Izmir University of Economics (IUE) has become the first Turkish university to participate in the PASCAL Learning Cities Networks (LCN) program. Located in the third city of Turkey which is the second biggest port in turkey after Istanbul, IEU was established in 2001 by the Izmir Chamber of Commerce Education and Health Foundation.

This paper has been prepared to provide some background and short overviews of selected issues with a set of questions for discussion at the Rolling Workshops which will be held in the period February to May 2015 in Ostersund, Glasgow, Catania, and Pecs to discuss how cultural policies and activities can be developed so as to contribute to sustaining learning cities and regions.

The 13th International Congress of Educating Cities held in Barcelona in November adopted a Declaration on Inclusion in Educating Cities. 838 participants from 189 cities in 34 countries attended the conference.

The LSE Cities program at the London School of Economics is hosting, with a number of partners, an Urban Age conference on Governing Urban Futures in Delhi on 14-15 November. The conference will consider urban governance and the future development of cities.

India is currently undergoing dramatic shifts from rural to urban activities with a projected increase of 250 million urban dwellers by 2030. There have not been Indian participants in either PIE or the current Networks program. PASCAL would like to fill this gap and welcomes Indian participation in Networks

Participants in the Harnessing Cultural Policies in Building Sustainable Learning Cities Network will collaborate in a rolling Workshop to be held at venues in four countries in the period February-May 2015. The venues will be in Östersund, Glasgow, Catania, and Pecs.