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| Dear friends of UIL, Welcome to this month’s edition of the UIL Bulletin. In this issue, you will find updates from our international conference on literacy and discrimination, a newly launched digital skills course for educators, and regional initiatives to improve the monitoring of adult learning. We also bring you stories of solidarity from a charity concert at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, the launch of Ukraine’s and Colombia’s national Learning Cities Networks, and a new partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey. This edition features a new call for applications to strengthen lifelong learning systems, as well as the latest issue of the International Review of Education. Thank you for staying connected with us. Your engagement helps reinforce the global movement towards learning societies where everyone, everywhere, can thrive throughout life. Warm regards, Isabell Kempf, Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning International conference: ‘Under Pressure – Literacy and Discrimination’  From 25 to 27 February, the University of Hamburg and UIL welcomed researchers, practitioners and policymakers from around the world to explore how literacy shapes – and is shaped by – discrimination, inclusion and participation across all stages of life. Across keynote lectures, parallel sessions and in-depth discussions, participants examined literacy in higher education, adult learning, ageing societies, digital participation and multilingual contexts, among other areas. The programme reflected the full scope of the ‘Under Pressure’ research project, analysing how literacy-related disadvantages emerge and more equitable lifelong learning systems can be built collectively. Learn more ►  Research in education, literacy, and multilingualism has consistently demonstrated that low literacy is not an individual failure but is deeply entangled with social inequality. Claus Krieger, Dean and Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Hamburg, Germany  Science always has a social value. It is the foundation of our societal progress. In the ‘Under Pressure’ project, this value is immediately visible. ‘Under Pressure’ is not just a research project; it is a response to one of the key challenges of our time. Dorothea Wildenburg Head of Research, Transfer and Europe Policy Unit, Hamburg Ministry for Science, Research and Equality Solidarity for lifelong learning in crisis-affected regions  Elbphilharmonie charity concert highlights the power of lifelong learning in crisis regions Music and solidarity filled the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg on 18 February 2026, as the Ensemble Nova Consonanza performed a charity concert in support of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. The event brought together more than 500 supporters of lifelong learning in Hamburg, alongside international guests, to raise funds for UIL’s work in crisis-affected regions, particularly Ukraine. Learn more ► Preparing for the Sixth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education  Regional workshop strengthens monitoring in the Arab States Held from 28 to 29 January 2026 in Tunis, this workshop, co-hosted by DVV International and UIL, brought together representatives from 12 Arab States to strengthen national capacities for monitoring adult learning and education in preparation for GRALE 6 (2027). Participants addressed fragmented data systems, coordination gaps and the need for evidence based governance to drive progress in adult learning and education across the region. Learn more ►  Data are more than numbers in a table. Data tell stories – stories of progress, of gaps and of people still being left behind. And data empower better decisions – decisions that shape policies, budgets and, ultimately, lives.Isabell Kempf, Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning  Regional workshop strengthens adult learning and education monitoring in Latin America The side event, ‘Monitoring lifelong learning at national and local levels’‚ was organized by UIL during the Insights for the Future of Education Conference (IFE) on 29 January 2026. It explored how robust monitoring systems can drive more inclusive lifelong learning. Learn more ►  Help shape the Sixth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education!We are seeking expert consultants to contribute to the report’s four thematic chapters on digitalization, climate change, economic shifts and conflict contexts. Apply by 13 March 2026 ► Engage!  Join our new digital skills course for literacy educators UIL, with support from Global Alliance for Literacy Associate Member Huawei, has launched the self-paced course Improving the Digital Competencies of Literacy Educators in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Featuring 11 sessions, the course aims to strengthen educators’ digital competencies, foster creativity in learning design and support a global professional community committed to accessible digital education. Learn more ►  Call for applications: Strengthening lifelong learning systems through multi-level and multi-sectoral engagement UIL and Shanghai Open University are accepting applications for the 2026 cohort of the multi-level, multi-sectoral lifelong learning systems strengthening programme. Selected countries will receive expert technical support, access to online learning modules, tailored policy dialogue and guidance for the national and local implementation of lifelong learning strategies. Learn more ► Networks & Partnerships  A new partnership to accelerate lifelong learning across Latin America UIL and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) have signed a four-year partnership (2026–2029) to advance lifelong learning across Latin America. The agreement was signed during the Insights for the Future of Education Conference in Monterrey, Mexico.The partnership will support countries across the region in strengthening lifelong learning policies, systems and practices, with a focus on national and local implementation, including through capacity development in the 67 UNESCO learning cities in Latin America. Learn more ►  Ukrainian Network of Learning Cities Launched On 24 and 25 February, Ukraine held its first National Meeting of UNESCO Learning Cities in Ternopil, officially establishing a National Network of Learning Cities. Delegations from seven cities set shared priorities, discussed coordination and governance, and strengthened cooperation in adult education and lifelong learning. The initiative, supported by the Ukrainian National Commission for UNESCO, UIL, UNESCO Ukraine and DVV International Ukraine, marks a shift toward a unified national approach. Learn more ►  Colombian Network of Learning Cities Launched On 3 February 2026, nine UNESCO learning cities in Colombia united to launch the national Learning Cities Network in Medellín. The new platform, under the presidency of Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, Mayor of the UNESCO Learning City of Medellín, aims to strengthen cooperation, expand shared initiatives and accelerate Colombia’s progress towards inclusive, innovative and sustainable lifelong learning at both local and national levels. Learn more ► Events  UNESCO Learning Cities webinar: ‘Cities in emergencies – Safeguarding lifelong learning’ Join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities webinar on 18 March 2026, exploring how cities maintain learning continuity during war, natural disasters and public health crises. The session will examine strategies such as psychosocial support, adaptive skilling, inclusive access for displaced populations and municipal resilience planning. Learn more ► Watch recordings of past webinars!  Webinar: How UNESCO Learning Cities are making learning for all a reality  Webinar: Digital skills unleashed – Launch of new global multi-lingual course for literacy educators International Review of EducationJournal of Lifelong Learning  New issue of the International Review of Education out nowThe February 2026 issue of UIL’s journal, the International Review of Education, has just been published, featuring seven research articles, three book reviews and an introduction reflecting on current concerns in education and lifelong learning. This edition features studies span Indonesia (including Papua), Uganda, Pakistan, and the United States, alongside broader global perspectives on key topics. The editor’s introduction highlights slow progress on the SDGs and climate targets and calls for renewed multilateral action to accelerate change. Learn more ► The Editor’s Monthly Choice Lifelong literacy: Charting the changing understandings of adult literacy over seven decades through the lens of lifelong learning Ulrike Hanemann Building peace through lifelong learning: Past research and future agendas Michalinos Zembylas Techno-dreaming and the technicity of automation: A rhizomatic reading of post-war technologies in education in the International Review of Education Suzanne Smythe Measuring what we value: Seven decades of educational data and measurement in the International Review of Education César Guadalupe  |