Based in Nigeria for the past 12 years, Chima has worked as a researcher with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). Prior to that Chima worked as a University Lecturer in Imo State University. In his time at NERDC, much of his research has focused on policy reforms within the Nigerian education sector. Recently, he led two national studies on the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector, and has also provided technical leadership on a national study on Safe and Violent-Free schools. Chima has also led the technical process for the development of the country’s first National Accelerated Basic Education Programme and the curriculum for the implementation of the programme. At present, he is providing leadership on implementation of this programme in Northeast Nigeria. He is also an active member of the Education in Emergency Working Group in Nigeria. Chima holds a PhD in Chemistry Education and Research. He is married with four kids and lives in Abuja.

Email Address: chima.egbujuo@auckland.ac.nz

 

Based in Colombia, Darlin brought over ten years of working experience within the education and non-governmental sectors in Colombia. He began his journey into the education sector as a teacher at the secondary level, in a rural school, as a fellow of “Enseña por Colombia,” a Teach for All global network partner. Darlin’s roots and this teaching experience were the backbones of deciding to dedicate his life to tackling systemic inequalities through education. Consequently, he worked at the Ministry of National Education for almost five years, leading the development of strategies to improve the access, pertinence and quality of education, primarily for unserved rural communities. In parallel, Darlin co-founded the foundation “Salud a la Escuela – Health to School”, seeking to develop projects that link health and education in rural and conflict-affected schooling contexts. So far, the NGO has benefitted over 2.500 people in ten rural schools across Chocó and Antioquia departments. In 2020, Darlin was awarded by the British Government the Chevening scholarship to undertake a Master’s degree in International Development at the University of Manchester. Finally, Darlin loves dancing, so you could bump into Darlin dancing salsa as his perfect solution for enjoining life and releasing stress and concerns after a long and exhausting week.

Email Address: darlin.ibarguen.asprilla@auckland.ac.nz

Based in the United States, Kayla has worked closely with the Accelerated Education Working Group since 2017, starting with a project to conduct a set of case studies about the application and utility of the AEWG’s foundational 10 principles for effective AE practice.This has since led to Kayla supporting the AEWG with the refinement of these principles and their subsequent roll-out, dissemination and adaptation. Kayla has also worked with USAID on developing guidance on COVID-19 education responses, and is currently conducting evaluations on education for children and youth in conflict and post-conflict contexts. Kayla is currently completing her Ph.D. in Comparative and International Education at the University of Massachusetts. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two dogs who love to go hiking and running with her as much as possible.

Email Address: kayla.boisvert@auckland.ac.nz

 

Con sede en Colombia, Lorena es una apasionada por la educación, durante quince años ha trabajado con comunidades rurales y en asentamientos urbanos afectados por el conflicto. Cuenta con experiencia en procesos de educación no formal enfocada en derechos humanos, género y fortalecimiento institucional. En su trabajo en diversas organizaciones no gubernamentales ha creado materiales didácticos con el objetivo de democratizar el conocimiento y acercar las leyes a las comunidades, lo que le ha permitido desarrollar habilidades como facilitadora; y a su vez descubrir otra pasión en la generación de  espacios de diálogo para abordar diferentes temas y co- crear soluciones. Desde el 2020 trabaja en el Consejo Noruego para Refugiados liderando proyectos en donde se implementan de Modelos Educativos Flexibles. Tiene una Maestría en Educación de la Universidad de los Andes. Disfruta pasar tiempo con su esposo y compartir tiempo en familia.

Email: lorena.becerra@nrc.no

Based in New Zealand, Ma Mya Aye (Mya) has been working as a Research Assistant for some educational research projects at the University of Auckland since late 2021. Originally from Myanmar and as a private school manager and General English teacher in a semirural state of Myanmar, she had actively engaged in rural educational developmental initiations for 5 years from 2014 to 2019 while doing her undergraduate studies at Sittway University by distance. She was then awarded a New Zealand Government Scholarship to undertake further studies in New Zealand. She graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Victoria University of Wellington and is looking forward to expanding her academic journey into the education field. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, trying new food and experimenting new dishes in the kitchen with her husband.

Email Address: mamya.aye@auckland.ac.nz

 

Based in Jordan, Ma’en joined Questscope in 2004 and oversees all technical and financial aspects of Questscope’s work in Jordan. He has extensive experience in implementing Questscope mentoring and non-formal education programs and thrives on building relationships in communities where Questscope work. Ma’en not only brings 20 years of experience covering three continents, but he is also in a rare position to offer the Questscope respective of someone who has a wholistic experience in the sector in his time in the development world, he has worked in almost each development, and has offered each one growth and evolution. Ma’en has an innate ability to maneuver through governmental red tape, and the maze of ministries affairs. But ask any Questcope staff member and they will tell you that Ma’en is above all a talented artist – a poet and a writer. A charismatic leader with the soul of an artist, Ma’en also is a family man who dotes on his wife and three children.

Email: maen@questscope.org

Based in Jordan, Mai has been working on youth and education related programming for the past six years in the region, most recently as the Youth Advisor for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Jordan. She has also worked with Mosaik Education, Oxfam and ESCWA over the past few years. Mai specializes in designing programmes that support youth to reach livelihood, education, and social engagement opportunities with a focus on youth wellbeing.  She holds a Master’s in Human Rights from the London School of Economics. In her free time, Mai enjoys spending time outdoors.

