WISE On Air

What can a prison cell teach us about education and leadership?    In this episode of #WISEConversations, Syrian human rights advocate Omar Alshogre shares his experience surviving imprisonment as a teenager and how he and his fellow prisoners built an informal school they came to call the “University of Whispers”. Through poetry, shared knowledge, and human trust, he found a way to turn suffering...

Is #AI making us cognitively lazy, orjust outsourcing the boring parts? In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Sam Meekings talks withDr. Spencer Striker, Professor of Digital Media Design at @NorthwesternUniversity in Qatar, about AI's role in education. They cover #cognitivedebt, the MIT study behind it, and how leaning on AI for hard thinking can leavestudents with little real work to show. The tal...

What if the missing piece in your organization isn't more data, but a way to help everyone move like one body?  In this episode of #WISEOnAir, host Aldo de Papp sits down with Paul Atfield, Data AI Lead at the Education Outcomes Fund, to unpack his new paper "Outcomes AI" and the idea he calls collective organizational intelligence, where AI keeps people connected to the same informa...

What if the biggest barrier in education isn't a lack of resources or technology, but a failure to trust that children are intelligent?    In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, MIT Professor of Economics, co-founder of J-PAL Poverty Action Lab, and winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, joins host Aurélio Amaral to explore what the evidence actually says about how children lea...

What does it take to raise an #AI that becomes a superhero for humanity, rather than its undoing? In this episode of #WISEOnAir, recorded live at #WISE12 in Doha, Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation and the first female private space explorer, joins host Elias to explore which human capacities will matter most as machines take on more of our work, and why the questions we're afraid t...

Who decides what counts as #knowledge in the age of #edtech?  In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Shahd Dauleh sits down with Dr. Taskeen Adam, whose research reveals how edtech platforms entering the Global South can carry hidden assumptions about language, pedagogy, and whose ways of knowing are legitimate.    From the purpose of education itself to Big Tech's growing influence over how the world...

What Can Education Learn from Healthcare's Quality Revolution?    In this episode of #WISEOnAir, host Dr. Sunoor Verma, cardiothoracic surgeon and Director of Partnerships & Advocacy at WISH, speaks with Lord Darzi, Executive Chair of WISH, surgeon, policymaker, and author of the landmark NHS review High Quality Care for All, about what education can learn from healthcare’s quality revolut...

What happens when more people can build—not just consume—technology? In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Lady Mariéme Jamme, Founder of iamtheCODE, joins Selma Talha-Jebril, Director of Research and Policy at WISE, to explore the power of access in the digital age. From coding to creation, the conversation looks at how marginalized communities are gaining agency through technology—and what this shift m...

What does learning actually look like inside the brain? In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, speaks with Nicolas Namoradze—classical pianist, composer, and neuropsychology researcher who premiered the world's first "Neurorecital" at Verbier Festival in 2025. Together, they explore what real-time brain imaging during musical performance can teach us about dee...

As technology advances, the values that guide it matter more than ever. In this episode of #WISEOnAir , former WISE CEO Stavros Yiannouka joins author Laila Lalami to explore questions of surveillance, agency, and what responsible #innovation in learning should protect. The conversation reflects on how digital systems shape trust, autonomy, and decision-making—and why human values must remain at t...

In the latest #WISEOnAir episode, our Research and Policy Lead Sopiko Beriashvili is joined by World Bank Group Education Specialist Dr. Cristóbal Cobo to examine how #technology is reshaping cognition, #learning, and human capability. In the age of #AI, this conversation explores what it means to design #innovation that strengthens thinking rather than replaces it. 00:00 - Introduction: AI's Impa...

The Next Chapter: Where Does Education Innovation Go From Here? | #WISEOnAir Podcast Former CEO Stavros Yiannouka sits down with CEO Dr. Asyia Kazmi, OBE for a forward-looking conversation on the future of education innovation. In this episode, they explore the questions shaping what comes next, from AI to impact and what truly matters to measure. ▶️ Watch and subscribe for more conversations from...

