The Institute of Life-long Education has been created at the Technical university in 1996 within TEMPUS S_JEP 09428-95. It coordinates the activities in the field of distance education in its region and it is a part of the Slovak Distance Education Network.

The main aims of Institute of life-long education are as following:

coordination of open and distance education in its region

widening the existing cooperation with Kosice institutions of higher education, private education institutes, local government, and education institutes of industrial enterprises

needs assessments marketing, management of distance education in its region

delivery of distance education courses and programmes

continuing education and training of distance education course authors, tutors and managers

guidance, information and consulting services in the frames of university services for its region

preparetion of the systems of life-long and continuing education in cooperation with the local firms and industrial enterprises

playing an active role in international programmes

participation in various international projects of the different EU programmes as follows: PHARE Follow Up, PHARE Enviman ETF/97/VET/0072, PHARE DECHEM ETF/97/VET/0070, PHARE NEPOLD 96 PP/NL/10, TEMPUS FLACE S_JEP 1136 6-96, SOCRATES MOISE etc