In order to improve the life quality of the senior population and the lifelong learning, RUTIS suggests the creation of a technical guide to regulate the Third Age Universities.
The Third Age Universities first started during the 70s in the University of Toulouse in France. The basic principles are still intact which are: develop the social interaction between the seniors, avoid social exclusion and promote the possibility for the elderly to learn and teach.
A Third Age University (UTI or U3A) is a social and cultural answer, well developed in terms of equipments whose aims are to create, to develop and to organize cultural activities regularly,providing non-formal education, leisure activities and social gatherings and events for people over 50 years old.
Several national and international studies show that the Third Age Universities despite being an educational project it is, as well, a social and health project since it contributes with the improvement of the seniors’ life quality and avoids social exclusion.