During the working session, Son La city’s leaders briefed the guests on the outcomes of its education and training initiatives, as well as its experience in developing a global learning city. In the 2024–2025 academic year, the city has 50 schools, one provincial continuing education centre, and one provincial inclusive education support centre, with a total of 995 classes and 33,915 students. It consistently ranks first in the province in terms of education quality and number of prizes in competitions.

On average, Son La city allocates 34% of its annual budget to education. It currently has 160 “Houses of Wisdom” and “Libraries of Compassion” in residential areas, hamlets and schools. In February 2024, it was honoured to become the fifth city in the country, and the first from a disadvantaged mountainous region to be recognised by UNESCO as a member of the Global Network of Learning Cities.

Uong Bi’s leader expressed his gratitude for Son La city’s valuable insights into building a learning society. The experience shared will serve as a foundation for Uong Bi to apply in practice, guiding efforts to develop its own learning society and compile a dossier to join the Global Network of Learning Cities in the near future.