European Consortium for LO LO11118

Michael Kelleher (101667.456@compuserve.com)
Sun, 24 Nov 1996 15:23:58 -0500

[Host's Note: In LO10173 back in September, Michael Kelleher distributed
a notice and call for papers for a European conf on LO's in May 97. Then
noticing Michael's sig on his recent message, I asked Mike to give us an
update on the status of the European Consortium for the Learning
Organization (ECLO). Here is his reply. ...Rick]

Dear Rick,

Thanks for the message. Perhaps you could take a look at the following and
decided yourself as to the use it might be for the list.

`The European Consortium for the Learning Organisation (ECLO) was
established in 1993 as a not- for-profit organisation based in Belgium.
Its orgins were founded in an IBM organised conference together with the
Katholik University of Leuven (Be) on Instructional Design held in 1991.
The success of the conference generated great interest in the
establishment of a network for supporting corporate training and human
development. After several meetings ECLO was born with IBM, K.U.Leuven,
K.U. Nijmegen (Nth), CIMID becoming prominent members of a samll
organisation. Led by its then General secreatry, Pierre De Potter, an ex
IBM excecutive, ECLO organised its first annual conference in May 1994.

One of the key aspects of the netowrk is its European nature. Europe has a
number of different cultural, institutional and historic factors that
generate differences which are a tremdously rich source of ideas and
practices. It is the transnational nature of the membership which gives it
an extra dimension in the learning that takes place. In addition the
consortium explicitly seeks to provide opportunities for coportaions,
researchers and consultants to come together in a community of practice.
This is particularly manifests itself at the May conference where speakers
from each of these separate communities provide feedback and shared
experiences with each other. Its has been known for all three sets of
parties to present a joitn paper, as was the case with one presentation on
learning through marketing presented in Copenhagen in 1996.

Membership has grown, rather slower than expected, and now stands at 30
organisations and networks from nine different European countries. A new
category of membership was created this year which provides opportunities
for self-employed consultants to join ECLO. Corporate membership includes:

IBM (Europe) (Be), ICI (Europe) (Be), Rover Learning Business (UK), Sara
Lee (Nth), Deutsche Telekom (D), Zurich Insurance (Ch), SmithKline Beecham
Biological Services (Be), European Patent Office (D) Anglian Water (UK),
Janssen Pharmaceutica (Be), Confederation of Danish Industries (Dk), GIVI
(Be), Electricitie de France (F) and Innovation Associates (Be).

Research and consultancies include:

Pearn Kandola (Ire), Scandanavian Training Design (Dk), Gwent Tertiary
College (UK), Staffordshire Open Learning Unit (UK), Team International
(Ch), K.U. Leuven (Be), K.U. Nijmegen (Nth), Vantaa Institute - University
of Helsiniki (Fin) and the Helsinki University of Technology (Fin).

Networks include:

European Foundation for Management Development (Be) and the European
Lifelong Learning Initiative (Be).

ECLO is currently in discussion with several other organisations who are
interested in joining the consortium.

In addition to the conference in the South of France 21 -23 May 1997 - the
call for papers was posted to the list a couple of months ago - we are
currently preparing for a combined AGM and workshop in February and an
open event in November. These are likely to take place in the UK. We are
also preparing proposals for research and development projects which will
be submitted to the European Commission for financial support and are
planning to start a small number of projects in 1997 which have been
awarded grants.

Members meet bilaterally. Indeed, as a result of contacts made at the 1996
conference a secondment has been made from one of our member organisations
to the UN Staff College in Turin.

ECLO established a newsletter in 1996 which will be published three times
per year. So far it has been freely circulated, however, it is possible
that there may be a charge for this during 1997. The next edition is
published in January and will include the programme for the May
conference. If anyone would like a copy of this edition, please get in
touch before Christmas.

Best wishes, to all of the list

Dr. Michael Kelleher
General Secretary
European Consortium for the Learning Organisation"

-- 

Michael Kelleher <101667.456@compuserve.com>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>