Education World Forum Conversations

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Amjad Barham, Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Palestine. This episode explores the emergency strategies implemented to sustain learning amidst the profound disruptions and humanitarian challenges caused by ongoing conflict. Barham highlights the view of education as "oxygen," evolving...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Romeela Mohee, Higher Education Commissioner at the Higher Education Commission of Mauritius. This episode explores the strategic reforms being implemented to transform Mauritius into a credible regional education hub and a "knowledge bridge" between Africa and Asia. Romeela highlights the system's evolution fro...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Julia Rubiano, Secretary of Education of Bogotá, Colombia. This episode explores the strategic reforms being implemented to improve quality and equity within Bogotá’s education system. Julia highlights the administration's focus on early childhood and foundational learning through a coordinated intersectoral app...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Christian Brändli Head of Private Sector Development at the Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs (SECO), and Daniel Uribe, Director at Fundación Corona Colombia,. This is the second in a series of 4 episodes sponsored by EOF to explore how innovative financing is reshaping education and skills systems at a...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Amel Karboul Amel Karboul, CEO of the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), and Eunice Ogolo Director of Girls Capital Africa at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). This is the first in a series of 4 episodes sponsored by EOF to explore how innovative financing is reshaping education and skills systems at...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Pia Britto, UNICEF Global Director of Education. Britto reflects on the challenge of a global education crisis where three-quarters of children are being failed, highlighting a typology of learning failures, denied, disrupted, and delayed, and initiatives aimed at establishing a "future ready" model centered on...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Dana Morris Dixon, Minister for Education, Skills, Youth and Information of Jamaica. Minister Morris Dixon reflects on the challenge of building systemic resilience against climate change following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa while navigating the rapid evolution of AI, highlighting the modernization of...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Jonathan Dewsbury, former Director for Education Estates and Net Zero at the Department for Education (DfE) in England, and Eliska Gooch a Youth Sustainability Champion. Jonathan reflects on the strategic integration of environmental stewardship within the UK education system, highlighting how the DfE’s Sustaina...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Stella Christie, Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Indonesia. Vice Minister Christie reflects on the challenge of cultivating a robust research culture in a system traditionally focused on teaching, highlighting a strategic three-prong approach involving popularizing science through so...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report at UNESCO. Antoninis reflects on the history of the GEM Report and on the main findings of the first report in the "Countdown to 2030" series. He highlights the paradox of rising out-of-school populations alongside improving completion rat...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone. Minister Wurie reflects on the challenge of managing rapidly expanding access while simultaneously improving the quality and relevance of the education system, highlighting the modernization of Technical and Vocational Education an...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia. Minister Andreasyan reflects on the comprehensive reforms within Armenia’s 2030 Education Strategy, highlighting the transition toward a competency-based curriculum, significant investments in school infrastructure, and the expansi...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Nick Gibb, former UK Minister of State for Schools. Nick reflects on his decade in office and the drive to shift the national education system toward an evidence-informed, knowledge-rich curriculum, underscoring the impact of direct instruction. He discusses the challenge of confronting entrenched ideologies...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Charles Clarke, former UK Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the ideator of the Education World Forum. Clarke reflects on the original vision of EWF as a platform for ministers to collectively address the challenges of transforming education and its evolution into a significant global gathering. He...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the largest fund exclusively dedicated to financing the education sector. Laura provides an overview of GPE and how it operates, and reflects on the double challenge facing low income countries of addressing niversal enrollment and foundational s...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor and Acting Global Director of Education at the World Bank. Benveniste reflects on the global learning crisis and the necessity of prioritizing foundational literacy and numeracy to bridge the skills gap currently hindering youth employment and economic growth. He addresses the cri...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires and former National Secretary for Innovation and Educational Quality, Mercedes reflects on the "Secondary Learns" reform for Buenos Aires, and its mission to improve literacy, numeracy, and student well-being, with a view to transitioning students from passi...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, UK Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities. Minister Smith reflects on the importance of addressing persistent skills gaps in the economy and the priority of tackling youth unemployment, highlighting the opportunities for widening access to education and traini...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education of South Africa. Minister Gwarube reflects on the importance to reorient the national education system toward the foundations of learning and the priorities of South Africa’s G20 presidency, highlighting early childhood care and teacher professional development, She re...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO and former Italian Minister of Education. Stefania reflects on UNESCO’s origins and its enduring mission to advance peace through education. Marking International Education Day, the discussion highlights the importance of placing young people at...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Soon Joo Gog, Fellow at the Centre for Skills First Practices and former Chief Skills Officer at SkillsFuture Singapore. The conversation offers a deep dive into how Singapore is reshaping its education and training ecosystem to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. The discussion opens with reflections on...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, about the key challenges and strategic priorities shaping the country’s education system today. Minister Nurbek discusses how Kazakhstan’s demographic growth is placing pressure on the system to expand capacity while maint...

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Finland’s Minister of Education, Anders Adlercreutz, about the key challenges and priorities shaping Finland’s education system, and their relevance for global education. Minister Adlercreutz reflects on the need to better support students navigating an increasingly digital world that places growing pressure...

In this episode, Yevhen Kudriavets, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, discusses the immense challenges the war has created for the country’s education system. He outlines the strategies that have enabled schools to operate amid disruption and ongoing security threats, and highlights initiatives to modernise the VET sector and strengthen preschool provision. Deputy Minister...

In the latest EWF Conversations episode, Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Balázs Hankó, Hungary’s Minister of Culture and Innovation, about Hungary’s education priorities, reforms, and global challenges. Minister Hankó highlights the need to shift education from theory to practice, noting Hungary’s major VET reform introducing dual training. While global trends shape education, he argues that you need...