UNESCO Learning City Awardee 2024Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
Commonly known as the ‘River City’, Wuhan is situated between the Yangtze River and the Han River in the People’s Republic of China. Its location benefits the city by facilitating the transport of both goods and diverse ideas to Wuhan.
The city incorporates continuing education and lifelong learning into its overall urban development layout. Departments at all levels work together to create various learning organizations and communities, and to comprehensively improve the quality of public education services for citizens.
The city incorporates continuing education and lifelong learning into its overall urban development layout. Departments at all levels work together to create various learning organizations and communities, and to comprehensively improve the quality of public education services for citizens.
Dr. Li ChaoDirector of Wuhan Education Bureau
Expanding learning opportunities
Wuhan is leveraging both physical and digital infrastructure to deliver a diverse array of learning programs. The city has established:
Complementing the physical spaces, Wuhan has also developed a robust online learning platform called the "Wuhan Lifelong Learning Network."
This centralized portal offers over 8,800 digital resources and 6,500 online courses, making learning accessible to all residents.
- 1 municipal-level and 13 district-level community education colleges
- 151 street and township community schools
- 1,874 neighbourhood committee and village teaching points
Complementing the physical spaces, Wuhan has also developed a robust online learning platform called the "Wuhan Lifelong Learning Network."
This centralized portal offers over 8,800 digital resources and 6,500 online courses, making learning accessible to all residents.
Strengthening policies and local regulations
Wuhan has issued local regulations to promote lifelong learning, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary and comprehensive nature of lifelong learning.
The regulations clarify the roles of different departments, institutions, and organizations in serving the lifelong learning of the entire population.
To ensure strategic implementation, the city has established a coordinating body, forming a leadership group for promoting Wuhan as a learning city. This body brings together learning resources from various departments, industries, and fields to enhance learning opportunities for all citizens.
The regulations clarify the roles of different departments, institutions, and organizations in serving the lifelong learning of the entire population.
To ensure strategic implementation, the city has established a coordinating body, forming a leadership group for promoting Wuhan as a learning city. This body brings together learning resources from various departments, industries, and fields to enhance learning opportunities for all citizens.
Wuhan, City of Reading
In 2022, Wuhan launched a cross-media reading platform, Wuhan, City of Reading, providing comprehensive reading resources with approximately 1 million e-books and 100,000 audio resources.
The platform includes weekly original content under columns like "Encounter Bookstore" and "Humanistic Wuhan," as well as enhanced live-streaming for accessible reading activities. Since 2023, it has hosted over 200 live events.
The platform includes weekly original content under columns like "Encounter Bookstore" and "Humanistic Wuhan," as well as enhanced live-streaming for accessible reading activities. Since 2023, it has hosted over 200 live events.
A place of reading: Wuhan Central Book Mall
As the first city in China to promote itself as a "City of Reading," Wuhan has established the Wuhan Central Book Mall as a cultural landmark, alongside 60 urban book houses, 1,200 community book houses, and 2,149 rural book houses. Notable spaces include Jiangcheng Book House, located in the Wuhan Library, and the "Literati Space" at Qintai Academy, both offering public library services within a 12-minute walking distance for residents.
Empowering Wuhan’s citizens through community schools
The Community Education College in Wuchang District, Wuhan, has established 52 community schools across the district, enhancing lifelong learning accessibility.
Through its WeChat account, short videos platform, and mini-programme, the college offers 526 online classes on subjects like poetry, music, and digital skills.
Additionally, it has compiled 52 textbooks, held nearly 3,000 lectures, and attracted over 2 million participants. A knowledge-to-action point system encourages literacy, volunteerism, and rewards, enabling nearly 50,000 residents to access quality learning resources within their communities.
Through its WeChat account, short videos platform, and mini-programme, the college offers 526 online classes on subjects like poetry, music, and digital skills.
Additionally, it has compiled 52 textbooks, held nearly 3,000 lectures, and attracted over 2 million participants. A knowledge-to-action point system encourages literacy, volunteerism, and rewards, enabling nearly 50,000 residents to access quality learning resources within their communities.
Huang LinEducator
Empowering families: Wuhan’s comprehensive family education initiative
The Women's Federation of Wuhan City provides tailored family education guidance to parents and children through its Family Education Public Welfare Lecture Hall platform.
In 2020, the platform completed 2,014 classes, including 200 live broadcasts, 817 recorded sessions, and 1,000 in-person classes, reaching 870 communities across 15 districts and benefiting 200,000 households.
Offline classes take place at community and village centres, offering face-to-face instruction and support for families. This year, the Federation has enhanced the programme, delivering courses via the Wuhan Women WeChat account and expanding offerings to schools, community centres, family practice bases, and more, receiving positive feedback from parents.
