The PASCAL Observatory on Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions invites contributions to an international conference on the theme of ‘Lifelong Learning in the City-Region'. This fifth international conference to be hosted by PASCAL has developed from a number of research and development projects that have been carried out by partners within the Observatory and which focus on the city and the region as a context for lifelong learning. In our work, like the European Commission, we refer to a region, city, urban or rural area, regardless of whether its identity is defined in administrative, cultural, geographical, physical or political terms. As in the call for proposals within the EC’s R3L programme, our concern is simply the region or city’s capacity to encompass and mobilise the key players for the purpose of developing lifelong learning.

The aim of the conference is to review issues which have emerged from research and practice undertaken with a focus on the role of lifelong learning at the regional or city level whether it be with an economic or a social goal. The conference is designed to appeal to researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. On the one hand it invites researchers to examine contemporary research issues empirically, methodologically and theoretically; on the other it invites those whose primary concern is practice and its implementation to share their experiences with us. A number of leading figures from the international research and policy-making communities have been invited to provide an analysis of the issues emerging from research and practice. Papers from a wide range of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners will complement these keynote presentations. We are especially interested in papers that address a ‘community’ perspective. A number of 'roundtable' sessions will allow for debate and discussion on particular topics. The conference will provide a forum for critical and analytical perspectives to inform practice, policy and research in these areas. In addition to the conference proceedings, papers will be considered for a proposed book based on the themes of the conference.

The location for the conference is Pécs in Southern Hungary. The City has a two thousand-year-old history as evidenced by its Roman archeological heritage, has been the Catholic Episcopal seat from the early 11^th century, and is the site of the earliest Hungarian university to have been founded in 1367 by the Anjou-king, Louis I (for more on the city of Pécs, go to  http://www.pecs.hu/varosnezes). Today, the University of Pécs is one of the largest in the country with 10 faculties, Adult Education and Human Resources Development amongst them (see http://www.pte.hu). Together with the University, the city of Pécs is preparing itself for a series of events and development projects as the European City of Culture 2010. At the same time, preparations are also well-advanced for the city’s Year of Teaching and Learning, also in 2010. This conference is an important element of the preparations for that thematic year on behalf of the University of Pécs.