GNLC Awardee: Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest economic centre in the People's Republic of China. Lifelong learning is part of the city's DNA, and a driver for sustainable development.

A holistic lifelong learning approach is implemented across Shanghai, with a particular focus on older people, health education, education for sustainable development (ESD), and technical and vocational education and training (TVET). 21 local government agencies work together to coordinate learning in the city.

The city's vision: To develop as a learning city, reflecting its ambition to become a city of excellence known for its innovation, humanity and eco-friendliness.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are key to Shanghai's development strategy. The city seeks to provide learning opportunities for all in order to give its citizens the chance to succeed.

As regards vocational education and training (VET), Shanghai has established a lifelong VET system, led by enterprises, supported by vocational schools, underpinned by public training centres, and supplemented by vocational training institutes. Dual training systems are also in place to help advance the qualifications of those already in employment.

Enterprises are required by law to provide education and training to their employees, and to ensure that this provision is adequately funded. Income tax benefits further encourage employees to participate in continuous learning schemes.

Even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shanghai had invested in online learning opportunities. More than 5.2 million citizens have registered to attend 30,000 online courses and to access 70,000 eBooks and more than 6,000 audiobooks.

Shanghai has installed a citywide network of community education volunteers. Teachers, university students, medical practitioners, scientists and retired officials serve citizens share their professional expertise with citizens in over 220 learning stations across the city.

In addition, libraries, museums, memorials and other public cultural institutions, as well as schools of all types and community cultural centres have been encouraged to open their doors to the public for free. Over 90 per cent have done so to date.

Shanghai has invested strongly in lifelong learning, and citizens' engagement in learning activities is continuously increasing.

Over 80 per cent of the employees are enrolled in learning classes. In 2019, community education activities attracted 9.665 million citizens. In 2020, the reading rate of Shanghai citizens was 97.04 per cent, 15.94 per cent above the national average.

Shanghai has made great strides towards realizing its ambition of providing all of its citizens with opportunities to learn. The 2021 UNESCO Learning City Award recognizes its outstanding achievements in this respect.

UNESCO Learning City of Shanghai
Shanghai Community Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development (2020-2021）

The UNESCO Learning City Award was established to further promote lifelong learning for all and showcase good practices in building learning cities. It is conferred on cities that have achieved outstanding progress in this regard. All awardee cities have demonstrated best practices that lay the foundation for sustainable development.

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.

UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

Credits: © Getty Images / zhujia1011; sinseehophotos; City of Shanghai