PASCAL International Observatory, whose European base is at the University of Glasgow, has been engaged in a range of activities around the world. These include a major collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, a successful webinar series, Learning Cities COVID-19 recovery: from research to practice, co-led by PASCAL director, Mike Osborne in 2020, which for the convenience of subscribers we are now re-posting and highlighting as a complete entity here.
The aims of this webinar series were first to highlight important and challenging aspects of learning city development, drawing on recent research and development work in PASCAL and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, and second to demonstrate the practical application of successful approaches in learning cities to address the issues described by offering a conceptual dialogue. In so doing, the intention was be to build the capacity in learning cities to take forward their own responses and approaches to the challenges they face.
The webinars were a collaboration between PASCAL and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. The main audience comprised of cities, both members and non-members of both networks, university networks, academia and practitioners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated that cities’ resilience is key to tackling crisis situations. Learning cities such as those engaged in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities(link is external) need to be able to cushion shocks and persistent structural changes in such a way that learning continues, the well-being of citizens is preserved and no one is left behind. But how are resilient learning cities built?
Taking stock of the previous and ongoing webinar series UNESCO Learning Cities’ response to COVID-19(link is external), this webinar cycle addressed this question by highlighting challenging aspects of learning city development, drawing on recent research and development. Starting on 17 June 2020, six webinars focused on topics such as inclusion, learning outcomes measurement, planning and evaluation, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), education for sustainable development and learning for health and well-being.
The webinar series demonstrated the practical application of successful approaches in learning cities to address the above issues by offering a conceptual and analytical dialogue. In so doing, the intention was to build learning cities’ capacity to take forward their own responses and approaches to the challenges they face.
This webinar series was jointly organized by the PASCAL International Observatory and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. The series addressed city representatives, university networks, academia, practitioners and further interested stakeholders. The dates and topics were as follows:
17 June 2020
The challenge of inclusion in learning cities, building on the work of the fourth International Conference on Learning Cities(link is external)
13:00–14:30, Central European Time
Agenda(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
Summary(link is external)
Opening address(link is external)
Mr Mike Osborne Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning. Director of Research, School of Education, University of Glasgow and Director of PASCAL
UNESCO learning city of Medellin, Colombia (link is external)
Ms Alexandra Agudelo Ruiz, Secretary of Education
UNESCO learning city of Mantes-la-Jolie, France(link is external)
Ms Aminata Diawara, Officer-in-charge Learning City
UNESCO learning city of Melton City, Australia(link is external)
Ms Cassandra Connelly, Lifelong Learning Projects Office
8 July 2020
The challenge of measurement, planning and evaluation in learning cities
13:00–14:30 Central European Time
Agenda(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
Summary(link is external)
Planning for achieving SDG4 at city level: Findings from An IIEP-UNESCO research project(link is external)
Candy Lugaz, Research Coordinator, International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) UNESCO
UNESCO learning city of Goyang, Republic of Korea(link is external)
Mr Jaejoon Lee, Mayor of Goyang, Mr Hoseok Kim, Lifelong Educator
City of Huye, Rwanda(link is external)
Mr Ange Sebutege, Mayor of Huye
Transition to Urbanisation(link is external)
Mr Pierre Claver Rutayisire, Applied Statistics Department, University of Rwanda
UNESCO learning city of Huejotzingo, Mexico(link is external)
Ms Angélica Patricia Alvarado Juárez, Mayor of Huejotzingo
16 September 2020
The challenge of developing the role of TVET, business learning, and entrepreneurship in learning cities
13:00–14:30 Central European Time
Agenda(link is external), Summary(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
The challenge of developing the role of TVET(link is external)
Fabien Adeyemi Farinan, City of Cotonou-Benin
Entrepreneurial learning in VET(link is external)
Olena Bekh, Senior Specialist in Human Capital Development, European Training Foundation (ETF), Turin
Fostering Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (link is external)
Miki Nozawa, UNESCO-UNEVOC
21 October 2020
The challenge of Education for Sustainable Development
13:00–14:30,Central European Time
Agenda(link is external)
Summary(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
The Challenge of Education for Sustainable Development:A Sustainable Healthy Learning Cities Perspective(link is external)
Ms Michele Schweisfurth, Professor of Comparative and International Education at the University of Glasgow
Wyndham, Australia UNESCO GNLC/ PASCAL LCN(link is external)
Ms Diane Tabbagh, Community Learning Coordinator at Wyndham City Council
18 November 2020
Community-Based Participatory Research & Learning Cities
13:00–14:30 Central European Time
Agenda(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
Introduction to work of Knowledge for Change (K4C) Global Consortium(link is external)
Mr. Rajesh Tandon (Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research & Social Responsibility in Higher Education & Founder-President, PRIA)
Weaving the Community Fabric(link is external)
Mr.Andrea Vargiu (Professor, University of Sassari & Coordinator of Sassari Hub)
Mrs Speranza Serra (Teacher and Community Partner)
Preventing drop outs in Education by Durban Hub(link is external)
Mr. Darren Lortan (Durban University of Technology)
Ms. Diana Hornby (Director, Community Engagement Division, Rhodes University)
Addressing issue of Urban Sanitation by PRIA Hub(link is external)
Mr. Kaustuv Bandyopadhyay (Director, PRIA)
Mr. Krishan Kumar Joshi (President, SIC Forum, Ajmer)
UNESCO learning city of Shanghai, China(link is external)
Mr Jiacheng Li, Deputy Director, Shanghai Municipal Institute for Lifelong Education (SMILE), China
16 December 2020
The challenge of Health and Well-being in learning cities
13:00–14:30 Central European Time
Agenda(link is external)
Webinar recording(link is external)
GNLC learning city of Bogotá, Colombia(link is external)
Ms Sara Valencia (Director, Districts Research Centre for Health Education of the Health Secretariat)
GNLC learning city of Duhok, Iraq(link is external)
Dr Azad A Haleem (Vice Manager of the Hevi Pediatric Teaching Hospital, General Directorate of Health of Duhok, Assistant Professor, Head of paediatrics, University of Duhok College of Medicine)
Health in a Learning City(link is external)
Mr Rich Mitchell (MRC/CSO Social and public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health (CRESH))
PASCAL EcCoWell Community Recovery Program(link is external)
Peter Kearns (Pascal Board Member)
More information
Strategy of the UNESCO GNLC(link is external)
Medellín Manifesto(link is external)
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities(link is external)
Outcomes of the webinar series UNESCO Learning Cities’ response to COVID-19(link is external)
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