Dear Reader, 
 
Welcome to the June 2024 edition of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) newsletter.  
 
In this issue, we highlight the launch of our new international research workshop on teachers as lifelong learners, our study on the benefits of lifelong learning for older adults, and a new course on recognizing prior learning for migrants and refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, you will find information on the newly published special issue of the International Review of Education and much more. 
 
I wish you an enjoyable read. 
 
Isabell Kempf 
Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning       In focus: International research workshop ‘Teachers as Lifelong Learners’       On 12 June 2024, UIL and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) launched an international research project, ‘Teachers as Lifelong Learners’, with a workshop in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.  

The event brought together 30 distinguished experts from academia, national and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations, and international bodies. Together, they explored potential strategies to promote lifelong learning for teachers through both policy and practice.   Learn more ►    
‘Teachers have an essential role in supporting the right to education. To achieve quality education and learning opportunities, every learner must have access to a qualified teacher. Therefore, teachers must engage in continuous professional development to adeptly navigate and respond to the evolving expectations and changes in societies across the globe.’ 
 
Isabell Kempf, Director, UIL  
‘As a university specializing in teacher education, Shanghai Normal University hopes to promote the professional development of Chinese teachers and global teachers through the power of lifelong learning in collaboration with UIL. We aspire that future teachers would become practitioners and organizers of lifelong learning and, even more so, explorers of new paradigms in lifelong education.’ 
 
 Yuan Wen, President, SHNU  
News
In her keynote speech at the EAEA Annual Conference in Helsinki, UIL Director Isabell Kempf explained adult education’s role in navigating global change. She highlighted that adult education is key to enhancing employability, fostering resilience, promoting civic engagement, and nurturing sustainable lifestyles. She also explained how it empowers individuals to navigate uncertainties and contribute to community resilience during crises.
African Foundation for Lifelong Learning launched

During its inaugural meeting in May, the African Foundation for Lifelong Learning was launched as a step towards implementing the Marrakech Framework for Action, which was adopted at the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education. The meeting was hosted by Morocco in cooperation with UNESCO, ICESCO, and ALECSO.
 
Learn more ►
Register now for our new online course on recognizing prior learning in Latin America and the Caribbean!

UIL is collaborating with the International Labour Organization’s Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (ILO-Cinterfor) to host a new capacity-building course, titled ‘Pathways to Opportunity: Making Recognition, Validation and Accreditation Inclusive for Migrants and Refugees’,  in July. Through the UIL Learning Hub, participants will explore how to build systems for recognizing prior learning  which are accessible to diverse groups of newcomers in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

Register here by 28 June 2024.
 
Learn more ►
Research project on the benefits of learning for older adults begins. 
 

Lifelong learning is crucial in the context of ageing societies: it promotes the reskilling of older adults, bolsters their autonomy, encourages healthy and active aging, and thereby enhances the quality of life for its beneficiaries. 

On 17 May 2024, UIL and Shanghai Open University (SOU) launched a new research project, ‘The Benefits of Lifelong Learning for Older Adults’, with the inaugural meeting of its advisory board. 
Learn more ►
Events
Join our webinar series ‘Building Green and Climate-Resilient Urban Communities – The Learning Cities Approach’! 
 
Cities are both drivers of climate change and particularly vulnerable to its effects. Under the theme ‘Learning Cities at the Forefront of Climate Action’, this year’s Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC 6) is an opportunity for UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) stakeholders to discuss strategic approaches to confront the climate crisis. 
 
In preparation for the ICLC 6, UIL is hosting a webinar series titled ‘Building Green, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Urban Communities  – The Learning Cities Approach’. This series will serve as a platform to discuss the climate emergency and its impact on learning cities and the local communities most affected. 
Learn more about the series ►
Don’t miss the next webinar in this nine-part series!
On Wednesday, 19 June, join the UNESCO GNLC webinar ‘How Digital Learning Can Promote Climate Education in Urban Communities’ to explore how digital tools can be employed to promote access to lifelong learning opportunities for climate action in learning cities and beyond.  
 
Register now. On Wednesday, 17 July, join the webinar ‘Charting a Lifelong Learning Strategy for Climate Action: Development, Implementation and Monitoring’ to explore how the synergy between local strategies and national or international policies supporting lifelong learning for climate action can ensure a sustainable approach. 
 
Register now.
Publications
Special issue of the International Review of Education published. 
 

The International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning has published a special issue entitled ‘Signposts to a Sustainable Future: Valuing, Sharing and Using the Collective Legacy of Adult Learning and Education’, guest edited by Heribert Hinzen, Huu Phuoc Khau and Maria Slowey.
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IRE Editor’s Monthly Choice 

A design for democracy: Britain’s 1919 Report, the context of its creation and its relevance today
Paul Stanistreet and Alan Tuckett
 
Tracing the effects and impacts of the Memorandum on Lifelong Learning in the scholarly debate since its inception
Ekkehard Nuissl and Simona Sava
 
Call for abstracts for a special issue of the International Review of Education

The editors of a forthcoming special issue, ‘An Inclusive Gender Perspective in Lifelong Learning: Interaction Between Macro and Meso Levels’, invite the submission of papers that apply a gender-inclusive approach to lifelong learning through the lens of interdisciplinarity, intersectionality and inclusion at meso and macro levels. 
 
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Call for applications for the 2024 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes

Since 1967, UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have rewarded excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. 512 projects and programmes undertaken by governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world have been recognized.
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Stories
Inspiring stories from the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities 
The power of lifelong learning at the urban level  
UIL Learning Hub
Enrol for a free course on the UIL Learning Hub, the Institute’s one-stop online multimedia portal for policy development support, capacity development, and knowledge sharing on lifelong learning.
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Vacancy
Consultancy: Public Financing of Youth and Adult Education 
 

Are you interested in contributing to the design of a systematic methodology for collecting data to estimate the percentage of public education spending dedicated to adult learning and education? Apply for this consultancy! 
Learn more ►
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