The Competence Centre

It supports the ten collaborative projects through research, service und transfer, and consolidates findings from exemplary project practice.

The aim is to analyse the conditions for success and the challenges involved in establishing and expanding regional basic education networks, to support the work of the collaborative projects, and to make the findings available for use in practice, academia and policy-making, even beyond the participating regions.

The Competence Centre is a consortium of three partners with complementary roles:

German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning (DIE)

• Coordination of the consortium
• Accompanying research
• Analysis of the conditions for success and the challenges involved
• Evaluation of professional development programmes
• Provision of the digital infrastructure
• Preparation and interpretation of the results for educational practice, academia and policy-making

Lernende Region – Netzwerk Köln e. V. (LRNK)

• Impact-oriented process support for collaborative projects
• Individual advice and support, including on-site assistance where required, and the organisation of exchange and networking events
• Development and delivery of professional development programmes (focus: network coordination)
• Analysis and interpretation of results for educational practice and policy

Bundesverband Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung e. V. (BVAG)

• Developing and delivering professional development programmes (focus: basic education counselling)
• Acting as a specialist, service and advocacy body for literacy and basic education work
• Community management, public relations and knowledge transfer to professional practice

On 1 April 2026, Dr. Ewelina Mania took over the scientific leadership of the joint project from Prof. Dr. Sylvia Rahn, who has returned to the University of Wuppertal. Overall responsibility for the project lies with Prof. Dr. Hannes Schröter, the Institute’s Scientific Director.