Building Partnerships and Strategic Alliance for Lifelong Learning Institutions

The OECD, UNESCO, European Union and many countries have been supporting the partnerships and strategic alliance for lifelong learning since the middle of 1990s. The development of Partnerships and strategic alliance for lifelong learning is necessary for the realization of a learning society. It plays an essential role in the process of developing the learning society. This paper explores the development of partnerships and strategic alliance for lifelong learning. First, it describes the meanings, contents, relations and functions of partnership and strategic alliance. Second, it analyzes their characteristics, life cycle, quality elements, and their development situations by the international organizations and in Germany, England and Taiwan. Third, it discusses the six principles of strategic alliance in lifelong learning institutions. Further, it suggests some methods for the development of strategic alliance in lifelong learning institutions.