Welcome to the website of the German Association for Continuing Education and Distance Learning (DGWF)

The DGWF is a diverse, non-commercial and dynamic association of experts and enthusiasts who are committed to the promotion, coordination and representation of continuing education and distance learning at universities.

The organisation represents the concerns of over 330 German and European universities and further education institutions as well as other members. Our self-understanding reflects the opinions and convictions of our members and represents the current consensus within our organisation. The DGWF sees itself as a representative of interests and a point of contact for the professional community, as well as for business and politics, on topics relating to continuing education. Our members regularly contribute to the discourse on continuing education and distance learning in the form of statements and press releases. We are committed to shaping continuing education at universities and encouraging research in this field. The DGWF is further the publisher of the journal Hochschule und Weiterbildung (ZHWB, in German).

Materials and publications available in English

Recommendation continuing education programs (pdf)

5-point strategy document EU-Initiative Report (pdf)

For lifelong learning and lively academic continuing education

The DGWF contributes to the continuous improvement and further development of continuing education at universities. We are convinced that learning is a lifelong process and that continuing education should be organised in a dynamic manner. It is therefore the perspectives and needs of continuing education participants that significantly influence the design of programmes. As a result, continuing education programmes and courses at universities are becoming increasingly diverse, flexible and inclusive: from part-time Master's degree programmes and certificate courses to microcredentials and tailor-made training courses for companies. This diversity in format and content takes into account the individual needs of learners as well as the constantly changing requirements of society and the labour market. Part-time and modular continuing education programmes as well as shorter learning units enable working people, career changers, people returning to work and people with family responsibilities, for example, to deepen their knowledge while fulfilling their professional and/or family obligations. Distance learning and the increasing digitalisation of continuing education courses also contribute to independence in terms of time and location, thereby reducing barriers.