Program Coordinator, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning
Raúl Valdés Cotera is Program Coordinator at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg Germany and the Program Director of the UNESCO World Network of Learning Cities. For more than fifteen years he has worked in international organizations in the field of public policies, lifelong learning and educational planning. It has been a precursor of learning and education policies for young people and adults in several countries of the world and systems for recognition, validation and accreditation of learning outcomes.
Raúl leads the UNESCO World Network of Cities that has more than 220 cities in the five regions of the world committed to lifelong learning. He has directed several research projects such as the regional report on the current situation for Adult Education in Latin America (2007), the Glossary for Adult Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (2013), more recently “Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities” (2015 and 2017). He was editor together with Mr. Yang J (2011) of the “Conceptual and political evolution of lifelong learning development”.
Raúl has a degree in Actuary, has a master’s degree in international business and a PhD in Education.