Future Learning Design Podcast

Sir Michael Barber is a world leading expert on government delivery, education systems, systemic innovation and education reform. Sir Michael led the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit for the Blair administration in the UK from 2001-2005. Since then, he has worked on delivery and system-wide reforms in more than 50 countries. He personally leads high-stakes engagements with political leaders, such as...

Professor Daniel T. Willingham earned his B.A. from Duke University in 1983 and his Ph. D. in Cognitive Psychology from Harvard University in 1990. He is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cogni...

Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang studies the psychological and neurobiological bases of social emotion, self-awareness and culture and their implications for learning, development and schools. She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education , a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program Faculty at the University...

Joshua Freedman is a leading expert on applying emotional intelligence (EQ) to optimize performance. He is the CEO of Six Seconds , the world’s most extensive EQ organization, now with offices and representatives in 25 countries.  Josh teaches people how to increase EQ to be happier, stronger, and more effective professionally and personally. He works with leaders and teams around the wo...

Jonathan James is a teacher, education consultant and doctoral candidate at the UCL Institute of Education. Jonathan's own doctoral research investigates how policies developed in response to the threat of terrorism are being implemented in schools in England and France in light of the two countries’ policy traditions, and educators’ pre-existing values and practices. Jonathan has written exte...

Sharath Jeevan is one of the world’s leading experts on reigniting our inner drive (intrinsic motivation). He founded and led STiR Education – arguably the world’s largest intrinsic motivation initiative. STiR has re-ignited the motivation of 200,000 teachers, 35,000 schools and 7 million children in emerging countries.  Sharath is currently the Executive Chairman of Intrinsic Labs , which su...

Andreia Mitrea is the CEO of Colina Learning Center - a new educational project seeking to change the way people think about learning. As part of the Colina Nouă residential development in Romania, Colina Learning Center is developing a new educational concept in response to the question: “How might we use school to serve the learning of both children AND adults?" As the residential developme...

Dr. Samah Karaki is a neuroscientist, and the founding director of the Social Brain Institute . SBI is an NGO based in Geneva and operating in Europe and the Middle East where it implements research-based strategies to support individual and organisational change. Samah's research focuses on the neuronal basis of stress affecting emotional and social behaviours. She is also interested in the neura...

This podcast is an inquiry into the role that education needs to play in navigating the complex times we are all living in. Over the last four years, some of the world's most active entrepreneurs and eminent thinkers have chatted with Tim Logan about "what the world is asking of us" (Biesta, 2021). If you enjoy listening, do subscribe and share a positive review on Spotify, Apple Pod...

As Dean of the African Leadership Academy, Hatim Eltayeb leads the Diploma Program, enabling the rich community of colleagues bringing the leadership learning program to life. Hatim is a life-long educator with pan-African and south-south tendencies. Sudanese by spirit and nationality; born in Kuwait; reared in Oman; raised in Cairo and flourishing in Johannesburg.  Alongside a committed team...

Mart Laidmets is the General Director of Education and Youth Board of the Republic of Estonia. Previously, from January 2019 until August 2021, he held the position of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia , responsible for directing the work of deputy secretary generals and departments of the Ministry as well as co-ordinating the work of state...

Julia Middleton is passionate about helping people from all backgrounds to develop as leaders and make an active and tangible contribution to their communities and to wider society. Julia is the author of two bestselling books: Beyond Authority: Leadership in a Changing World and Cultural Intelligence: The Competitive Edge for Leaders Crossing Boundaries. In the autumn of 1989, Julia founded Commo...

Jessica Cavallaro is an innovative educator and curriculum designer who brings the agile mindset into the classroom . She is a champion of project based learning and creating purposeful educational experiences both in and out of the classroom. Jessica has delved into applying Agile and Scrum to keep students connected, collaborating and creating while teaching in a hybrid setting. She is passionat...

Kiran Bir Sethi is a designer who became a teacher, a principal who grew into an education reformer and subsequently morphed into a social entrepreneur. A trained graphic designer from the National Institute of Design, she comfortably uses the language of design – iteration, prototype, design specs – to develop not only curriculum innovation, but also community-based social programmes. Kiran found...

Estelle Baroung Hughes is the Founding President of Africa Learning International , focused on SDG 4 (Quality Education for All) in Africa. As a Cameroonian citizen, Estelle is passionate about the cultural wealth of her 250 languages country. The focus of her NGO is to honour the diversity of African nations by supporting culturally responsive education on the continent. ALI provides teacher prof...

Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., president of CBK Associates, and ABCD Books, travels throughout the United States and globally providing professional development programs, conference keynotes, in-depth institutes, and exceptional education and learning resources on service learning, 21st century competencies, social and emotional realms, climate and culture, youth engagement, effective teacher strategi...

Raya Bidshahri is a serial education entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and award-winning educator. Raya is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the School of Humanity , a revolutionary online high school with a progressive model and skill-based curriculum. Raya is also the Founder of Awecademy , an award-winning organization offering future-focussed & wisdom-based education. She has served...

Dave Snowden is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cognitive Edge . His work is in the area of naturalising sense-making , seeking to base social science research and practice in the natural sciences. He is generally considered to be a pioneer in the application of complex adaptive systems theory to a range of social issues, and in the development of narrative as a research method. His wo...

Professor John Hattie is an award-winning education researcher and best-selling author with nearly 30 years of experience examining what works best in student learning and achievement. His influential 2008 book Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement is believed to be the world’s largest evidence-based study into the factors that improve student learning. Ha...

Conrad Hughes (MA, PhD, EdD) is Campus and Secondary Principal at the International School of Geneva, La Grande Boissière , the oldest international school in the world. He has been School Principal, Director of Education, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator and teacher in schools in Switzerland, France, India and the Netherlands. Conrad, who is also a member of the advisory...

Valerie Hannon co-founded Innovation Unit and leads Innovation Unit’s international education work. She has supported education change programmes in numerous systems, including the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Africa, and is a founding member and Co-Chair of the Global Education Leaders Partnership (GELP) . Valerie Hannon’s career spans leadership of education systems, research, teaching, and ca...

George Couros is an Innovative Teaching, Learning, & Leadership Consultant and speaker and the author of The Innovator’s Mindset and Innovate Inside the Box , co-authored with Katie Novak - and co-owner of IMPress Books. He has worked at all school levels, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Gradu...

Girish Menon joined STiR Education as CEO in January 2021 after five years as Chief Executive at ActionAid UK . He brings more than 30 years’ experience as a leader in the international development sector, having previously held roles as International Programmes Director and Deputy CEO at Water Aid UK , where he was responsible for programmes in 22 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and south Asi...

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam , Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) , is responsible for a wide spectrum of education in Dubai’s private sector, spanning early learning, school, and higher education and training Institutes. Dr. Abdulla has the distinction of holding key positions across the United Arab Emirates, as well as being a...

Brad Carter has spent 20 years exploring the role of education in society and the way we go about educating people. A former leadership development executive with Apple Inc. and head of the innovative THINK Global School , his work has taken him across Europe, Australia, China, and North America. A highly creative thinker with a talent for finding clarity in complexity, he brings his global expert...