The concrete terms, according to Atchoarena, refer to detailed information, such as the role of the government in promoting lifelong learning, ways of making education systems and institutions more open to a wide diversity of learners and the main challenges that need to be addressed in the process.

Lifelong learning, defined as all learning activities for the pursuit of knowledge, recognizes that learning is not limited to childhood or the classroom, but takes place throughout life.

"The importance of lifelong learning is growing fast on the global stage," says Atchoarena.

Lifelong learning is an integral part of the plan to achieve sustainable development worldwide, he says.

"This is why the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning launched the strategic project of the handbook to assist countries to operationalize lifelong learning in a way that meets their needs in line with specific conditions."

The idea of lifelong education was introduced to China in the late 1970s. Today, there are numerous universities for the elderly across the country. Many are so popular that their courses are consistently overbooked.

According to the China Association of the Universities for the Aged, there are currently more than 70,000 universities in China for the elderly with over 8 million enrolled students.

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