The complete documentation of the 1st International Children’s University Conference “Children’s University – The idea captures Europe” is available for registered users at the download area on the right side. Please download the complete zip-file or choose single presentations or manuscripts.

International Children’s University Conference: Official start of the European Children's Universities Network EUCU.NET

13th and 14th February 2009 at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen/Germany

Introduction

The first Children’s University lecture ever was held at the University of Tübingen in Germany in 2002. Practically at the same time, similar concepts followed at the Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna in Austria as well as in Bratislava in Slovakia. From the start, these events were a huge success with the children, the accompanying adults and the media at large. Since the summer of 2003, an enormous wave of new foundations of Children’s Universities began. In the meantime there are more than 150 Children's Universities all over Europe.

Children's University from the perspective of a child

Now the networking of Children’s Universities on a European scale is imminent: Under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) the European Commission launched the EU project "European Children's Universities Network (EUCU.NET)". Project partners are the organizers of five well-established Children's Universities: Vienna University Children’s Office (AT, Coordinator), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (DE), University of Basel (CH), University Louis Pasteur Strasbourg (FR), Max Reinhardt Foundation - Arena Theatre Bratislava (SK) as well as the software company "unsere neue couch" (DE).

Target Group

The European Children’s Universities Network is directed towards all parties interested in the idea of the Children’s University and offers the following support structures:

• Existing Children's Universities receive a platform for the exchange of ideas, know-how and experience as well as for learning from best-practice examples;
• Institutions, organizations and people, who are planning Children’s University activities get support and advice;
• Everyone who is interested in Science communication to children and teenagers can obtain information and participate in the network.

According to the network the International EUCU.NET-Conference on Children's Universities was directed towards already existing Children's Universities as well as towards all parties (in-/directly) involved and interested in the ideas of the Children’s University.

The conference was directed especially towards the networking of institutions, organizations and persons who up until now have never organized a Children's University but who are planning to set-up one in the near future. For them EUCU.NET offers a special support by building so-called “Mentoring partnerships” with well-established/ experienced Children's Universities.

Conference Program

The Conference Program can be downloaded here. (update 29 Jan 2009)

Resources

• Conference Information (EN) (update 22 Jan 2009)
• Conference Timetable (EN) (update 5 Feb 2009)
• Conference Abstracts (EN) (update 9 Feb 2009)
• Accomodation Form (EN)
• Accomodation Form (DE)
• Overnight possibilities in/around Tübingen
• How to get there (EN)
• Anreise (DE)