On Monday, 24 February, Glasgow celebrated a significant achievement in its journey as a thriving learning city with a special reception marking the receipt of a prestigious UNESCO City of Lifelong Learning Award. The event, hosted by the Rt Hon The Lord Provost, Councillor Jacqueline McLaren, took place at Glasgow City Chambers on behalf of Glasgow City Council, with support from the Strategic Support Services Team of Education Services.

Glasgow, a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) since 2019, with a decades long track record in Learning City approaches, has now been recognized for its commitment to lifelong learning, community engagement, and inclusive educational opportunities for all. As Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow has built a reputation as a vibrant hub for education and skills development, fostering collaboration between academia, government, and community organizations to create accessible learning pathways for its residents. It is proud to be the only UK city to have received this award.

The reception was attended by esteemed guests, including Deacon Convener, Richard Paterson OBE; Andrew McFarlane, the Lord Dean; Janie McCusker, Chair of the Glasgow Colleges' Regional Board; Andrew Olney , Glasgow Life - Director of Libraries, Sports and Communities; Martin Newth, Glasgow School of Art; and Jon Vincent, Principal, Glasgow Clyde College as well as Professors Catherine Lido and Mike Osborne, who are leading Glasgow’s Learning Cities initiatives through the PASCAL International Observatory. A special acknowledgment was given to Professor Scott MacGregor of the University of Strathclyde, who represented Glasgow in Saudi Arabia to accept the award on the city’s behalf. Additional recognition was given to Dr. Sergio Hernandez-Mendoza, whose expertise in Learning Cities was instrumental in the development of Glasgow’s award application during his tenure with Glasgow City Council. As a dedicated PASCAL Associate and Education Consultant, Dr. Hernandez-Mendoza continues to contribute to global learning city initiatives.

This accolade further cements Glasgow’s status as a global leader in lifelong learning, reinforcing the city’s mission to provide inclusive and innovative learning opportunities for all citizens. A rousing speech was delivered by Dr Douglas Hutchison highlighting the increasing need for an educated citizenry in the face of authoritarianism and despotism rising in the world today. Dr Hutchison took over as the City Council’s Executive Director of Education Services in 2022, and helped revise our city’s broader educational vision as All Learners, All Achieving document for 2022 to 2027. Key to these core tenets are the goal of delivering ‘inclusive high-quality education’ and a critical consideration of challenges facing Education Services and the public sector more broadly.

First published: 12 March 2025

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