2025 World Schools Summit

Delegates from Nigeria and around the world will convene at Yasmina British Academy, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from November 15-16 for the World Schools Summit to tackle global education crisis.

The landmark summit is on the behest of T4 Education, Aldar Education and the Emirates Foundation, and supported by Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

The event is also backed by Microsoft, Google, Carter Fleet, Inicio Partners, Best School to Work, the Education Leaders Forum, HP, International Baccalaureate Organisation, Prometric, Edmentum and Magrudy’s.

The summit will bring together over 1,000 leaders of the world’s best schools alongside policymakers, NGOs, tech companies and the biggest figures in global education to harness education to build leadership for a better world.

Speakers include Chief Technologist, Learning and Sustainability, Google, Ben Gomes; CEO of CAMFED and one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, Angeline Murimirwa; and Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, Theron Feemster.

Others are Global Head of IB World Schools, International Baccalaureate Organisation, Angela Meikle; Managing Director of Owl Ventures, Amit Patel; Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, Rebecca Winthrop; Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Rod Smith.

The line-up of speakers also includes Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Foundation, HE Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi; Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Education, Sahar Cooper; and Global Teacher Prize Winner, Andria Zafirakou MBE.

There are also Director & Global Head of Education Business and Strategy at HP, Mayank Dhingra; Director of K12 Partnerships & Community at Microsoft Elevate, Patrick O’Steen; and education ministers from around the world.

The summit will culminate in the winning announcement of the Global EdTech Prize in partnership with Owl Ventures and Digital Promise – a new award for start-ups, non-profits and major companies recognising trailblazing tech solutions that are driving change and grappling with the most crucial challenges in today’s classrooms.

The winners, according to a statement which was made available to The Nation, will be chosen by educators in a live pitch and vote at the World Schools Summit.

Director, Girl Capital – Africa, at CIFF (Children’s Investment Fund Foundation), Eunice Ogolo, said: “To transform the lives of children and adolescents in Nigeria and across Africa, we need bold ideas that will enable children not simply to survive, but to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“That’s why we focus on systemic change, funding programmes that solve problems many might consider intractable. And that’s why we’re partnering on the World Schools Summit – bringing together leaders from Africa and across the planet to tackle some of the greatest challenges in education and, in turn, make a difference to the lives of children worldwide.”

Founder of T4 Education and the World Schools Summit, Vikas Pota, said: “A quarter of the way into the 21st century, the world stands at a crossroads. We must take urgent action to halt runaway climate change, adapt as Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolutionises our economies, promote peace in the face of destructive conflicts, and tackle the most enduring inequalities.”

According to Pota, “A better world is possible, but only if leaders from across the planet, from governments to businesses, NGOs, academia and tech, recognise that at the heart of all these crucial questions lies education. I am proud to be bringing these leaders together at the World Schools Summit, and I invite participants from Nigeria and around the world to join us.”

On her part, Director of Microsoft Elevate, Caroline Mutepfa, said: “At the World Schools Summit, I look forward to sharing Microsoft’s vision for empowering educators and students through AI-driven tools, personalised learning, and skill-based pathways that build confidence and career readiness.

“This is also an opportunity to learn from global education leaders and explore how we can responsibly and ethically bring AI into classrooms. As AI transforms how people work, learn, and lead, closing skills gaps at scale is critical. Microsoft believes AI can help educators refocus on what matters most – the learner.”

T4 Education, the event host, works to amplify teachers’ voices. The organisation is building the world’s largest community of teachers and schools, driven by its belief that every child, everywhere, deserves a good education.