A Global Conference on Lifelong Learning
Preparations are running smoothly for the 5th UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC), which will be held in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, four months later.
The international lifelong learning conference will run for four days from Oct. 27 to 30 at Songdo Convensia. Its pre-registration for participants began on June 14. The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) holds the conference every two years. Participants include representatives from 193 UNESCO member countries, officials from 229 Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) member cities from 64 countries, representatives of lifelong learning cities in Korea and experts in lifelong learning.
Advisory Group Consisting of 14 Top Experts Launched
To this end, 14 top experts were selected as members of the Advisory Group. They held an inaugural meeting in March. The meeting was held online with the attendance of Ko Nam-seok, mayor of Yeonsu-gu; Choi Woon-sil, a professor of Ajou University; Kang Dae-jung, head of the National Institute for Lifelong Education; Daniel Baril, chair of the UIL Governing Board; Yang Jin, Chinese ambassador to UNESCO and a member of the UIL Governing Board; and Didier Jourdan, chair holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education.
At the meeting, Ko said, “Now is a time for people around the world to build a consensus, based on an awareness as global citizens, for a joint response to the global COVID-19 crisis and sharing vaccines."
Official Logo and Mascot Finalized
The ICLC’s official logo and mascot were also finalized in April. They were created based on the works selected through a national contest, which was organized by a design house. Korea’s top designers, including Nam Sang-min, a former Cheil Worldwide master, and Yoon Doo-yeon, a fireworks designer, offered their advice.
The ICLC logo uses the colors of the Olympic flag, which means world harmony and connection, and the blue sea color of Yeonsu-gu. It expresses Yeonsu-gu's goals and aspirations using the initial consonant “L” of “Learning.” The six strokes symbolize the six regions of the world forming a global lifelong learning network and moving forward, with Yeonsu-gu leading their march.
In addition, the virtual character "Neowoori" was finalized as a mascot. It features a wave-shaped hairstyle, a sea-blue skin color reminding the sea of Songdo International City, Y-shaped horns meaning Yeonsu-gu, and a brush-shaped tail, an icon of learning. Born with a mission to connect you and us with lifelong learning at the ICLC held in Yeonsu-gu, Neowoori has a double meaning of “Big Wave” and “You (Neo) and We (Woori) ”
With the 5th ICLC official logo and mascot finalized, Yeonsu-gu will step up its efforts to promote its role as a global civic education cluster coordinator city and create an atmosphere for the 5th ICLC. In addition, it will promote the event at home through links with public institutions and lifelong learning institutions across the country and abroad using the 5th ICLC official website and the UNESCO UIL website.
Post-COVID-19 Health and Education
Having started in Beijing in 2013, the ICLC marks its fifth anniversary in 2021. It will serve as an international forum for experts in lifelong learning from around the world to disucss the theme of “Global Health Education and Crisis Response in the Post-COVID-19 Era.”
Yeonsu-gu was selected as the fifth ICLC venue in November 2020. It is working together with residents to raise the status of lifelong learning in Korea and promote Korean culture to the world. In particular, it is determined to make the meeting the world's largest lifelong learning festival through various events such as education fairs, K-pop concerts, and fireworks, as well as the real-time broadcast of the conference, including the opening ceremony.
Participants can register until Aug. 31. They can register through the 5th ICLC official website, which can be accessed by searching "Yeonsu-gu International Conference" on Internet portals. General participants cannot attend the international conferences, but they can watch through a metabus-based online system and attend other events linked to the 5th ICLC.
The UNESCO International Conference Promotion Team of the Yeonsu-gu Office places top priority on vaccination, quarantine and safety due to the continued proliferation of COVID-19 at home and abroad. In particular, as for the K-pop concert and fireworks festival where many people are expected to flock, the team is determined to prevent accidents and quarantine loopholes through tight surveillance and thorough checks.
"As the government is speeding up the formation of herd immunity in November, it will be Korea's first international event to be held around the end of the COVID-19 crisis," Ko said. “We will do our best to enhance Korea’s status and become a lifelong learning leader in the international community.”