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UNESCO Bangkok Regional Director Soohyun Kim congratulated seven municipalities across China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam on their 2024 induction into UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities, which now encompasses 356 cities in 79 countries.

Opening South-East Asia’s first regional conference on UNESCO Learning Cities in Bangkok, Ms Kim praised the new Learning Cities—Nanjing (China), Legazpi (the Philippines), Bangkok, Khon Kaen, and Yala (Thailand), and Ho Chi Minh City and Son La (Viet Nam)—for their ‘admirable commitment to making lifelong learning a reality for all their citizens.’ She added that these cities are ‘building pathways to knowledge, ensuring that learning takes place not only in classrooms but also in parks, streets, and homes.’

More than 250 policymakers, city officials, and education experts—including representatives from the seven newly designated UNESCO Learning Cities—gathered in Bangkok from 29 to 30 October 2024 for the first-ever ASEAN+3 Regional Learning Cities Conference. Participants from ASEAN member countries as well as China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing among Learning Cities to address the twin challenges of the climate emergency and a global learning crisis that has left over 8 million youth out of school in South-East Asia alone. They highlighted the importance of promoting equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities to support inclusive and resilient communities.

Prof. Supachai Pathumnakul, Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, said, ‘We recognize that all [cities] have the potential to serve as learning platforms, where citizens of all ages can access knowledge and apply such knowledge to benefit themselves, their families, their communities, and their societies.’

South-East Asia, home to approximately 700 million people, is experiencing rapid urbanization. This urban growth is accompanied by pressing challenges—from climate change and natural disasters to social and labor shifts driven by advances in artificial intelligence. ‘As urban areas grow, so do the challenges and opportunities,’ said Raúl Valdés-Cotera, Chief Programme Coordinator at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and Coordinator of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. ‘Lifelong learning is vital to unlocking the potential of South-East Asia’s cities, where over half the region’s population now lives.’

Dr. Kitti Satjawattana, Director of Thailand’s Program Management Unit on Area Based Development, said, ‘We need to be aware of the transformations to adjust, adapt, and make good use of such change...This requires the ability to skillfully manage the transformation and take advantage of the changes.’