Vikas Pota speaks to the world’s leading lights in education and inspirational figures whose stories deserve to be told. Top school principals, CEOs, journalists, authors, academics and government ministers reveal the greatest lessons they’ve learned from their fascinating lives as Vikas asks the most important question when it comes to transforming education: how do we drive high performance?
How running universities like businesses saves them
Are universities failing worldwide?
Between rising student debt, shrinking budgets, and shifting job markets, higher education is under severe pressure.
In this episode of the #EdVance Podcast, Professor Sue Rigby, Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, makes a bold case for institutional reform.
Moving from palaeontology research into university executive leadership, Professor Rigby breaks down why traditional university models no longer work, how to fix financial foundations without losing academic values, and what it really takes to lead exhausted teams through massive change.
10 Sept 2026
Why more technology won’t fix education
Can schools really achieve high performance without putting staff wellbeing first?
In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Alan Williamson, CEO of Taaleem, one of the UAE’s largest education groups, shares what decades in education have taught him about building great schools. He explores why relationships, culture and exceptional teachers sit at the heart of school success, and why wellbeing and performance are far more connected than many leaders assume.
He also shares his views on AI and technology, preparing young people for the future of work, and leading through uncertainty. For Alan, great leadership means choosing optimism, building people and making decisions with an eye for tomorrow.
Download, subscribe and share the EdVance Podcast for conversations with the world’s most influential education leaders.
27 Aug 2026
Why corporate playbooks fail in classrooms
Corporate playbooks may work in business, but do they work in schools?
In this episode of the EdVance Podcast, Dr Navin Valrani, CEO of Arcadia Education, reflects on his journey from the corporate world to educational leadership and what it has taught him about building great schools. He explores why standardisation has its limits, why leaders need to understand the individual journeys of the people they lead, and how to create environments where teachers and students thrive.
He also reflects on what high performance really requires from leaders, and what should drive anyone thinking of starting a school. His advice is clear: do not start one for the money.
Download, subscribe and share the EdVance Podcast for conversations with the world’s most influential education leaders.
Who has been a guest on EdVance
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Rapelang Rabana
Kruti Bharucha
Zoya Lytvyn
Professor Fernando M Reimers
Chancey Anderson Tauer
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
530,346
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
64
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
32
Host of EdVance?
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