Dr. Aija Rinkinen works as a Senior Education Specialist in the World Bank Education Global Practice, East Asia and Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She is a citizen of Finland, and she has worked in the field of education for more than 30 years. Before joining the World Bank in 2020, Aija worked as a Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland, Counsellor of Education at the Finnish National Agency for Education, Head of Education in one of the Finnish municipalities, principal, and a special education teacher. Aija has a PhD degree in educational policy, administration, and leadership from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and master’s degree in special education from the University of Joensuu, Finland. She also holds three additional degrees in educational governance and leadership.