Learning Bratislava

In February 2024, Bratislava became a member of the prestigious UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC). This step strengthens its position as a modern, educated, and innovative city that promotes lifelong learning, professional cooperation, and social inclusion.

The United Nations has identified quality education as the key driver for prosperity, growth, and global transformation within its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

The UNESCO GNLC supports the achievement of all 17 SDGs, in particular :

• SDG 4 Quality Education – “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities – “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.”

Currently, the UNESCO GNLC brings together 356 cities from 79 countries worldwide, supporting non-formal educational activities, the concept of lifelong learning, family/community-based education, and workplace learning.

In Slovakia, only two cities are currently part of the UNESCO GNLC: Bratislava and Trnava ↗︎. Trnava was admitted to the UNESCO GNLC as the first Slovak city in September 2022. Bratislava became a member of the network in February 2024, as mentioned above. The profile of the Slovak Capital City Bratislava as a learning city can be found at https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/learning-cities/bratislava ↗︎.

The inclusion of Bratislava in the UNESCO GNLC is a major achievement and at the same time an opportunity for the city to contribute to fulfilling the SDGs mentioned above. The Capital City of Bratislava has committed to:

“Building a strong educational network, fostering expert collaboration and tackling educational challenges. By enhancing institutional cooperation, promoting innovative teaching and launching a lifelong learning portal, the city aims for educational excellence. With aspirations to champion innovation, improve the attractiveness of teaching and bridge generational gaps, Bratislava also plans to introduce a youth platform, advocate for teacher salaries and standardize school evaluations.” (https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/learning-cities/bratislava ↗︎, https://epale.ec.europa.eu/sk/content/druhym-slovenskym-uciacim-sa-mestom-unesco-sa-stala-bratislava ↗︎)

By joining the UNESCO GNLC, Bratislava reaffirmed its commitment to promoting lifelong learning and creating an environment in which residents have access to diverse learning opportunities. This step represents a significant contribution to the development of the city and its citizens, strengthening social inclusion and supporting sustainable development through education.

The UNESCO GNLC is coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) (https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/learning-cities ↗︎) based in Hamburg, which launched the network in 2013 to promote social cohesion, economic development, and sustainability in urban areas.

The goal of lifelong learning, which is the core principle of the UNESCO GNLC, is to foster education for sustainable development, economic and cultural growth, and social inclusion.

Membership in the network provides opportunities to establish new partnerships, supports professional networking, and enables the exchange and sharing of experiences and know-how in addressing challenges faced by learning cities both locally and globally.

As part of the Learning City Bratislava initiative, the first Learning Cities Conference was held on October 18, 2024, in the Hall of Mirrors of the Primate’s Palace. The event was attended by representatives of UNESCO, the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), and the European Universities Continuing Education Network (EUCEN). More about the conference can be found in the Conferences section.

In addition to the conference, several webinars were organized, for example, the Asociácia inštitúcií vzdelávania dospelých (AIVD) regularly hosts webinars focused on various aspects of adult learning, including topics related to the activities of Learning City Bratislava. Recordings of the webinars are available on the AIVD YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyT9ibyuOyxVcDOgfQ2pw_w/videos ↗︎.