Each year the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings provide an opportunity for country delegates, global thought leaders and development experts to engage in discussions on key development issues, including education. As in previous years, we invite you to connect, engage and watch education-related events, to gain first-hand knowledge of the latest thinking and developments in the field. By following our online channels, you will be able to directly participate in the various conversations, and virtually interact with our speakers and experts who will answer your questions.
From April 16 th through April 22 nd, the World Bank Education Team will be live tweeting from the Spring Meetings via our Twitter channel @WBG_Education. Please follow us, like and interact with our content, and encourage others to follow our social media coverage by retweeting us!
Here's a rundown of the live-streamed events where education will be featured prominently:
Innovations in Addressing Gender-Based Violence
Tuesday, April 17 | 4:00 to 5:00 pm ET | 8:00 to 9:00 pm GMT | #GBVsolutions
More than 35% of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence. This is an obstacle to development gains, as it impedes women and girls’ full participation in society, limits access to education and economic participation, and hinders efforts to achieve gender equality. This event will feature a conversation with World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim; International Finance Corporation CEO Philippe le Houérou; Caren Grown, World Bank Group Senior Director for Gender, and this year’s 11 award winning researchers who will share their individual stories on how they are creatively fighting gender-based violence.
Lessons from East Asia and Pacific: Improved Learning Outcomes, Economic Growth, and Equitable Development
Wednesday, April 18 | 9:30 to 11:00 am ET | 1:30 to 3:00 pm GMT | #CGDTalks
One-quarter of the world’s school-age children live in East Asia and the Pacific. In the past 50 years, some economies in the region have successfully transformed themselves by investing in the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their workforce. Yet, tens of millions of students in the region are in school but not learning. Join us for a presentation of the World Bank report “ Growing Smarter: Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and Pacific,” and panel discussion on how successful regional economies have achieved the impressive learning outcomes that help drive their economic growth today.
Securing the Foundation for Human Capital: A Global Priority
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 | 4:00 to 5:00 pm ET | 8:00 to 9:00 pm GMT | #InvestInPeople
This flagship event will focus on the urgent need to take action for vulnerable children from the early to adolescent years, recognizing this as the foundational basis for inclusive, sustainable growth and resilience. From the devastating consequences of stunting and lack of access to essential health services, to the global learning crisis, the scourge of child marriage and the critical need to educate youth for the future of work and connect them to good jobs, speakers will highlight urgent issues that must be addressed to secure a strong foundation for human capital. Speakers include: Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO; Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director; Mabel van Oranje, Founder and Chair, Girls Not Brides; and Julia Gillard, Global Partnership for Education Board Chair.
Education in Africa – Key Challenges and Solutions for Developing Human Capital (in-person only event, recording will be available shortly after)
Thursday, April 19 | 2:00 to 3:30 pm ET | 6:00 to 7:30 pm GMT | #LearningCrisis
Over the past 25 years, countries in sub-Saharan Africa have made substantial progress in primary school access. Despite these gains, many young people who attend school are not acquiring the basic skills necessary to thrive in a diverse and changing labor market. Join us for a presentation and panel discussion on the challenges and solutions in developing human capital. The event will begin with presentation of findings and insights from a new World Bank study, “ Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa,” which examines how to improve learning outcomes in basic education in the region. Following the presentation, a panel of experts will discuss the implications of the research for policy and practice.
Building Human Capital: A Project for the World
Saturday, April 21 | 10:00 to 11:00 am ET | 2:00 to 3:00 GMT | #InvestInPeople
Join World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Bill Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Penny Mordaunt, UK Secretary of State for International Development, to discuss the urgent and critical importance of investing more and more efficiently in people to prepare countries for the economy of the future. They will highlight the powerful link between these investments and economic growth, stability and security. Shining a spotlight on human capital as a project for the world, this panel discussion will explore ways to propel investments in people to the forefront of national and global agendas.
Click here to get the full calendar of the events.
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