Girls’ education research and policy symposium: Creating systems change for girls
Past Event
Opening remarks and fireside chat: New global champions in girls’ education

Opening remarks and fireside chat: New global champions in girls’ education
On November 7, 2018, the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings hosted the Girls’ Education Research and Policy Symposium. The symposium held a series of thematic conversations that explored approaches to creating systems change for the most marginalized girls. Topics were based on the research of the 2018 Echidna Global Scholars, such as rethinking early childhood education from a gender perspective; addressing the need for data on the most marginalized populations in developing countries; leveraging political transitions for girls’ education reform; and working with teachers on empowering girls through gender sensitive pedagogies.
The panel discussions included brief presentations from the Echidna Global Scholars on their research on girls’ education in their home countries of China, Pakistan, Peru, and Uganda, followed by a moderated discussion with other experts in their thematic areas. In addition, panel discussions with alumni of the Echidna Global Scholars Program highlighted their continuing work on girls’ education policy from around the world.
Agenda
Opening remarks and fireside chat: New global champions in girls’ education
Julia Dicum
Deputy Director of Education - Global Affairs Canada
Discussion: Engaging local champions for systems change
Rebecca Winthrop
Director - Center for Universal Education
Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development
Mayyada Abu Jaber
2014 Echidna Global Scholar - Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution
CEO and Founder - World of Letters
Khadim Hussain
2012 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Founder and CEO - Grace Association, Pakistan
Damaris Seleina Parsitau
2017 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Board Member - World Bicycle Relief
Founder - Let Maasai Girls Learn
Madalo Samati
Executive Director - Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM)
2013 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
From this Session
Coffee break
Presentations by 2018 Echidna Global Scholars
Jin Chi
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Program Specialist - UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED)
Associate Professor - Center for Teacher Education Research, KIS, MOE, Beijing Normal University
Hawah Nabbuye
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Uganda Country Director - Educate! Uganda
Sumbal Naveed
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Education Specialist - USAID Pakistan
From this Session
Networking lunch
Discussion: Leveraging political transitions in the tribal areas of Pakistan
Abbas Khan
Directorate of Education - Tribal Districts
Additional Director Planning - Tribal Districts
Sumbal Naveed
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Education Specialist - USAID Pakistan
Jamila Razzaq
2015 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Co Founder and President - Aappa Aziz Trust
From this Session
Discussion: Leveraging political transitions in the tribal areas of Pakistan
Discussion: Addressing educational barriers for Afro-Peruvian girls
Lilia Mayorga Balcazar
Communications Specialist - CEDET
Ingrid Sanchez Tapia
Education Specialist in Gender Equality in Education and Secondary Education - UNICEF
From this Session
Discussion: Addressing educational barriers for Afro-Peruvian girls
Coffee break
Discussion: Bridging the implementation gap in teachers’ use of gender sensitive pedagogy
Hendrina Doroba
Division Manager – Education and Skills Development - African Development Bank
Hawah Nabbuye
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Uganda Country Director - Educate! Uganda
From this Session
Discussion: Bridging the implementation gap in teachers’ use of gender sensitive pedagogy
Discussion: Making a case for early childhood educators in the girls’ education ecosystem
Christina Kwauk
Former Brookings Expert
Head of Climate and Education - Unbounded Associates
Jin Chi
2018 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Program Specialist - UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED)
Associate Professor - Center for Teacher Education Research, KIS, MOE, Beijing Normal University
Christia Spears Brown
Director - Center for Equality and Social Justice, University of Kentucky
Professor of Developmental Psychology - University of Kentucky
Kristin Shutts
Associate Professor of Psychology - University of Wisconsin-Madison
From this Session
Discussion: Making a case for early childhood educators in the girls’ education ecosystem
Coffee break
Lessons in girls’ education diplomacy for policy change
Christine Apiot Okudi
Education Programme Manager - Cotton On Foundation, Uganda
2016 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Dasmine Kennedy
Acting Regional Director - Ministry of Education and Youth, Jamaica
2017 Echidna Global Scholar - The Brookings Institution
Nima Tshering
Former Echidna Global Scholar - Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution
Lead Policy Advisor - Royal Government of Bhutan
Judith-Ann Walker
Executive Director - Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC)
From this Session
Lessons in girls’ education diplomacy for policy change & Closing remarks
Closing remarks
Networking reception
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[Suggesting that trilateral meetings between China, South Korea, and Japan be revived] is a way to say this is not zero sum and this is not an anti-China development. It’s smart diplomacy to be saying this.