Published as a stimulus to further studies in comparative education and comparative adult education, this book is an English edition of most of the papers presented in June 1978, at an international seminar held in West Berlin on "The Universities and Adult Education: Trends and Perspectives in Europe." The introduction, by Wolfgang Kruger, provides an overview of Adult Education and a mini-summary of the status of adult education in eleven countries. He supplies a rationale for studies in comparative education, profiles the development of adult education in Europe, and predicts future trends in the field for both traditional university studies and new forms of study for adults. Following the introduction, papers reviewing the status of adult education are presented for the following countries: Austria, Denmark, France, West Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. A list of authors' addresses is included. (KC)