In 2020, the platform completed 2,014 classes, including 200 live broadcasts, 817 recorded sessions, and 1,000 in-person classes, reaching 870 communities across 15 districts and benefiting 200,000 households.
Offline classes take place at community and village centres, offering face-to-face instruction and support for families. This year, the Federation has enhanced the programme, delivering courses via the Wuhan Women WeChat account and expanding offerings to schools, community centres, family practice bases, and more, receiving positive feedback from parents.
Empowering Elderly Learners: Wuhan’s Three-Year Action Plan for Lifelong Learning (2023-2025)
The Wuhan City Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting the Construction of a Learning City (2023-2025) aims to increase elderly engagement in lifelong learning, targeting a participation rate among those over 26%. To meet this goal, Wuhan is enhancing elderly education resources and strengthening the role of municipal and district universities for seniors.
The city is developing a comprehensive education system that spans urban and rural areas and encourages innovative learning models, including collaborative retirement learning, eldercare-integrated education, and smart, joyful learning experiences.
Branded courses are being created to focus on ethics, health, intergenerational communication, and digital skills.
The Smart Elderly Assistance project supports elderly residents in bridging the digital divide.
Additionally, the plan encourages community residents to form self-organized learning groups, reading alliances, and activity teams, fostering self-education, management, and service within the community.
The city is developing a comprehensive education system that spans urban and rural areas and encourages innovative learning models, including collaborative retirement learning, eldercare-integrated education, and smart, joyful learning experiences.
Branded courses are being created to focus on ethics, health, intergenerational communication, and digital skills.
The Smart Elderly Assistance project supports elderly residents in bridging the digital divide.
Additionally, the plan encourages community residents to form self-organized learning groups, reading alliances, and activity teams, fostering self-education, management, and service within the community.
"Beautiful China, I Am an Actor": Education for sustainable development and climate action
The Beautiful China, I Am an Actor initiative (2021-2025) aims to enhance ecological awareness and inspire sustainable behaviour among citizens.
Through thematic events, practical activities, and volunteer services, the programme encourages widespread community engagement in climate action.
Anchored in school curricula and educational hubs, it fosters climate change education, particularly for young people, to deepen their understanding of environmental protection.
The initiative reaches all primary and secondary schools in Wuhan, offering environmental courses and activities that benefit over 3 million students.
The initiative is jointly implemented by schools, communities, businesses, and environmental social organizations, and is coordinated by the Wuhan Ecological Environment Volunteer Service Brigade. Schools are responsible for developing climate education courses, communities engage residents, businesses offer informational sessions, and organizations run volunteer services to promote sustainable practices.
The impact is evident: over 70% of surveyed citizens report increased concern about climate issues, while more than 60% actively practice green habits, including resource conservation, low-carbon travel, and green consumption.
Through thematic events, practical activities, and volunteer services, the programme encourages widespread community engagement in climate action.
Anchored in school curricula and educational hubs, it fosters climate change education, particularly for young people, to deepen their understanding of environmental protection.
The initiative reaches all primary and secondary schools in Wuhan, offering environmental courses and activities that benefit over 3 million students.
The initiative is jointly implemented by schools, communities, businesses, and environmental social organizations, and is coordinated by the Wuhan Ecological Environment Volunteer Service Brigade. Schools are responsible for developing climate education courses, communities engage residents, businesses offer informational sessions, and organizations run volunteer services to promote sustainable practices.
The impact is evident: over 70% of surveyed citizens report increased concern about climate issues, while more than 60% actively practice green habits, including resource conservation, low-carbon travel, and green consumption.
Wu JianLearner
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
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
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
© City of Wuhan; Sleepingpanda / Shutterstock.com; Andrew Babble / Shutterstock.com; Auongkinghe / Wikimedia Commons; Imtmphoto / Shutterstock.com; MIA Studio / Shutterstock.com; Getty Images Pro / Stock Good
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
© City of Wuhan; Sleepingpanda / Shutterstock.com; Andrew Babble / Shutterstock.com; Auongkinghe / Wikimedia Commons; Imtmphoto / Shutterstock.com; MIA Studio / Shutterstock.com; Getty Images Pro / Stock Good
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Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
Dr. Li Chao
Expanding learning opportunities
Strengthening policies and local regulations
Wuhan, City of Reading
A place of reading: Wuhan Central Book Mall
Empowering Wuhan’s citizens through community schools
Huang Lin
Empowering families: Wuhan’s comprehensive family education initiative
Empowering Elderly Learners: Wuhan’s Three-Year Action Plan for Lifelong Learning (2023-2025)
"Beautiful China, I Am an Actor": Education for sustainable development and climate action
Wu Jian
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities