PASCAL and its Learning Cities Networks (LCN) initiative were delighted to be co-sponsors with the University of Pécs and its Learning City-Region Forum of an International Conference on 20th September, 2018, on the theme of Learning Cities and Culture Working Together. Also sponsoring the event were the Municipality of Pécs, and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL).

Keynote speakers and the topics they spoke on included:

• Arne Carlsen – Learning City and City of Culture;
• Mike Osborne – Are Smart Cities Learning?
• Katarina Popovic – Learning cities between the global goals and community practices;
• Raul Valdes-Cotera – Equitable and inclusive Learning Cities;
• Séamus Ó Tuama – Learning Neighbourhoods: generating sustainable, flourishing, inclusive, learning environments in Cork Learning City;
• George K. Zarifis – Learning active participatory citizenship in Thessaloniki: implications and impact of mainstream and support educational activities for socially vulnerable young adults.

A major focus was the intersection between smart, creative and learning Cities.

Full details of the conference, programme and a collection of abstracts may be found here.

Clockwise from top left: Balázs Nemeth; Arne Carlsen; Katarina Popovic; building near the Pécs House of Civic Communities; the initial panel; building near the Pécs House of Civic Communities