Laura Frigenti is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). She has had an amazing career in international development working across Latin America, Africa, and Europe over almost four decades. Laura has held leadership positions in national government agencies, the World Bank,
NGOs, and the private sector. Throughout her career, she focused on a range of issues, from trade and private sector development, to infrastructure, financial sector reform, and education. Laura was appointed Director General of the Italian Overseas Development Agency, with the responsibility of setting up the newly created agency. Laura also served as chief of staff to the President of
the World Bank.

We start by talking about Laura’s journey, from growing up in Italy to how studying abroad sparked her interest in development. We move on to Laura’s views on development, the main obstacles that stand in the way of achieving development (political will, resources, and human capital), and how we can foster the political will necessary for development to take place. Laura then also shares with us her perspective on the evolution of thinking around fragility and how, over the last 20 years, it has become clear that fragility is a global problem. She highlights two main dimensions of fragility - individual and institutional - and how widespread institutional fragility acts as an obstacle to overcoming individual fragility.

Our conversation then focuses on education. We discuss the relationship between education and fragility, the key challenges facing the education sector today, and the need for education to create skills that are needed by the private sector. Laura sees education as foundational and going beyond individual learning - it is the cornerstone to creating a strong state, economic growth, political stability, as well as a stronger and more stable society. We also talk about the role of technology in closing existing educational gaps and whether technology can help increase access to education for girls in places like Afghanistan. Laura then explains the need for a new narrative for education in the midst of competing global crises and helps us understand the Global Partnership for Education’s unique approach.

Listen to the episode for so many more insights on development and education from Laura Frigenti!

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Laura Frigenti

Website: https://www.globalpartnership.org/who-we-are/ceo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GPECEO

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About the Global Partnership for Education 

GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. We mobilize partners and funds to support nearly 90 lower-income countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world.  For more than 20 years, GPE has mobilized partners and funds to get 160 million more girls and boys in school and improve learning in partner countries around the world.  

To learn more: https://www.globalpartnership.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gpforeducation

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction

01:29 Laura’s background

04:11 What is development?

06:37 Top three obstacles in the way of development

08:37 Options to foster political will

13:17 A perspective on fragility today

16:46 The relationship between education & fragility

23:53 The key challenges facing the education sector today

30:15 Is there a smell test for new ideas, new plans, grand strategies to change?

36:15 Education that responds to private sector needs

39:36 The role of technology in closing existing educational gaps

44:59 Can technology help increase access to learning for girls?

48:13 The need for a new narrative for education

52:33 The Global Partnership for Education’s approach

56:37 When will our planet be fully literate and numerate?

58:50 Wrap-up