Education in times of crisis: Together for innovative investments in Education

WEF, House of Switzerland Davos

With the complex social changes taking place in the world today, education remains highly important. At the same time, education is the most underfunded Sustainable Development Goal. Ensuring that children and youth can develop to their full potential, not only requires more funding, but also an acceleration of technologies, social innovation, and evidence-based impact research. In addition marginalized groups, such as children with disabilities, face more and more barriers, and interruption of education increases with crises. To reach all crisis-affected children and youth with safe, free and quality education, especially those who have been previously excluded, it is crucial to counter the threat of lost generations.

The Swiss Government, in partnership with Education Cannot Wait, the Jacobs Foundation and Zürcher Kantonalbank, invites you to discuss innovative investments in education during the World Economic Forum. The discussion will explore action-oriented and cross-sectoral collaboration between the United Nations, governments, private sector and philanthropy. Speakers will address challenges and results achieved in providing quality education to children and adolescents in South Sudan and other contexts. The event will also explore new forms of partnerships, including an innovative financing model that will allow investments from the private sector, individuals and foundations to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals while providing long-term funding for education, with the potential of becoming a blueprint for other partners and countries.

Speakers

• Awut Deng Acuil, The Hon Minister of General Education and Instruction of South Sudan
• State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda, Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
• Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait
• Donika Dimovska, Chief Knowledge Officer Jacobs Foundation
• Anja Hochberg, Head Multi-Asset Solutions Zürcher Kantonalbank
• Patricia Danzi, Director General Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
• Moderated by Christian Frutiger, Assistant Director General and Head of Thematic Cooperation Division SDC

For more information and registration, please contact Ms Susanna Graf.