On 19 October 2023, the International Conference on Promoting the Implementation of Lifelong Learning in Higher Education: From Institutional Strategies to Practical Implementation was successfully opened at the Shanghai Open University. The conference was co-organized by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Shanghai Open University, in partnership with the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing), the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, the International Association of Universities, and the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, China Association of Higher Education and China Adult Education Association. Mr Zhou Yaming, Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Mr Borhene Chakroun, Director a.i., UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, and Mr Lou Junjiang, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Open University Council, attended the Opening Ceremony and delivered speeches. The opening ceremony was presided over by Ms Zhang Jin, Vice President of the Shanghai Open University.
The three-day conference showcased a rich program with eight Plenary Sessions, two Presidents' Forums and one Round Table Forum. Notably, the conference witnessed the launch of the Chinese edition of UNESCO's renowned publication Making Lifelong Learning a Reality: A Handbook. Furthermore, attendees had the privilege of exploring the Chinese version of the research reports from the UIL-SOU collaborative project, titled “International Trends of Lifelong Learning in Higher Education and Institutional Practices of Implementing Lifelong Learning in Higher Education. The event drew a diverse gathering of 260 participants from 35 countries and regions. The participants consisted of 70 international delegates and 190 national attendees, comprising university leaders, policymakers, experts, scholars and researchers, all converging at the conference to share their insights and expertise.
Ms Stephania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO, conveyed her felicitations for the conference through a letter, which was delivered by Mr Borhene Chakroun, Director a.i.,of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, during the opening ceremony. Ms Gianini’s words underscored the urgency of reshaping education in a world characterized by rapid technological advancements, pressing climate crises, and enduring social inequalities. She stressed that the transformation of education, especially in higher education, is now paramount. ‘We must harness the potential of higher education institutions to foster sustainable societies through lifelong learning, empowering them to effectively address the diverse needs of learners and meet the dynamic demands of the modern workforce and sustainability of development,’ Ms Gianini emphasized in her compelling inaugural address.
Adding to the chorus of support, Mr Qin Changwei, the Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO, shared his insights and aspirations for a brighter future in a video message to the conference. He noted, “Ensuring inclusive, equitable and high-quality education, along with lifelong learning opportunities for all is a pivotal driving force toward our collective vision for 2030 and the realization of SDG4.” Mr Qin emphasized that achieving this vision is a collaborative endeavor involving all segments of society and necessitates the concerted efforts of various stakeholders. He also highlighted the Chinese government’s profound commitment to creating a learning society, with Shanghai standing as a pioneering and proactive advocate for lifelong learning and learning society development in China. Over the years, Shanghai has forged a distinctive path, incorporating both Chinese and Shanghai-specific characteristics, which has garnered recognition and acclaim, both nationally and internationally.
Director Zhou Yaming pointed out in his speech that Shanghai is deepening the construction of the five centres of international economy, finance, trade, shipping, science and innovation, and accelerating its progress towards a global city of excellence. In this process, Shanghai focuses on the leading role of the city's higher education institutions in the implementation of lifelong learning, encourages higher education institutions to provide more flexible learning opportunities, actively reforms the talent cultivation method through the in-depth integration of industry and education, establishes closer partnerships with communities, enterprises, governments and other organizations, pays more attention to and serves the lifelong development of every learner, and leads the way in the development of a fair, high-quality, convenient and diversified lifelong education system, and better serve the lifelong learning needs of nearly 25 million citizens living in this city.
In his speech, Director a.i., of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Mr Borhene Chakroun, hoped that under the guidance of UNESCO, more higher education institutions would implement lifelong learning to ensure that global citizens have access to lifelong learning. In his speech, he also mentioned that with the application of AI technology in open learning, he hopes that there will be more use of technology in higher education to facilitate knowledge sharing and more efficiently engage all parties in society in more inclusive, universal and open learning. He also highlighted the crucial contribution of UNESCO, stating, ‘we support Member States by providing research, resources and technical assistance, as they seek to develop inclusive higher education systems that lay the ground for the equal distribution of opportunities among students.’
Mr LOU Junjiang, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Open University Council, said in his opening address that Shanghai is an important testing ground for lifelong learning in China. As a new type of Higher Education Institution (HEI) supported by information technology and tasked to serve the development of a learning society and lifelong learning system, Shanghai Open University should better dedicate itself to the openness, inclusiveness, flexibility and convenience of education in the trend of sustainable social development and educational change, and actively promote the sustainable development of a learning city where everyone learns, learns everywhere, and learns all the time. He hoped that the conference could be a platform for dialogues and colleagues in this field from around the world would jointly promote the implementation of lifelong learning in HEIs.
While building on the UIL/SOU research on International trends of lifelong learning in higher education, the conference provided the basis for future research collaboration and joint advocacy to make higher education more inclusive, diverse and sustainable. In particular, concrete common areas of work with higher education institutions and university associations have been established in the fields of older people's learning, education for sustainable development and measuring the impact of lifelong learning, among others.
