On 28 and 29 January 2026, the DANTE Network met in Opatija, Croatia, for the 5th DANTE Networking & Conference. Hosted at Hotel Admiral, the event brought together adult education professionals, project managers, researchers, and policy-focused organisations from across Europe.
This year’s focus — Learning Futures: Skills, Policies, and the Human Role in Europe’s Adult Education — felt especially relevant. Across two days, the discussions returned again and again to one central question: how do we prepare for change in adult education without losing what makes learning human?
Day 1
The first day was dedicated to the conference programme and opened with an interactive session that encouraged participants to reflect on the skills educators will need in the years ahead. From the start, the atmosphere was open and engaged, with people willing to question assumptions and share experiences from very different national contexts.
Keynote contributions from Katarina Popović (ICAE) and Greta Pelucco (EAEA) set the framework for the day. Their inputs touched on the growing influence of digitalisation and algorithms in education, the role of policy and funding, and the responsibility of adult education to support democratic and social values.
Our colleagues Ivone Mataija and Ivana Tutić Grokša wrapped up the first day with an interactive workshop: “From Vision to Action: Teaching Profession 2035” where they shifted the focus toward practice. Participants worked together to explore what future-oriented policies might actually look like in everyday educational work, and what support educators will realistically need to get there.
Networking in action
As always with DANTE events, some of the most valuable moments happened outside the formal sessions. Coffee breaks, shared meals, and the cultural dinner Taste, Talk & Dance created space for informal exchange and new connections.
These moments allowed participants to step back from presentations and talk openly about challenges, opportunities, and potential collaborations.
Day 2
The second day focused on networking and lab-style sessions, giving participants time to work more hands-on with specific topics. Workshops and rotating sessions explored micro-credentials, skills recognition, and professional pathways in adult education, as well as the practical challenges of implementing European-level recommendations at national and organisational levels.
We welcomed CEIPES speakers Arianna Noera and Noémia Justino who presented on Micro-credentials & Professionalisation Pathways in Adult Education.
Thank you!
Reaching the 5th edition of the DANTE Networking & Conference is an important moment for us. What started as a small gathering has grown into a stable European space for dialogue and cooperation in adult education.
We would like to thank all speakers, facilitators, and participants for their openness, critical thinking, and willingness to share their work. The conversations that started in Opatija will continue through future collaborations, projects, and upcoming DANTE activities.