Leading Education Innovation: Reflections from a Decade | #WISEOnAir Podcast As WISE enters a new chapter, CEO Dr. Asyia Kazmi, OBE, joins former CEO Stavros Yiannouka for an open conversation about the evolution of education innovation. From WISE’s beginnings in Qatar to its global influence today, they explore what it really takes to drive meaningful change — and what lessons leaders should carr...

Rooted in Culture, Ready for Tomorrow: Community-Driven Education Innovation | #WISEOnAir Podcast How can education systems honor cultural roots while preparing students for the future? In this episode, we feature WISE Prize finalists Fadia Hamdi (Queen Rania Foundation, Jordan) and Abdulhamid Haidar (Darsel, U.S.), who share how their initiatives blend tradition with innovation to build resilient...

118: AI as a Creative Partner: Redefining Human Potential in Education by WISE Qatar Foundation

In this episode of WISE On Air, we explore how sensory education is breaking barriers and transforming literacy and numeracy for learners often left behind by traditional systems. We speak with two remarkable WISE Prize finalists who are pioneering innovative solutions for students with diverse needs and communities with limited access to education. From Qatar, Ramy Abdulzaher, Co-Founder and COO...

Are ‘Growth Markets’ the Future of Global Prosperity? In Episode 116 of WISE On Air, Elyas Felfoul, WISE Director, sits down with Dina Sherif, Executive Director of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, to explore why the world should rethink how we define prosperity. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:52 What is the Center? 03:04 Entrepreneurship Beyond Aid 04:43 Demographi...

Register for #WISE12 - Join us for the world's premier education innovation summit: https://wise-qatar.org/wise-12/ In this episode of WISE On Air, we explore the human side of #artificialintelligence with Professor Munther Dahleh, founding director of MIT's Institute for Data Systems and Society. As machines become increasingly capable, Munther argues that understanding people, not just #algorith...

Is Community Wisdom More Powerful Than a Degree? In this special conversation, Cameroonian environmentalist Farmer Tantoh explores how indigenous knowledge is not only relevant but vital to solving today’s water and sustainability challenges. Through stories of clean water access for tens of thousands and grassroots education, he reminds us that environmental learning can thrive outside the classr...

What if the future of sustainable architecture lies in ancient techniques? In this episode of #WISEOnAir, Youness Ouazri, founder of @ecodomemaroc5918, shares how traditional Moroccan Earth-building is offering powerful solutions for modern architectural challenges. From engineering classrooms to rural communities, he reflects on the gaps in conventional education and the potential of ancestral wi...

Can AI ever replace human creativity? This episode features Nada Elkharashi, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Electric Skin, as we dive into the evolving relationship between creativity, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Nada shares powerful reflections on education, design, and how artists can thrive in the age of intelligent machines without losing their human touch. Chapters:...

In this episode of WISE On Air, we sit down with Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui, Executive Director of Al-Mujadilah Center & Mosque for Women, to explore a bold, values-based approach to education. From reviving traditional knowledge to balancing critical thinking with community, this conversation reimagines what meaningful learning can look like. 🎓 About WISE On Air: WISE On Air is a podcast where we seek...

What if the answers to today’s climate crisis were rooted in centuries-old traditions? In this special edition of WISE On Air, recorded live from Earthna Summit 2025, we sit down with Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Director General of the IUCN, to explore the powerful role of indigenous knowledge in reimagining sustainability and education. From traditional ecological practices to the impact of social media...

In this episode of WISE On Air, Host & CEO of WISE, Stavros Yiannouka delves into the transformative power of relationships in education with Isabelle Hau, author of "Love to Learn" and Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. As educational systems worldwide continue to prioritize test scores and academic achievement, Hau presents compelling evidence that early loving relation...

WISE On Air #108 is a special chaptered edition of our education podcast, recorded live during the I AM QF 30th Anniversary Celebration. Brought to you by WISE — the global platform for innovators in education — this episode brings together 13 insightful conversations with students, educators, researchers, and leaders from across Qatar Foundation and beyond. From classroom transformation and labor...