'UNESCO Learning Cities International Conference' Opens in Incheon on the 27th... Yeonsu-gu, First Basic Municipality to Host

64 Countries, 229 GNLC Member Cities Participate Onsite and Online
'ICLC Global Citizenship Lifelong Learning Expo' Also Held

The 5th UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC) will open on the 27th, and Gonam-seok, Mayor of Yeonsu-gu (sixth from the left), is taking a commemorative photo with staff, pledging a successful event.
[Photo by Yeonsu-gu, Incheon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon Yeonsu-gu, the first basic local government to host and prepare for the event, will hold the "5th UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC)" for four days starting from the 27th around Songdo Convensia.

ICLC is an international event held every two years in major cities worldwide, hosted by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, with participation from 193 UNESCO member countries and 229 major member cities from 64 countries.

Yeonsu-gu plans to create a public forum for lifelong learning under the theme "Beyond Response to New Leap - Building Healthy and Resilient Cities through Learning" at this event.

ICLC will be operated in a hybrid format, creating a non-face-to-face environment that allows all member cities to participate as well as in-person attendance, in accordance with government COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, befitting the world's largest international conference in the lifelong learning field.

The originally anticipated K-POP charity concert and fireworks festival have been postponed to the next opportunity, and the event has been reorganized to focus on efficient and substantial offline programs such as the "2021 ICLC Global Citizenship Lifelong Learning Expo," offering various attractions and entertainment.

Additionally, presentations and discussions will be conducted non-face-to-face using a virtual online video conferencing platform accessible to anyone worldwide, with simultaneous interpretation functions supported to enhance accessibility.

An online conference hall will be operated using "Virtual Incheon," an online platform developed by Incheon City, enabling national interpretation, live session viewing, and networking systems. Upon entering the platform lobby, users can use quick menus by language to access interpretation not only in Korean but also in English, French, Spanish, and more, supporting an online environment for networking, conferences, gallery walks, and live session viewing.

Furthermore, separate from the main event, from the 29th for three days, nine themed halls and 154 booths will be set up in the Convensia exhibition hall to hold the ICLC Global Citizenship Lifelong Learning Expo under the theme "New Lifelong Learning and Urban Trends in the Non-Face-to-Face Era." The expo will feature Climate Change Response Day, a Book Festival, Media Festival, Edu Expo, Songsong Food Fair, and climate change-themed performances.

Earlier, last month, the district launched the "Asia-Pacific Learning Cities Alliance (APLC)," uniting 300 learning cities from 48 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening the successful hosting of ICLC. The APLC secretariat is located in Yeonsu-gu, and the first Secretary-General is Go Nam-seok, the mayor of Yeonsu-gu.

Mayor Go Nam-seok stated, "ICLC is an international event held at a time when a new response system to COVID-19 is expected to be established, and it is the only global lifelong education conference hosted by a domestic basic local government. We will establish the international responsible city status of Incheon City and Yeonsu-gu related to lifelong learning and further lay the foundation for transforming into a future innovative city through lifelong learning."