The city of Sousse has officially joined UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities, thereby becoming the third Tunisian city to join this network, which brings together 425 cities in 91 countries. The announcement was made, this Friday, by the Minister of Education, Noureddine Nouri, during an information day organized at the headquarters of the Sousse municipality.
In a speech delivered on this occasion, the minister indicated that Sousse’s accession to this network is the fruit of participatory work and a deep conviction that investing in knowledge, education and teaching represents the most effective path to improving the quality of life for the city’s inhabitants. He also stressed that investment in knowledge remains the most capable means of shaping tomorrow’s transformations.
He specified that « the collective commitment that led to Sousse’s accession to the Global Network of Learning Cities contributed to the acceptance of its candidacy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. »
The minister affirmed that Sousse’s accession to this network, as the third Tunisian city after Tunis and Nabeul, opens wide prospects for participating in international learning initiatives. It also allows it to develop a holistic approach to learning for all, in line with national objectives aimed at ensuring quality, equitable and inclusive education, notably through lifelong learning.
He also expressed his confidence in the city’s rich potential and in its ability to shine in the fields of education, teaching and training at national, regional and international levels.
Noureddine Nouri called on the municipality, educational, training and university institutions, the private sector as well as civil society to mobilize around a common objective: to develop a shared vision making the Pearl of the Sahel a national and regional model in disseminating the culture of learning, strengthening social inclusion, and supporting innovation at all ages of life.
According to the Sousse municipality, this distinction constitutes an international recognition of the efforts deployed by the city and its partners to promote a culture of lifelong learning, improve the quality of education, foster social inclusion and encourage innovation as well as sustainable development at the local level, within the framework of UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities.
The adoption of the concept of the “learning city” today represents a strategic choice. This notion indeed goes beyond the framework of traditional schooling to become a key driver of overall development.
Joining UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities thus carries increasing importance as a tool to accompany rapid digital and economic changes. These cities help anchor lifelong learning by providing citizens of all ages with the opportunity to develop their skills to adapt to the evolution of the labor market. They also enable transforming public spaces into platforms for disseminating knowledge, innovation, and the acquisition of knowledge, according to the municipality.
It should be recalled that joining UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities takes place within an official framework based on a close partnership between the local authorities of the candidate city and the national UNESCO commission of the country concerned.
