Gyeonggi Province hosts 2015 Global Lifelong Learning Forum featuring cases from six continents; forum also seeks sustainable implementation methods

◇ Raul Valdes-Cotera (left), International Learning Cities Project Specialist at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, delivered his keynote lecture, ‘Towards implementing lifelong learning’, on June 18 at the 2015 Global Lifelong Learning Forum at the Siheung ABC Happy Learning Town. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

An event to examine trends and case studies in lifelong learning around the world and to discuss implementation strategies for sustainable lifelong learning took place in Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province. 

On June 18, Gyeonggi Province co-hosted the 2015 Global Lifelong Learning Forum with the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Institute for Lifelong Learning (GILL) and Siheung City in the ABC Hall at Siheung ABC Happy Learning Town. The forum provided an opportunity to illuminate lifelong learning case studies from across six continents and to identify means of growing together. 

The forum continued until June 19 under the slogan of “Learning: The Treasure Within’, and over 300 people involved in lifelong learning including lifelong education personnel in Gyeonggi Province, lifelong education experts from six different continents, and learning clubs participated in the event. Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Park Soo-young, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairman Kang Deuk-gu, Siheung City Mayor Kim Yoon-sik, and Osan City Mayor Gwak Song-wook also attended the forum.

During the opening ceremony, Vice Governor Park Soo-young said, “There is a village called Jangja Maeul in Pocheon City where a group of patients suffering from Hansen’s Disease live together. These people are illiterate because they were unable attend school since childhood. Gyeonggi Province is offering lifelong Korean language education to these people.” Park added, “To continue implementing similar education programs across the province, implementation strategies for lifelong learning are extremely important. Since this is a precious opportunity with world-renowned experts in attendance, I hope a wide range of opinions and ideas can flow between the participants.”

Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairman Kang Deuk-gu also said, “To welcome a centenarian age of greater happiness and health, we must continue to learn and strive through lifelong learning. This is why lifelong learning has garnered attention from all over the world.” Chairman Kang continued, “I hope the forum offers a meaningful opportunity to share and learn lifelong learning cases with great scholars from many different countries.”

On June 18, the first day of the forum, presentations and comprehensive discussions took place with regards to lifelong learning with representatives from regions on six continents including Europe, China, United States, Africa, South America, and Australia. 

Prior to the presentations, Raul Valdes-Cotera, International Learning Cities Project Specialist at the UNESCO Lifelong Learning Institute which sponsored this Forum, delivered his keynote lecture on ‘Towards operationalizing lifelong learning’.

International Learning Cities Project Specialist Raul Valdes-Cotera stressed, “As seen by the selection of the Incheon Declaration at the World Education Forum which featured high quality education for all and lifelong learning, the importance of lifelong learning in the 21^st century is growing by the day.” Valdes-Cotera also noted, “There are still a large number of issues to be resolved such as the ambiguous definition of lifelong learning and the integration of different education policies into one.”

As a solution, he asserted, “Efforts are required to recognize the outcomes of informal and non-formal learning, and to build lifelong learning families, villages, cities, and societies.” He also stressed, “We can achieve sustainable development for lifelong learning based on powerful political determination, inclusive learning within the education system, and active lifelong learning culture.”

In the case study presentation ‘Creating Learning Cities of Europe’ which followed the keynote lecture, three learning cities including the Entrepreneurial Learning City in Swansea Bay City (Wales, United Kingdom), Learning City in Cork City (Ireland), and the Well-being Learning City in Espoo (Finland) were introduced in detail.

◇ Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Park Soo-young delivered his welcoming address during the opening ceremony of the forum. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

International Learning Cities Project Specialist Raul Valdes-Cotera said, “Learning Cities in Europe have received the favorable assessment of being vibrant yet stable.” He continued, “In particular, every citizen strives to resolve the issues involved with preparing appropriate learning venues as well as financial support to help everyone enjoy lifelong learning opportunities.”

Research Specialist (Coordinator of International Cooperation) Dayong Yuan with the Institute of Vocational and Adult Education at the Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences presented on ‘The function of lifelong learning city and network building program’.

International Cooperation Coordinator Dayong Yuan said, “Innovation and sustainability form the foundation for building a learning city in Beijing. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was a catalyst for the construction of a learning city in Beijing.” He continued, “By signing ‘The Decision to Vigorously Promote the Construction of a Learning Beijing in the Capital City’ in 2007, and promoting ‘The 12^th Five Year Plan of Building Beijing as a Learning City’ in 2011, the Beijing learning city advanced through a step-by-step process.”

Yuan observed, “Beijing learning city is a city that innovates and improves itself, and has sufficient potential to sustain its growth. The city will offer a blueprint for world-class lifelong learning cities based on its new vision, strategy, and learning culture.”

Additionally, lifelong learning experts from each country shared cases and debated on various issues. Some examples include: the role and history of colleges in local communities in the US (Cochran Graham, Ohio State University Professor, USA); the self-reliance of marginalized females of Burkina Faso through capability training (Anatole Niameogo, President of the Association for the Promotion of Non-Formal Education); the successful strategies and model case study of lifelong learning-type ODA in Honduras (Elsa Osorto, Director of FUNAZUCAR(Social Enterprise) of Honduras); measuring the effect of lifelong learning in the learning city of Melton (Peter Blunden, Executive Officer to the Learning Board of Melton City). 

Presentations by Korean lifelong learning activists were prepared for June 19 including ‘How to utilize the happiness index of lifelong learning by GILL’, ‘Past and present of local community based lifelong learning, Siheung City’, and ‘Case study on creating a lifelong learning village, Pyeongchon in Gwangju Metropolitan City’.

GILL Chairman Lee Seong said, “With the onset of the centenarian age, the value of lifelong education is being recognized as a gift for the future of all people.” He continued, “I hope we can find the future direction of lifelong education at this forum, and anticipate this to foster continued interest and support.”

The Global Lifelong Learning Forum has been hosted as a biannual event since 2013. Following the 2012 Gyeonggi Lifelong Education Global Forum and 2013 Global Lifelong Learning Forum, this year’s forum marks the third event. The forum has now established itself as a world-class international forum on lifelong education.

◇ Over 300 people involved in lifelong learning including lifelong education personnel in Gyeonggi Province, lifelong education experts from six different continents, and learning clubs participated in the forum. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

◇ Research Specialist (Coordinator of International Cooperation) Dayong Yuan with the Institute of Vocational and Adult Education at the Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences presented ‘The function of a lifelong learning city and network building program’. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo Seon-ryang

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Roh Kyeong-hee khrohh@kg21.net

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