Cahul – Moldova has its first Learning Cities

The city of Cahul, located in the South of Moldova, has joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, together with Chisinau. By joining the Network, Cahul plans to form closer links with other member cities in the network, as well as to exchange and share good practices and expertise in different areas, focusing on including vulnerable and marginalised groups. This will help give every individual citizen the opportunity to reach their full potential through learning.

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is an international policy-orientated network providing inspiration, know-how and best practice. The Network supports the achievement of all seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) and SDG 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable). UNESCO defines a learning city as a city that effectively mobilises its resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning from basic to higher education and fosters a culture of learning throughout life in families, communities and workplaces through the use of modern learning technologies.

Representatives of local administration from Cahul and Orhei had the opportunity to visit several Learning Cities in South Korea in November 2019, together with representatives of other local administration and educational institutions from Ukraine and Belarus. The study visit was organised by DVV International and the Korean Association of Lifelong Learning Cities. The Learning Cities visited impressed the delegation with their prosperity and attractiveness due to a developed formal and non-formal educational system accessible to all ages. 169 learning cities and communities in South Korea have been designated by the Korean Government since 2001. More than 35 of them are members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. The commitment of the South Korean cities to lifelong learning made a major contribution to the development of South Korea to become a prosperous country with an advanced technology infrastructure that improves the well-being of its citizens.

Cahul has a strong commitment to Lifelong Learning, and believes that any progress is based on a robust educational pillar with a wide variety of forms and formats. Cahul attaches considerable value to cooperation between institutions that provide formal, non-formal and informal learning for the social, cultural and economic growth of society. Cahul’s vision is to empower its citizens to contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of the city. One of the main goals of the local administration is to transform Cahul into an educational and cultural centre of international importance which offers better study and discovery possibilities to its residents, and provides learning spaces for all. The municipality of Cahul intends to further enhance quality of learning, intensify external partnerships, and engage all citizens in all aspects of life. The city mayor Nicolae Dandis declares: “As the Mayor of Cahul, I am dedicated to bringing this plan into action and further improving the entrepreneurial environment of the city. Together, we are building a beautiful city that offers opportunities to everyone.”