IEFG BIG Series: The Promise of AI in Underserved Education Systems

06/23/24 • 43 min

Welcome to the IEFG Brains in Gear series. In today's episode, we take a closer look at AI and its impact on classrooms, especially in low and middle-income geographies.

The conversation will be amongst the following speakers:

Ana C Rold is an award-winning media executive and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of Diplomatic Courier, the flagship media network and magazine for top diplomats in Washington, DC, New York, Brussels, Geneva, and key capitals around the world. In 2012, Rold founded the global futuristic think tank/do tank, World in 2050.
Grace Cadiz is the Partnerships (Philanthropy) Manager- Global Education at the Atlassian Foundation known for its commitment to improving education and supporting tech innovations.
Asyia Kazmi is the Global Education Policy Lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a focus on effective instructional practices, education advocacy and edtech. She is a global leader in philanthropy with a strong focus on enhancing educational outcomes worldwide.
Pat Yongpradit is the Chief Academic Officer for Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to promoting computer science education, and lead of TeachAI, a global initiative to guide education leaders in rethinking education in an age of AI.
Nissi Madu is the Managing Partner from Co-Creation Hub, an expert in leveraging technology to solve social problems and improve educational access across over 20 programs in 7 African countries.

Here are some resources if you would like to learn more about AI in Education:

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Welcome to the IEFG Brains in Gear series. In today's episode, we take a closer look at AI and its impact on classrooms, especially in low and middle-income geographies.

The conversation will be amongst the following speakers:

Ana C Rold is an award-winning media executive and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of Diplomatic Courier, the flagship media network and magazine for top diplomats in Washington, DC, New York, Brussels, Geneva, and key capitals around the world. In 2012, Rold founded the global futuristic think tank/do tank, World in 2050.
Grace Cadiz is the Partnerships (Philanthropy) Manager- Global Education at the Atlassian Foundation known for its commitment to improving education and supporting tech innovations.
Asyia Kazmi is the Global Education Policy Lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a focus on effective instructional practices, education advocacy and edtech. She is a global leader in philanthropy with a strong focus on enhancing educational outcomes worldwide.
Pat Yongpradit is the Chief Academic Officer for Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to promoting computer science education, and lead of TeachAI, a global initiative to guide education leaders in rethinking education in an age of AI.
Nissi Madu is the Managing Partner from Co-Creation Hub, an expert in leveraging technology to solve social problems and improve educational access across over 20 programs in 7 African countries.

Here are some resources if you would like to learn more about AI in Education:

Previous Episode

IEFG BIG Series: Walking the Tight Rope of EdTech - The potentials and pitfalls of technology in learning.

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Welcome to the IEFG Brains in Gear series. This episode examines potentials and pitfalls of Edtech in the low and middle income contexts. What are some things that Edtech can help with and what are places you need to exercise caution? Listen to the episode and learn about all this.

Our hosts will be:

Jani Moliis from the JBJ Foundation bringing insights from the BEFIT program in Malawi. Jani oversees JBJ Foundation’s education portfolio. He has over 15 years of experience in improving the effectiveness and impact of organizations delivering value for citizens.
Janhvi Maheshwari Kanoria, Executive Director of Innovation at the Education Above All Foundation , a global foundation reaching 16 million out-of-school children. Her passion lies in designing solutions that advance quality learning solutions for the world’s most marginalized. In her previous roles in the Ministry of Education and Qatar Foundation, she was responsible for conceiving multiple creative solutions.

They will be joined by:

Santosh More: Co-founder of Mantra for Change, a mechanical engineer turned education advocate who recognized the role of education in empowering and transforming society. A two-year fellowship with Teach for India gave him exposure to the existing schooling system in India and the gaps in its quality. He is also an influential advisor and mentor to several early-stage social enterprises.
Dr. Joshua Valeta: Director for Open, Distance, and eLearning at Malawi's Ministry of Education, who oversees the national implementation of eLearning programs and distance education initiatives.

Here are some resources if you would like to learn more about the topics discussed in the episode:

Learn more about the Building Education Foundations through Innovation and Technology (BEFIT) program in Malawi here.
Learn more about the Internet Free education Resource Bank (IFERB) program at Education Above All here
Innovation Development Directorate at the Education Above All Foundation – Website page
Here is a link to a very brief video by one billion showing the tablet program in action in Malawi.
The challenges and solutions of technology integration in rural schools: A systematic literature review - ScienceDirect

This podcast was brought to you by the International Education Funders Group, curated and edited by Anjali Nambiar, with post-production by Sarah Miles. You can learn more about the IEFG at

Next Episode

IEFG BIG Series: Setting The Bar for Good EdTech

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Setting the bar for good edtech

Welcome to the IEFG Brains in Gear series. Explore the maze of standards for Edtech in this episode. Procurement decisions and quality of the edtech hinges on the standards, but who sets them, and how can they help all the stakeholders who use them. Join us as we unpack this.

Our hosts will be:

Libby Hills from the Jacobs Foundation is the Co-Lead of the Learning Schools portfolio. The focus of the portfolio is on promoting evidence use in schools and EdTech globally through impact investing and grant-making
Gouri Gupta from the Central Square Foundation: She leads CSF’s work in the area of Education Technology. She works with a portfolio of EdTech products that take high-quality, contextual solutions to young children from low-income backgrounds to support learning.

They will be joined by:

Karl Rectanus: The founder and former CEO of Learn Platform, bringing deep insights into the development and evaluation of educational technology platforms.
Jairaj Bhattacharya: Co-Founder of ConveGenius, sharing his expertise on innovative edtech solutions and their impact on learning outcomes.

Here are some resources if you would like to learn more about standards setting in edtech in Education:

This podcast was brought to you by the International Education Funders Group, curated and edited by Anjali Nambiar, with post-production by Sarah Miles. You can learn more about the IEFG at www.iefg.org.