Global Scholars Program
Promoting Girls’ Education in Developing Countries
The Global Scholars Program is a visiting fellowship sponsored by the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution. The program aims to build the research and analytical skills of NGO leaders and academics from developing countries. Global scholars spend four to six months in Washington pursuing research on global education issues, with a specific focus on improving learning opportunities and outcomes for girls in the developing world. Upon completion of their fellowship, CUE supports the scholars in implementing an action plan that utilizes and shares their new skills and expertise with their home institutions.
During their residency at Brookings, global scholars work with CUE staff on developing a specific research project. Global scholars draw on the resources of Brookings, as well as the extended public policy community in Washington through meetings and conferences, and networking with the broader international development community.
Recruitment for the 2013 Global Scholars Program has passed, more information about recruitment for the 2014 program will be available soon.
Please email cue@brookings.edu for additional information on this program.
July - December 2012 Center for Universal Education Guest Scholars
Abraha Asfaw | Ethiopia
Lecturer in the department of Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development Studies at Addis Ababa University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Since 2005, Asfaw has taught at Addis Ababa University in the department of Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development Studies in the College of Education and Behavioral Studies at Addis Ababa University. His education expertise stems from his experience as a secondary school mathematics teacher, teacher trainer, and student dean. Following these positions, Asfaw served as deputy bureau head for the provincial Tigray Bureau of Education, where he developed training materials and textbooks and evaluated curricula. Asfaw is a Ph.D. candidate in curriculum design and development at Addis Ababa University. He received a Master of Arts in psychology, specializing in measurement and evaluation, as well as in curriculum and instruction and a Bachelor of Arts in pedagogical science from Addis Ababa University.
In Ethiopia, girls represent only a quarter of the tertiary-level students, with the majority of them dropping out of school before the end of their first year. Abraha Asfaw’s research explored the competencies that promote the transition from secondary to tertiary education in order to help female students complete their university studies.
Khadim Hussain | Pakistan
Founder and chief executive officer of Grace Association Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan
Through his non-profit organization, Hussain focuses on empowering and improving the quality of life in marginalized and vulnerable communities in the least developed areas of Pakistan. He has engaged in behavioral change projects to promote girls’ education in Pakistan with support from community-based organizations such as Waliul Asr Falahi Anjuman, Karakuram Development Union (KDU), the Baltistan NGOs Network, the Canadian International Development Agency’s Gender Equality Resource Center and the Leonard Cheshire Disability and Development Program, Pakistan. Hussain has also worked for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Islamabad. Hussain holds a B.A. in civics and economics from the University of Punjab. He also holds certificates in educational leadership and management from the Aga Khan University and in development planning and management from IUCN-Northern Areas Conservation Strategy Support Program.
While Pakistan is still far from achieving universal primary education by 2015, girls and children with disabilities have fallen particularly behind in education access and quality. Khadim Hussain examined how fostering inclusive education through community school networks can increase enrollment and retention, and improve learning outcomes for marginalized groups and their communities.
Urvashi Sahni | India
Founder and chief executive officer of the Study Hall Education Foundation in Lucknow, India
Study Hall Educational Foundation aims to bring the benefits of education to all levels of society throughout India by establishing primary and secondary schools, teacher training institutions, open school classes, vocational training programs and adult literacy programs. Sahni has established three K-12 schools, serving 3000 students including middle class urban children, disadvantaged girls from poor areas and rural children. She is also the co-founder and director of The Digital StudyHall, supported by an Ashoka fellowship, which extends the pedagogical practices developed by the foundation to rural and urban schools in Uttar Pradesh and throughout India. Sahni holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in education from the University of California, Berkeley. She also received a Master of Arts in philosophy from the University of Lucknow, India and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Pune, India.
India has shown tremendous progress in global education discourse from inputs to outcomes, but India’s government needs to move from enrollment numbers to achieving the goal of gender equality. In a case study on empowerment education, Urvashi Sahni argued that feminist pedagogy is critical to serving the needs of girls because it helps shift the focus from learning outcomes to life outcomes.
January - June 2012 Center for Universal Education Guest Scholars
Pamhidzayi Berejena Mhongera | Zimbabwe
Projects Manager at MicroKing Savings and Credit Company in Harare, Zimbabwe
Ms. Berejena manages donor funded microfinance projects aimed at building sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable groups in poor urban and rural communities in Zimbabwe. In addition to her work at MicroKing Savings and Credit Company, she is the founding member of Blossoms Children Community, a private voluntary organization supporting orphans and other vulnerable children and their families. For 10 years, Berejena worked as a human resources officer, salaries and benefits manager, and compensation and staff wellness manager for Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited. She has also worked with Mercy Corps, International Relief and Development, Practical Action and the International Labour Organisation to plan and implement their microfinance projects. Berejena is a Ph.D. candidate working on her social studies dissertation at the University of Zimbabwe. She has a M.S. in development and project planning from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom and a B.S. in sociology and gender development studies from Women’s University in Africa.
Ms. Berejena examined community-based educational strategies and individualized educational plans to ensure that orphan girls in Zimbabwe do not fall through the social services cracks or get lost in education transitions. Her research focused on service delivery reform alongside community collaboration in an effort to promote the psychosocial well-being of orphan girls.
Mary Otieno | Kenya
Lecturer of Educational Planning and Economics of Education Research at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya
Prior to joining Kenyatta University, Dr. Otieno worked as a research executive for Research International TNS in addition to her role as an instructor at a government primary teacher training college. Otieno received her Ph.D. in educational planning and economics of education research from Kenyatta University, where she analyzed Kenya’s education policies and internal factors that inhibit change. She is also currently a member of Women Education Researchers of Kenya (WERK) and Nyanza Education Women Initiative (NEWI); both these initiatives promote girls’ education through enhanced participation and mentoring. Dr. Otieno’s principal areas of research include capacity building and networking, specifically pertaining to gendered education.
In rural Kenya, adolescent girls stagnate in performance and eventually drop out of school altogether. Dr. Otieno investigated the impact of mentoring girls at the primary school level and its impact on increased attendance, retention and improved academic performance over time.
Babita Rana | Nepal
President and Chairperson of Power to the People Nepal in Kathmandu, Nepal
In an effort to promote the well-being of women and children, Ms. Rana established Power to the People Nepal — a non-profit organization that supports vulnerable and socially-excluded groups through mobilizing village clusters to build self-reliance, empowering girls and women as change agents and forging effective partnerships with local organizations. Prior to establishing the organization, Rana led a women’s entrepreneurship development program for economic empowerment as project director at Business Service Centre (BSC) Project. Before joining the BSC Project, she worked with the United Nations Population Fund in Nepal as a research assistant and program associate. Rana holds masters degrees in sociology from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, and in women’s and gender studies from San Francisco State University. She received her B.A. in economics also from Tribhuvan University.
Trafficking of adolescent girls is a major obstacle to education in rural Nepal. Ms. Rana examined government and donor approaches providing access to school, as well as the causes of high dropout rates among girls in secondary school.