by Elarbi Imad – ICAE Vice-President for the Arab Region
ICAE had the privilege of representing civil society at the “Strengthening Educational Systems from a Lifelong Learning Perspective, 2025” workshop, which concluded this week. The initiative was organised by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in collaboration with the Open University of Shanghai, bringing together policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and experts from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Senegal, and Chad.
Over several months, participants engaged in a collective process to reimagine how education systems can more fully embrace lifelong learning, global citizenship education, and inclusion. The workshop aimed to support participating countries in initiating or strengthening policies and strategies for implementing lifelong learning, while fostering dialogue across sectors and regions.
The programme focused on five key objectives:
- Promoting a contextualised understanding of lifelong learning aligned with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Identifying priorities and opportunities for lifelong learning through analysis of national institutional, social, economic, technological, and demographic contexts
- Strengthening national capacities to design, implement, and monitor lifelong learning policies, with particular emphasis on flexible learning pathways, recognition of prior learning, and learning cities
- Supporting the development of clear, evidence-based strategies tailored to countries’ different stages of progress
- Promoting peer-to-peer learning through the exchange of experiences, practices, and policy innovations
Between September and November 2025, participants collaborated through the UIL Learning Hub platform, taking part in orientation sessions, thematic modules, and joint working phases. The programme was deliberately customised to reflect each country’s specific context and policy priorities, allowing teams to work on concrete deliverables relevant to their national lifelong learning agendas.
From a civil society perspective, the workshop reaffirmed that lifelong learning is not only an education policy framework, but a societal project—one that requires strong public institutions, inclusive governance, and meaningful participation by communities and learners themselves. It also highlighted the vital role of adult learning and education in supporting inclusive, resilient, and future-oriented education systems across Africa.
ICAE warmly thanks UIL, the Open University of Shanghai, and all participating countries and experts for their commitment and collaboration. The insights generated through this process will continue to inform ICAE’s advocacy and engagement in advancing lifelong learning worldwide.