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Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at the University of Aruba (UA):

“CLL encourages critical thinking which is needed

in a nation’s development”

ORANJESTAD — Deborah van den Berg – Alexander, Coordinator at
the Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL), is a passionate professional
whose purpose is to contribute to a better life for everyone. “We are
not just here to stay at this level but we are meant to grow, to reflect
and to challenge ourselves. In reference to the George Floyd event
you can ask yourself: do I just want to be a bystander in this world or “Next to that we feel it is our responsibility that the Aruban community in
to be of impact in one’s life? Education is not about having a degree general is able to enrich their life with our offerings.” When the university
only but about knowing better and doing what provides you a better was established 30 years ago the focus was on the professional develop-
future.” The University of Aruba’s CLL offers a broad program of lec- ment of all lawyers. But then it was quite really just focused on the law
tures, workshops, courses, seminars, conferences and more to enrich faculty.” As the number of faculties grew, so did the need to diversify
your life. what CLL offered. “I started to look at Europe and the U.S. how long-life
learning was taking form over there. In the US it compasses everything,
while in the Netherlands the focus has been quite academic but has
Van den Berg – Alexander: “CLL plays a very important role in de de- recently been seeing a shift.”
velopment of Aruba as a nation and if you ask why? If you look at the
statistics a merely 4 % to 5 % has HBO or higher and what CLL is trying to Post COVID
do is elevate education as it is the cornerstone of growth in each com- CLL’s ambition before COVID-19 was already to go online so the crisis
munity.” CLL believes in inclusiveness and therefore collaborates with lo- only forced this process to go faster.
cal and international partners. Continued on Page 32