2016 Annual Conference

This presentation provides an updated review on progress and barriers of developing learning cities in China illustrating Chinese governmental vision building a learning society towards Chinese Dream. Holford and Jarvis’ four models of learning society is applied to examine current policies, research, and practices for future improvement.

Adult educators, research scholars, adult education practitioners, and graduate students in the field of adult and continuing education, and those who are interested in international adult education, lifelong learning, learning society, and learning city will benefit from attending this session. It will also help inform community development advocates, adult learning program planners and coordinators, educational administrators, and policymakers with updated information to understand new trends and strategies of working with diverse adult learners.

This paper, through the lens of Chinese governmental vision of building a learning society towards Chinese dream in the global context, provides an updated examination on progress and barriers of developing learning cities for global citizenship and sustainable development in China. The fast socio-economic and technological development in China during the past two decades brings noticeable achievements to the nation, yet, unbalanced developments among regions, between urban and rural, and in varied arenas cause issues of varies kinds that create and increase learning needs especially for adult learners. Thus advocating lifelong learning and building a learning community, cities, and then a learning society via adult education and adult learning are at the center of discussion in the National Strategic Plan for educational reform and the mid-long term development. Policies and research at different administrative levels have been conducted for practices during the past two decades. This session first examines progress and barriers that have been made on national policies and research, and then looks at several cities’ current practices as cases for critical reflection and discourse. Holford and Jarvis’ four models of learning society (2000) will be applied to the study for future direction and improvement.