13th PASCAL International Conference to be held in Glasgow, 2016

The 13th PASCAL International Conference [2] will be held at the University of Glasgow on 3-5 June, 2016. The conference will focus on future directions for Learning Cities at a time of significant challenge and opportunity for enterprising Learning Cities. The conference will build on PASCAL work on Learning Cities over the last six years through the PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) and Learning Cities Networks (LCN) programs to establish a platform for sustainable learning cities that respond to a mix of social, economic, environmental, and cultural objectives.

While the conference will build on PASCAL work on Learning Cities, it will also take up significant innovations that are relevant to future directions for sustainable Learning Cities. These developments will include innovations involving Resilient Cities, Big Data, and Future City characteristics.

This mix of PASCAL work on Learning Cities over the past six years and significant big ideas emerging from innovations in exciting areas such as Resilient Cities, Big Data, and Future Cities has the potential to lead to creative ideas that will add much to the Learning City movement and complement the work that the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has undertaken leading to the first International Conference on Learning Cities [3] in Beijing in 2013 and the forthcoming 2nd International Conference [4] to be held in Mexico City on 28-30 September 2015. Learning Cities are indeed on the move.

PASCAL currently has five collaborating Networks in the following areas:

1. Learning Cities and Networks for inclusion.
2. Harnessing cultural policies.
3. Building an entrepreneurial learning culture.
4. Technology and the impact of Big Data/connecting urban and rural learning.
5. Achieving holistic and integrated development.

The Glasgow conference will be the culmination of work being undertaken by these Networks. The attached flyer provides further information on the conference. A comprehensive program for the conference will be released at the 12th PASCAL International Conference [5] in Catania in October this year. Meanwhile, enquiries may be directed to Professor Michael Osborne at the University of Glasgow and Peter Kearns on [email protected] [6].