Amjad Barham, Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Palestine

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 from traditional classrooms to virtual schools to ensure continuity for hundreds of thousands of displaced students. He discusses the necessity of overcoming severe financial crises and physical barriers like checkpoints, while simultaneously strengthening partnerships to provide internet access and emotional support for teachers and students. Barham also shares examples of Gaza's online exams and tent-based education, reflects on the challenge of reconstruction and integrating technological advancements like AI, and explores how the dream of "safe schools" serves as the fundamental roadmap for restoring security and stability across the system

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 from expanding access to ensuring that higher education is responsive, agile, and aligned with national development ambitions. She discusses the necessity of addressing the mismatch between traditional qualifications and evolving industry needs, while simultaneously implementing a national blueprint on microcredentials to foster a more flexible, lifelong learning ecosystem. Romeela also shares examples of how Mauritius is pioneering industry-academia co-designed microcredentials in sectors like AI and tourism, reflects on the challenge of integrating artificial intelligence through the first national guidelines of their kind in Africa, and explores how demographic trends, such as a declining number of local students, are prompting strategies to triple international enrollment from Africa and Asia

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 approach that integrates education with health and social services. She discusses the necessity of addressing core operational inefficiencies, such as teacher absenteeism and service delays, while simultaneously implementing evidence-based strategies for learning recovery. Julia also shares examples of how the city is fostering safe, protective learning environments through the "Schools with Emotions" initiative, reflects on the challenge of finding a balanced, evidence-based approach to AI and social media, and explores how demographic trends like declining birth rates might offer opportunities to transition toward single-school-day models and smaller classroom sizes.

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 time of fiscal constraints. This second episode focuses on linking financing to employment outcomes, specifically looking at how governments can ensure skills development translates into real-world jobs as labor markets evolve. Christian and Daniel discuss the mismatch between private sector demand and current education supply, the necessity of building internal government capacity to transition from paying for inputs to paying for verified employment results, and share examples of success from impactful programs in Colombia, South Africa, and Morocco. They also reflect on the challenge of using data to track job placement and retention while simultaneously advocating for flexible, micro-credentialed learning pathways to better align with the rapid pace of the modern market

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 a time of fiscal constraints. This first episode sets the context by highlighting the shift toward outcome-based financing and initiatives aimed at aligning incentives around verified results to empower children and young people as they transition into the labor market. Amel and Eunice discuss the evidence of success from impactful programs in India and Sierra Leone, the necessity of building internal government capacity for sophisticated "financial engineering," share examples of how system-wide accountability can ensure children actually learn, and reflect on the challenge of managing shrinking fiscal space and rising debt while simultaneously improving the quality and effectiveness of foundational learning,