The Education World Forum is the world’s largest annual gathering of education and skills ministers. It offers a trusted, invitation-only platform for peer-to-peer dialogue, where ministers and their teams can share insights, address common challenges and shape solutions with candour and collaboration.
EWF Conversations is a series of podcasts that extends these conversations beyond the forum itself, 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 the critical issues shaping the future of education worldwide.
Karthik Krishnan, CEO, International Finance Facility for Education
In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Karthik Krishnan, CEO of the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd). Karthik reflects on IFFEd’s role as an innovative financing and impact engine for human capital development, highlighting how blended finance tools such as guarantees and grants can unlock powerful financial multipliers to stretch constrained education budgets across lower-middle-income countries. He explores the challenges of declining official development assistance and aligning education investment with national economic goals, emphasising the importance of country-led design, forward-looking data and supportive policy frameworks. He concludes by advocating a shift from rigid education towards curiosity-driven learning, using AI to personalise learning and cultivate adaptable growth mindsets for sustainable prosperity.
28 Sept 2026
Barbara Nowacka, Minister of National Education, Poland
In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Barbara Nowacka, Minister of National Education of Poland. Minister Nowacka highlights strategic reforms, including the phased implementation of the ”Compass of Tomorrow” curriculum reform, which prioritizes competency-based learning, interdisciplinary modules to combat disinformation, and increased investment in STEM and AI laboratories. She discusses key measures to support educators, rebuilding the prestige of the profession, and outlines early childhood education initiatives, including linking preschool curricula with primary schooling and establishing a ”security umbrella” to protect rural schools. Barbara touches on schools as essential, stable societal anchors that build empathy and resilience during crises, and she advocates for empowering teachers as real influencers who equip students with the critical skills and adaptability needed to navigate an uncertain, AI-driven future
21 Sept 2026
Faith Abiodun, Executive Director, United World Colleges
In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Faith Abiodun, Executive Director of United World Colleges (UWC). Abiodun reflects on the vital role education plays in uniting young people across cultures and building a more peaceful, inclusive world, highlighting UWC’s global network of 18 colleges and national committees operating across 157 countries. He explores the practical implementation of peace education through ”contact theory”, bringing students from diverse socioeconomic and national backgrounds together in residential settings, and also reflects on how the movement has navigated challenges like COVID-19 and social media without sacrificing face-to-face human connection. He concludes by urging ministers of education to look beyond economic productivity and champion spaces for deep dialogue, shared history, and empathy within public education systems to educate for peace.
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