangle of supply and demand is only complete with the learners’ motivation," said Boris Kühnle. It is therefore about stimulating curiosity and a desire to learn. Prof. Wilhelm Bauer, head of the Fraunhofer IAO institute, added: “I hope that we can make upskilling training so great that everyone wants it."