Email Address: mai.nasrallah@auckland.ac.nz

 

Based in Kuwait, Manal began her career as an English teacher in Lebanon, then she went on to work in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Her experiences there as both a teacher and coordinator drew her further towards a career in education and student support. As a result, Manal pursued a Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics and TEFL at Notre Dame University, Lebanon, while teaching English literature and language arts. Upon completing her thesis, she began working as an English language instructor at a university in Kuwait, teaching English and academic writing. Most recently, Manal is leading projects on the development of academic resources and activities to support the university’s student community in her role as the head of her department. Manal is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of Auckland. She enjoys traveling to new places and trying new activities such as parasailing or scuba diving. More often though, she can be found spending time with family or curling up with a good book in her spare time.

Email Address: manal.elmazbouh@auckland.ac.nz

Based in New Zealand, Ritesh is a Senior Lecturer of Comparative and International Education at the University of Auckland.  For over ten years, his research and teaching has focussed primarily on educational provision in conflict-affected contexts, with an aim to understanding how formal and non-formal opportunities can attend to the diverse needs of learners and society.  In this time, he has undertaken empirical research in Venezuela, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Aceh (Indonesia), Palestine, Jordan, and Afghanistan, often in cooperation with international, regional, and local organisations and researchers, including the Accelerated Education Working Group (AEWG).   Ritesh spends his weekends hiking the hundreds of miles of trails around Auckland or swimming in the ocean and lazing on a beach in the summer sun.   He has two young daughters who enjoy his cooking.

Email Address: r.shah@auckland.ac.nz

 

Based in Colombia, Ana Maria is a long-standing consultant who has worked on education-related projects for a number of years. In the last year, she supported USAID and UNICEF on the emergency response to the COVID situation in Colombia. Much of her work focusses on vulnerable populations, migrant populations, populations affected by armed conflict and forced displacement in the country, but has also worked in related projects in the United States, Mexico and Honduras. She has a particular interest in early childhood education. Ana María is also a psychologist and holds a Masters’ Degree from the School of Education at Harvard University. In her spare time, she loves to run, swim and practice rowing. She also the proud owner of a one year old dog, Florentino, who loves to bark during work calls.

Email Address: anarestreposaenz@gmail.com

Based in Colombia, Daniel began his career in education as a Teach For All fellow in Colombia, working as a math teacher in a rural school for two years. This experience affirmed his vocation and passion for education. Following this, Daniel worked Colombian National Ministry of Education, supporting quality education strategies in rural communities as an education policy advisor. He then completed his Master’s Degree at the Institute of Education, University College London, and then taught Spanish in two primary schools in London. Upon his return to Colombia, Daniel began work as a consultant for UNICEF Colombia, supporting local governments with school reopening strategies in communities with high needs.Daniel also founded and leads an NGO dedicated to developing visual health and inclusive education programmes in rural schools. His NGO has reached more than 2,500 students in 10 rural schools, delivering more than 600 pairs of eyeglasses and conducting teacher training workshops. Daniel’s dog Jagger has been his best mate during the pandemic, and sits with him as he cheers on his favourite football team.

Email Address: agudelodan@gmail.com

Based in Uganda, Diana has nearly 20 years of working within the education sector of the country for the European Union, the Dutch and Irish embassies, UNDP, and most recently, with the World Bank. She has been extensively involved in programme design, implementation and monitoring, policy development, research, and the tracking of government progress against human development indicators. She has worked across all sub-sectors. from pre-primary to tertiary, and worked extensively with government, NGOs and other partners. Recently she was part of a team involved in the design of an AEP secondary programme. Diana loves to travel, and spend time in the outdoors. She is passionate about skilling youth and mentoring girls and women as her way of giving back to her community.

Email Address: sekaggyad@gmail.com

Based in Pakistan, Neelofar is working in development and humanitarian programming since 2002. She remained associated with organizations such as National Rural Support Program(NRSP), International Rescue Committee(IRC), American Refugee Committee(ARC), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). She is currently working with ,Community World Service Asia. She supported  Geneva-based research consultancy group as a lead researcher for Pakistan. Recently she has taken up a role in ALNAP’s advisory group for updating guidance on Evaluating Humanitarian Action using the OECD DAC Criteria. She has two Master’s Degrees—one from the University of Queensland in Development Practices, and another from the Geneva Centre of Research and Education in Humanitarian Action. In her spare time, Neelofar loves to cook, and her friends and family enjoy eating her food. Neelofar also suffers from wanderlust and enjoys exploring new places around the world.

Email Address: neelofar_shahzad@yahoo.com.au

Based in New Zealand, Sixtine has worked in the non-profit and education in emergencies for five years. She first joined for the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Fulbright U.S. Scholars Programme in 2016 and moved to IIE’s Student Emergency Initiatives (SEI) in 2017 as the Global Education in Emergencies Analyst. In this position, she worked to bridge the accessibility gap to higher education for displaced and refugee students through programme and communications management. She recently joined the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies working as the Programme Coordinator for the Non-Residential Fellowship. Sixtine completed her Masters in Conflict and Terrorism Studies at the University of Auckland in 2021. She received two Bachelors of Arts from Michigan State University in Comparative Cultures and Politics and Arabic in 2014. In her spare time, Sixtine is teaching herself how to sew and enjoys spending time with her family and cat, Trippie.

Email Address: sixtine.berquist@auckland.ac.nz