About the Institute
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning
UIL supports Member States in the field of lifelong learning with a focus on learning ecosystems, skills for life and work, and inclusive learning. It pays special attention to UNESCO’s Global Priorities Africa and Gender Equality. It has one of the largest libraries in the world within its specialized field and hosts the world’s longest-running journal of comparative education and lifelong learning.
Governing Board
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has a Governing Board consisting of twelve members who are nominated intuitu personae by the Director-General of UNESCO. The Governing Board is made up of outstanding education experts from different regions of the world who meet once a year to review the progress of the Institute's work and plan future policy.
UIL’s mandate
Within UNESCO’s broad educational mandate, the mission of the Institute is to promote the recognition of and create the conditions for the exercise of the right to education and learning. The Institute undertakes research, capacity-building, networking and publication on lifelong learning. UIL responds to the concerns of all UNESCO Member States, giving priority to least developed countries.
The Institute also hosts a large number of interns, scholars and visiting researchers. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg provides the Institute with its premises, a villa registered as a historic monument close to the University of Hamburg, an institution with which the Institute enjoys a strong partnership.
