University of the Third Age

Its original conception in France as an extramural university activity was significantly modified in the United Kingdom where it was recognised that most people of retirement age have something to contribute and the emphasis has been on sharing, without formal educational links.

A British u3a website reports this about membership eligibility: "There is no minimum age, but a focus on people who are no longer in full-time employment or raising a family.

U3As do not issue diplomas but rather certificates and teach in many fields according to the interests of the groups of older students (usually 55+) such as computer skills, languages, entrepreneurship, hereditary law, religion, politics, etc.

[4] AIUTA (Association Internationale des Universités du Troisième Âge)[5] is the global international organization and network of Universities of the Third Age, including such institutions from most continental European countries, Central and East Europe, China, Russia, Latin America, etc., including Mauritius and other destinations.

In 1981, the concept reached the United Kingdom, where its nature was radically changed to be more a self-help organisation under the influence of its founders, Peter Laslett, Michael Young and Eric Midwinter.

[6] The UK network comprises in excess of 1,000 groups, in towns and cities; as of January 2020 total membership exceeded 450,000.

[7][8] Each u3a is formally structured as an independent self-financing and self-managing charity with links to the Third Age Trust, a national coordinating body.

In 2009 the Virtual University of the Third Age (vu3a) was launched with the intention of offering the same friendship, support and learning enjoyed by off-line groups.

Some Central (and Eastern) European countries were introduced to the U3A quite early: Poland, Czech Republic (formerly part of Czechoslovakia) and Slovenia.

It also provides support to local groups with things like information on speakers, networking with colleagues, data on member operations, including honoraria paid to speakers, board make up, rental costs, affordable group insurance, a regular newsletter, conferences and workshop, guidance for creating a website, internal and external communication.

U3A students carry out projects in cooperation with non-governmental organizations for community service and intergenerational communication Typical courses include Art, Classical Studies, Conversation, Computers, Crafts, Debate, Drama, Film/Cinema Studies, History, Languages, Literature, Music, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Philosophy.

Some groups are designed to cross disciplinary boundaries, for example, combining Society, Technology and Science in a fashion not practical in more formal academic environments.