Learning Limerick Midwest showcase at PASCAL International Conference

Learning Limerick – Yvonne Lane, Pat Dowling, Eimear Brophy, Anna Rooney, Trisha Rainsford, Mary Hamilton and John Morris promoting the Limerick 2020 Bid at the International Learning Cities Conference in Glasgow. Pictures by JDM Photography

Seven delegates from Learning Limerick represented the Midwest at the 13 PASCAL International Conference held at the University of Glasgow, Scotland on the development and role of learning cities.

Pat Dowling, Limerick City and County Council, speaking at the International Learning Cities Conference in Glasgow. Picture by JDM Photography

The Learning Limerick members taking part came from the Limerick City and County Council, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), PAUL Partnership and Limerick Integration Working Group.

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The title of the Conference ‘Learning Cities 2040: Global, Local, Connected, Sustainable, Healthy & Resilient’ focused on the future directions for Learning Cities at a time of considerable challenge and opportunity for cities, with significant development in the role and contribution of Learning Cities.

The conference provided the team from Limerick with an excellent opportunity to share ideas and experience with their international partners on the development and role of Learning Cities. One important form of new partnership idea discussed was the linking the complementary initiatives of the Learning City with that of the Smart City, to build innovative, sustainable cities.

The team from Limerick was led by the Deputy Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Pat Dowling, who introduced Learning Limerick’s Showcase presentation.

This presentation highlighted the work of the group, including the Lifelong Leaning Festival which has grown since 2001 to be a hugely popular weeklong event of enjoyable, fun learning activities annually in Limerick.

The showcase presentation also demonstrated how the group is collaborating with the Limerick 2020 team on our common goal of promoting Limerick at international level as a learning and cultural region of excellence. The Learning Limerick team is backing Limerick to become the European Capital of Culture 2020 and one of the goals of actively participating in this international conference is to apply and hopefully be successful in achieving the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning City Award 2017.

Mary Hamilton, who was part of the Limerick City of Learning group since its inception in 2002, delivered a paper at the conference that profiled Limerick: – ‘From Learning City to Learning Region: Connection challenges’ Mary’s case study explored how these connections have played a vital role in our journey towards becoming a “learning city-region” at a time of great change.  It also provided best practice examples of these connections in Limerick mapping them to UNESCO’s Key Features of Learning Cities.

Speaking at the conference, Pat Dowling, Deputy Chief Executive said: – ‘The Limerick City and County Council continues to be committed to supporting the Learning Limerick group and is delighted that the goal of Limerick becoming a City and County Region of Learning – a region full of opportunities is progressing in what promises to be a hugely exciting time for Limerick.

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