Alumni as Lifelong Learners Towards a Business Model for Lifelong Learning in Higher Education

Abstract: Lifelong Learning (LLL) involves the formal and informal education and learning of individuals and by extension society in a bid to function efficiently in today’s knowledge world. This Learning is not limited by age, race, or other susceptible circumstances; it is instead encouraged and seen in the contexts of adult learning, continuing learning, and work/ professional learning. By de-facto, it is to prepare the aging population, as well as the younger generations for a rapidly changing and increasingly global world in which technology and research rapidly affect knowledge, competency and standards. It is a new adagio to prepare a modern knowledge-based society for the next decades to come. However, in order to fully embrace this model, more modern, open and flexible learning systems need to be put in place. These will enable individual learning pathways for all citizens. In this thesis, we have focused on the Öresund Universities, which are located in the cross-border region of Sweden and Denmark comprising of Skåne County and Greater Copenhagen, in addition to three rural counties. It employs the ‘Triple-Helix’ model, which is a focused approach that is used to foster cooperation between the surrounding universities and the broader society. This cooperation includes industries and the local governing authorities. The aim of this study is to address the question of how and what Business Model the University could develop and implement, in regard to the concept of Lifelong Learning and its application to their alumni and the higher educational model, using modern Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). The research method utilized in this project is of Questionnaire Based Surveys.The sample target group used is the Alumni of the Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM). The centripetal focus and results of this research study have helped to develop a higher education model combining that can be easily adaptable, with some key factors as well as an ideal business model for successful implementation of Lifelong Learning (LLL) in the context of Öresund University.