Lifelong Learning is more relevant in society than ever, as it is a powerful means of equipping people and nations for a VUCA world, that is, one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Globally, communities are coming together to create opportunities for all to participate in lifelong learning and to benefit from learning that occurs across different contexts.
We have thus selected the theme Learning as a Way of Life for this year’s Lifelong Learning Conference. We hope that this will prompt us to focus on the idea of developing and enhancing Learning Communities, leveraging on their benefits and putting forward what we can do to encourage their formation. With urban spaces made up of dense networks of the built environment, and technology bringing together businesses, communities and people potentially offering rich social contexts for learning, how can we consciously facilitate learning amidst such spaces, to eventually become the Learning City we aspire to be?
Since the inaugural run in 2017, the Lifelong Learning Conference has sought to act as a forum for participants from the education, workforce development, community development and corporate training sectors to exchange ideas and case studies on Lifelong Learning. Through its continued collaboration with the World Speaker Series, the conference ensures that the discussion is not confined to a local context, but situated as part of an international Lifelong Learning movement.