Writing Residencies

Iman Albertini is a graduate of the Centre International de Formation Européenne’s travelling Master program in Advanced European and International Studies, with a focus on the Mediterranean region. Currently working at the Department of Political Affairs and Human Development of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Iman was born into a French-Senegalese family and Iman grew up in Paris and the French Alps, fostering a passion for multiculturalism, sociology, and human rights.

With a background in Arts and Culture Studies from Rotterdam, Iman’s research interests include discrimination, belonging, identity, community, cultural stereotypes, and intersectionality. Iman’s previous work has explored the national belonging of hijabi women in France, the male gaze in the francophone rap scene, and the construction of national identity among Black Tunisians. Involved in TEUWA, an association striving to improve education in Senegalese rural areas, Iman is working on an article examining the impact of cultural stereotypes on the recognition and support of invisible disabilities among non-white girls in Western schools. This research aims to address the intersection of ableism, stigma, and systemic barriers, contributing to a more inclusive understanding of marginalized communities in educational systems.

Oksana Matiiash is the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Ukraine, a nonprofit education organization, part of the Teach For All global network. Her area of focus is transforming Ukraine’s education system to build stronger human capital. She also serves as the Board Member at President Zelensky’s Fund on Supporting Education, Science, and Sports. She is Ukraine’s first Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University (2023-2024). With a decade of experience across the public, private, and international sectors, Oksana has driven impactful change, from leading the judiciary reform component in an EU-backed initiative to advising a Ukrainian MP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (Social Impact, 2022) and awarded the Peres Heritage Award by the European House Ambrosetti. Oksana holds an MPP from the University of Oxford as a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholar and an MA in International Law from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Thelma Obiakor is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and an evaluator specializing in Economics and Education, with a focus on inclusive development. She is also a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics. Building on her PhD research, Thelma currently leads a project on Nigeria’s Language of Instruction (LOI) policy, working with policymakers and school administrators to create contextually relevant implementation strategies aimed at improving student learning.

Her writing project explores the linguistic landscape of Nigeria, mapping languages spoken in classrooms and homes to gain deeper insights into the nation’s linguistic diversity and its implications for student learning experiences. With a strong track record of working on educational projects across Africa, Thelma has collaborated with diverse stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and international organizations, to implement initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes and fostering social equity. Thelma holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge. 

Chandrika received her doctorate from the University of Oxford and is a professor of modern history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Her research interests encompass modern British history with a focus on imperialism and decolonization, the monarchy, media, and popular culture; modern South Asia – politics, society, and culture; and global history with a focus on international communications and international media networks.

She has published widely in these areas and contributed to national and international programs on television, radio, newspapers, and podcasts. She is passionate about the importance of historical knowledge, the role of education, and multicultural dialogue, for facilitating solutions to contemporary issues in politics, society, and culture. She loves to travel (though it's mostly vicariously through travel programs in recent years!), photography, and dabbles (badly!) in pottery in her spare time. 

Angga, originally from Indonesia, is a young professional working at the United Nations in New York. He specializes in the intricate nexus of youth engagement, sustainable development diplomacy, and UN system-wide coordination and accountability. 

During his residency, Angga primarily focused on addressing generational divides through meaningful dialogues. He worked on crafting an interactive book about the importance of intergenerational dialogue, complemented by an interactive card game. This multifaceted initiative aimed to foster deep discussions between generations, especially in a world where societal and technological advancements have created ever-widening divides.

Furthermore, his initiative explored the opportunity to provide a comprehensive toolkit that included both theoretical foundations and practical tools designed to facilitate dialogues among diverse age groups.

Ben is the author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections (Princeton University Press, November 2023). He hosts the Higher Ed Spotlight podcast and is a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. His decades of experience in journalism and education policy include leadership and research roles at Strada Education Network, the Brookings Institution, the Kauffman Foundation, and US News & World Report. 

He is the award-winning author of The Great Brain Race and coeditor of Reinventing Higher Education and Measuring Success. He has had bylines in many national magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and the Washington Post.  

He has been a speaker on higher education globalization, degree value, and innovation in 16 US states and 10 foreign countries, including events at Google, Harvard, the World Bank, the OECD in Paris, and the London School of Economics. He is a past blogger for the Chronicle of Higher Education and Education Sector.  

Rena is a doctoral student in International Education at NYU. Her research interests focus on education in humanitarian contexts, especially those affected by conflict. She studies how social emotional learning (SEL) manifests across cultures and is influenced by international aid.

During her residency, Rena wrote about the rise and transfer of social-emotional learning (SEL) as a response to supporting young people affected by crisis and conflict. Her study aimed to explore why SEL had not fully realized its potential for improving well-being and learning in conflict-affected settings by identifying potential “interruptions” in the translation of SEL across cultural and contextual boundaries. 

Publications

forthcoming

Franco is the CEO and co-founder of Enseña Peru. He is also a co-founder of Ayni, which brings together more than 1,300 leaders in education from all roles to reimagine education. In addition, he has served as a member of the Network Advisory Council of Teach for All and has been a jury member in several national teacher prizes in Peru.

Franco suggests if communities don't find ways to shift the purpose of education, kids will grow far from a thriving life and without agency over their personal, professional, planetary, and citizenship lives. He adds that the the narrative in Peru is mostly "get a job, pay the bills." But without innovative practices, Franco believes communities have no clue what a new education story could look like. During his residency, Franco highlighted the necessity of combining a renewed purpose with an innovative approach to education. He aimed for his writing to reach leaders worldwide who could promote a different narrative on how to drive education transformation.

Publications

• “Alternative” ways to transform education

As social justice educator, Viet has been spending a decade working relentlessly with children and youth in different settings in Vietnam, using education as a tool for the empowerment and liberation of individuals and communities. He is the founder and current director of Dream&Do School for Future Changemakers, an education center that practices and promotes pedagogies for socio-ecological transformation.

Drawing from his personal experience as a social justice educator and restorative justice practitioner in Vietnam, Viet wrote about how restorative-based pedagogy could transform school climates, strengthen communities, resolve conflicts, and address social injustice in education. He explored how this approach could ultimately empower teachers and students to drive change beyond the classroom walls.

Furthermore, his writing examined the potential to envision a new global consensus on transforming education for sustainable and regenerative futures.

Publications

• How To Transform School Climates With Classroom Circles
• It's Time to Regreen Our Schoolyards