Episode 4

Description: Investing in knowledge, skills, and health, enables people to realize their potential as productive members of society. This investment is therefore not only key to economic growth but also to creating more inclusive societies. How can business leaders and companies support this process? Join us for a session with Ayesha Vadwa, Lead education specialist at the World Bank, as she explains the principles of human capital growth, which countries and communities are successfully leading the way, and how you and your business can play your part in managing human capital growth and unlocking potential which benefits us all.

Social entrepreneur, the founder of “National Bureau of Translations” (Wikibilim Foundation) and Bilim Media Group, now manage several projects with the mission to provide quality education everyone. Previously served as a civil servant, diplomat and journalist. In 2014-2016 worked as a deputy governor at Kygylorda province (Kazakhstan), previously served as an adviser to the governor of the Mangystau region (Kazakhstan), counseling on domestic and foreign policy issues. In 2005-2007 was executive director at regional broadcasting company. Prior to this, worked in Moscow at the embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Served as chief of the Moscow bureau of the National TV Agency of Kazakhstan; Holds an MBA from Russian Academy of National Economy. In 2010-2011 was a fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

Ayesha Vawda is a Lead Education Specialist at the World Bank Group with 25 years of experience in creating innovative solutions for complex education challenges. She is currently coordinating the World Bank’s education projects and policy dialogue in Central Asia, is the Europe and Central Asia region’s focal point for Disability and Inclusion in education and serves on the global Council of Advisors for Education in Fragile and Conflict situations. She has lived and worked in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia and Europe and Central Asia regions where she created transformational solutions for high quality learning for all students, especially the disadvantaged and marginalized populations—through the first multi donor system-wide reform program in the country which significantly raised the percent of students successfully completing primary education in Bangladesh; introducing demand side financing and changing the nature of learning within classrooms which doubled secondary education enrollments of girls and rural students in Yemen; revamping the entire primary and secondary education system through reforming the curriculum, assessment, teacher standards and development and school leadership in Kuwait; coordinating across health, education, water and social protection systems to provide a range of multi sector solutions for early childhood education and development in Tajikistan. She has also managed a group of low-cost private schools for students living in slums in Pakistan. Ms. Vawda has published in international journals on education financing, public private partnerships and ensuring equality in education. Ms. Vawda holds a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University, New York.