Conference Program
Schedule for Saturday, April 15
| 9:15-10:00 | Check-in | |
| 10:00-10:45 | Keynote address | |
| 11:00-12:15 | Panel I: Challenges in Education: Developing Effective Educational Systems | |
| 12:15-1:45 | Lunchtime International Development Fair (NGOs + student groups) | |
| 1:45-3:00 | Panel II: Funding and Allocation: Prioritizing Educational Goals |
Keynote address
Our keynote address will be delivered this year by Cream Wright, Chief of Education at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Panel I: Challenges in Education: Developing Effective Educational Systems
Education is at the forefront of the international development agenda, but we have still not met our target goals. This considered the challenges countries face in developing effective education systems. Panelists discussed the impact of political, economic, cultural, and institutional obstacles on the access, quality, design and value of education in developing countries. Looking forward, they identified and evaluated best practices, lessons learned, and conditions necessary for effective progress in international education.Panel II: Funding and Allocation: Prioritizing Educational Goals
How should we allocate funds to education? With limited budgets, how should policymakers think about, balance, and prioritize different education goals? Where is the marginal social return on funding dollars greatest? That is, where is funding most effective and what else should be considered besides effectiveness? Panelists discussed the tradeoffs or choices involved when funding education programs with differing focuses, such as level (e.g. primary, secondary, adult, higher), type (e.g. classical, technical, vocational), or gender. Drawing from their own experiences, they considered the current state of funding, and whether it is well-allocated and effective. Looking forward, they addressed the incentives influencing the current funding structure and identified best practices, lessons learned, and conditions necessary for improving the effectiveness of funding for education.
Lunchtime International Development Fair
In the past, the conference has also included a lunchtime development fair with Bay Area-based NGOs to provide interested students with job, internship or volunteering opportunities, as well as real-life perspectives on working in international development. This year, the fair was expanded to include not only NGOs but also development-related student groups on campus. Hopefully, this was an opportunity for students looking for a way to get involved “closer to home” and to strengthen the ties among the growing development community at Stanford.