UNESCO Learning City Award recognizes Cork for Outstanding Achievements in Lifelong Learning
08/04/2025
On 3rd April 2025 in Cork City Hall the Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), Ms. Isabell Kempf presented the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Dan Boyle with a UNESCO Learning City Award, making Cork the first city in the world to receive this prestigious award on two occasions.
The second UNESCO Award for Cork was announced at a ceremony marked the opening of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Representing both large metropolises and smaller urban areas, Cork, along with nine other cities was recognised as having demonstrated policies and programmes that empower citizens of all ages through learning programmes.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Dan Boyle said “As first citizen I am proud to represent Cork as a city committed to Lifelong learning. Since 2002, our two Universities and Cork Education and Training Board have joined City Council and many partners in setting Cork as a Learning City as one of our high-level goals for city development.
Through all our collective efforts since then, including hosting the 2017 International Conference on Learning Cities, Cork has consistently promoted lifelong learning as a means of individual, community and city development, and importantly we commit to Leave No-One behind.
This Award, presented again by UNESCO to Cork, is a real Global Q-Mark, a mark of Quality that applies to all our educational and lifelong learning offerings in the city. All partners can be proud that it is your efforts that are reflected in this achievement”
The visit by Ms. Isabell Kempf, Director of UIL, also marked the 20th time the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival has been held.
Ms. Kempf said “This year’s UNESCO Learning City Awardees demonstrate the transformative potential of lifelong learning in addressing our world’s most pressing challenges. I warmly congratulate the UNESCO Learning City of Cork on this well-earned award. Cork serves as an inspiring example of how lifelong learning empowers citizens of all ages and backgrounds. A special acknowledgment to Cork as the only city to have received the UNESCO Learning City Award twice—a remarkable achievement!”.
She went on to say “Cities, home to more than half of the world's population, are at the forefront of transformative change. This year’s UNESCO Learning City Awardees demonstrate how lifelong learning can empower citizens to adapt, innovate and collaborate on solutions to our planet's greatest challenges. Their commitment to inclusivity and sustainability offers a path to a more just and prosperous future for all.”
Willie McAuliffe, Festival Chairperson was also recognised by as a member of the first Festival Committee and ever present since then, by Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, who said:
The Learning Festival – ‘an Féile Foghlama’ has been the foundation stone in Cork’s development as an Internationally recognised Learning City, since it was initiated in the City Strategic Development Plan of 2002 ‘Imagine Our Future. The members of that first festival committee, and all those who played their part since, deserve huge thanks and appreciation for making our city a better place to live and learn”.
Cork was originally selected one of the first 12 cities selected by UNESCO in Mexico in 2015 for outstanding achievements in promoting lifelong learning.
The recipients were selected by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), based on recommendations from an independent jury of international experts.