Dublin Learning City

Welcome

Dublin Learning City is a partnership that is collaborating to advance Dublin as a learning region, as defined by UNESCO. This exciting project is a Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) initiative that is funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Dublin Learning City is Chaired by Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT).

Dublin City’s application for membership of the Global Network of Learning Cities has been endorsed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring. Letter of endorsement is below.

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The new initiative was launched during 1916 Leader and Learners bursaries in the Mansion House

Dublin, 4th December:An initiative to establish Dublin as a Learning City, as defined by UNESCO, was launched today, by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring. Supported by the Office of the Lord Mayor and Dublin City Council, the project is spearheaded by five universities and colleges across Dublin under the aegis of the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH), which is funded by Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring, said of the initiative, “We are committed to establishing Dublin as a Learning City and to creating inclusive lifelong learning opportunities for individuals to participate in learning socially, culturally and economically to build a more equal society and celebrate learning for all our citizens.”

In addition to announcing Dublin’s ambition to become a UNESCO Learning City, this event will also see 40 ‘1916 Leaders and Learners’ bursaries awarded to students from the cluster institutions. Supporting students for the full duration of their undergraduate programmes, these bursaries were made possible by funding from the HEA’s PATH programme.

Learning Neighbourhoods: Bringing Lifelong Learning Closer to Home

Dublin Learning City’s Learning Neighbourhoods programme is about one simple idea: everyone should be able to find learning, training and educational opportunities right on their own doorstep. Since the programme began, we’ve worked with local communities across the city to map out what’s already there, connect residents to it, and build networks that make lifelong learning part of everyday neighbourhood life.

So far, two areas of Dublin have been officially recognised as UNESCO Learning Neighbourhoods — with a third now underway.

Dublin awarded prestigious UNESCO Learning City Award 2021

Investing in human capital is crucial to Dublin’s successful development, and lifelong learning is key to this endeavour. As a learning city, it pursues the principle of ‘learning for work, life and fun’ through wide-ranging initiatives coordinated by six local colleges and institutes together with further partners. The ‘Your Place is Here’ campaign encouraging enrolment in higher education regardless of educational background, age, or individual circumstances, and the Healthy Dublin City project offering six learning programmes to improve citizens’ personal, physical and mental health are just two of the many initiatives available to Dublin’s population of more than 1.2 million.