Education World Forum Conversations
The Education World Forum (EWF) is the world's largest annual gathering of education and skills ministers, providing a trusted, invitation-only platform for peer-to-peer dialogue. The EWF Podcast extends these conversations beyond the Forum, engaging the wider international education community throughout the year. Featuring ministers, former ministers, and senior leaders from ministries, multilateral organisations, civil society, foundations, and industry, the series offers fresh perspectives on critical issues shaping the future of education worldwide.
Episodes
Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, OECD
In this kick-off episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills. They explore how education must evolve in an AI-driven world, where soft skills become essential, learning is lifelong, and academic and vocational paths converge. Andreas highlights the need to keep humanity and values at the heart of learn
Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research, Estonia
In this episode, Kristina Kallas, Estonia’s Minister of Education and Research, joins EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifiro to discuss the country’s education priorities and the policies driving them. She highlights the AI Leap initiative, which expands AI access for teachers and students and stresses the need for strong teacher training and bottom-up adoption. The conversation also covers
Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, Hungary
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
Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Ukraine
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
Anders Adlercreutz, Minister of Education, Finland
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
Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Kazakhstan
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
Soon Joo Gog, Centre for Skills First Practices, Singapore University of Social Sciences
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
Stefania Giannini, Assistant-Director General Education, UNESCO
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
Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education, South Africa
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
Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, United Kingdom
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
Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires
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
Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor Education and Skills, World Bank
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
Laura Frigenti, CEO, Global Partnership for Education
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
Charles Clarke, former UK Secretary of State for Education and Skills
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
Nick Gibb, Former Minister for Schools, United Kingdom
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
Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Armenia
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
Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Sierra Leone
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
Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO
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
Stella Christie, Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Indonesia
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
Jonathan Dewsbury, former Director for Education Estates and Net Zero, DfE, England and Eliska Gooch, Youth Sustainability Champion
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
Dana Morris Dixon, Minister for Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Jamaica
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
Pia Britto, Global Director of Education, UNICEF
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
Amel Karboul, CEO Education Outcomes Fund & Eunice Ogolo, Director of Girl Capital Africa. Children's Investment Fund Foundation
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
Christian Brändli, Head of Private Sector Development, SECO & Daniel Uribe, Executive Director, Fundación Corona, Colombia
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
Julia Rubiano de la Cruz, Secretary of Education of Bogotá, Colombia
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
Romeela Mohee, Higher Education Commissioner, Mauritius.
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
Amjad Barham, Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Palestine
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
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