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Wittenborg Leads Key Discussions at Green4ADU Meeting in Palermo

https://www.wittenborg.eu/wittenborg-leads-key-discussions-green4adu-meeting-palermo.htm

Jian Liu and Cha-Hsuan Liu Join International Partners in Italy to Advance Erasmus+ Project Goals

From 16 to 18 September, Wittenborg’s Erasmus+ Project Administrator and Researcher Jian Liu and Associate Professor Cha-Hsuan Liu participated in the Green4ADU consortium’s third Transnational Project Meeting and Learning, Teaching & Training Activity in Palermo, Italy. 

The activities were organised by CEIPES ETS (Centro Internazionale per la Promozione dell'Educazione e Sviluppo) and brought together partners from across Europe. Alongside Wittenborg, the Green4ADU project includes Apostolina Tsaltampasi Kai Sia EE, SME (Greece), Interchange Non-Profit gUG (Germany) and BB&R (Spain). 

Launched in January 2025, Green4ADU aims to support adults in developing environmental competencies and green skills, with the goal of enhancing employability in a rapidly changing job market. The initiative addresses topics such as climate change mitigation, green technologies and sustainable practices, preparing participants to adapt to new professional opportunities.  

Project discussions and hands-on learning  

As project coordinator, Wittenborg led the Palermo discussions on the testing phase of the e-learning platform, upcoming webinars and the development of the Green4ADU Workshop Toolkit. Attention also focused on project management, the interim report and planning for the next six months to ensure smooth implementation.

Alongside the strategic work, participants engaged in a varied programme of activities. These included practical workshops on natural, biodegradable soap-making, explorations of the relationship between well-being and adult learning and co-design sessions for new workshop formats. A cultural highlight was the visit to Radici – Piccolo Museo della Natura, which combined science, art and ecology to inspire participants’ creativity in workshop design.

Building cooperation and exchanging knowledge

For Jian Liu, the event demonstrated the value of face-to-face collaboration. “This get-together and workshop training event was informative and well-designed. The meeting helped align every partner and participant’s understanding, expectations and tasks. Through the discussions, confusions about project content and performance indicators were clarified,” he said. 

Reflecting on the hands-on activities, Liu added: “We learned not only green skills, such as soap making that can be taught to our target group, but also practical tips facilitators can use to improve workshop implementation. The Nature Museum visit and organic food tasting broadened our imagination on workshop design.” 

Wittenborg Leads Key Discussions at Green4ADU Meeting in Palermo 
He also highlighted the personal dimension: “It was a great occasion to interact with partners and learn more from each other – visions, missions and work cultures. It was not just a two-day meeting but actually a team-building activity to tighten cooperation and smoothen collaboration. The exchange of experiences and challenges was truly valuable.” 

Cha-Hsuan Liu likewise emphasised the importance of in-person activities in international projects. “This positive experience convinced me that face-to-face activities between partners are essential in Erasmus+ cooperation for vocational education and training. While online communication is timely and cost-efficient, personal interaction creates positive bonding and optimises outcomes by fostering mutual understanding across cultural barriers. I would recommend planning one more such event in future project proposals,” she stated. 

Looking ahead  

The Palermo meeting reinforced Green4ADU’s commitment to combining practical environmental learning with innovative educational strategies. With Wittenborg’s leadership, the consortium will continue to refine its e-learning platform, deliver webinars and design engaging workshops that equip adults with the green skills needed for the future labour market. 

WUP 23/102025 
by Ulisses Sawczuk 
©WUAS Press 

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