The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) is a global network for interaction and the exchange of experiences among cities that place a special emphasis on education in urban management. Within this influential network, cities share their valuable experiences in the field of education. UNESCO, as the organization that launched this initiative, has created an opportunity for visibility and advancement for various cities by connecting successful cities in this arena—especially small towns that can test globalization by joining this network with their creative ideas and thinking.

UNESCO supports capacity-building, shaping global discourse, and launching national and regional plans to implement desirable policies and programs for lifelong education and learning in various cities around the world. Its goal is to empower UNESCO member states in the field of lifelong learning, focusing on life skills, decent work, and sustainable living within ecosystems through inclusive learning. The Global Network of Learning Cities strives to achieve this goal by supporting constructive policies, study and research, monitoring, capacity-building, and networking. Its publications also are important tools for disseminating knowledge and effective communication in this field.

The slogan and mission of this network can be summarized as ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. In today's rapidly changing world, where demographic, technological, and environmental transformations are altering social, economic, and political fabrics, the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities is committed to the principle of accessible continuous and lifelong learning for all.

Other objectives of the network include promoting a culture of dialogue among peers and mutual learning, strengthening civic participation, and enhancing development capacity.

Isfahan as a Learning City

The city of Isfahan became a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2021. Other Iranian members of the network are Behbahan, Kashan, Shiraz, Arak, Mashhad, Yazd, the new town of Hashtgerd (Tehran), and Bandar Khamir.

Among the most effective activities undertaken by Isfahan to strengthen its position within the network are:

• Providing training on civic culture

• Entrepreneurship and employment training

• Personal health and hygiene education

• Ideation, creativity, and innovation training

• Training in handicrafts, visual arts, performing arts, music, design and sewing, food industry, and...

• Media literacy

• Promoting a culture of reading

Isfahan Municipality has endeavored to make these trainings accessible to all demographics and age groups through various platforms and diverse tools.

One of Isfahan's notable initiatives in this regard has been the creation of a kind of "urban gallery" to teach the principles of civic culture in areas such as waste management, environmental protection, traffic culture, and promoting public transport. This was implemented through nearly 240 urban billboards, each displayed citywide for fifteen-day periods per topic.

Publishing nearly 250 titles of "citizen books" on various subjects for the education of both citizens and urban managers is another effective activity of Isfahan Municipality in this field. Additionally, holding annual festivals in film, playwriting, poetry, and storytelling for children and teenagers are among Isfahan's strategies for educating and empowering its future generations.

Establishing dedicated cultural centers for children, adolescents, and youth, as well as "Experience Gardens" specifically for seniors—designed to engage all age groups with diverse interests—are other strategies employed by Isfahan Municipality to provide inclusive learning opportunities throughout the city. These spaces provide suitable platforms for holding various classes, courses, and events.

Effective measures by Isfahan Municipality in the field of health and hygiene education have included:

• Special health screenings for travelers visiting the city during the New Year holidays

• Special health screenings for women and educational programs on preventing gynecological diseases in "Women's Gardens"

• "Healthy Teeth" screenings for children in parks along the Zayandeh Rud river

• Creating "Health Trails" equipped with sports facilities in the Nazhvan area to promote walking and exercise among citizens.

Furthermore, with approximately 90 equipped libraries and reading halls, and the establishment of specialized educational centers for basic sciences—such as the Mathematics House, Physics House, Biology House, and Astronomy Center—Isfahan has not only promoted a culture of reading among its citizens but has also provided suitable spaces for enthusiasts to benefit from specialized scientific education across the city.