Annex A. The authors

International experts

José Joaquín Brunner is a Professor and Researcher at the Center for Comparative Education Policy, Universidad Diego Portales, Chile. He leads the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Higher Education Policy. José Joaquín has consulted on tertiary education policy in over 35 countries and for multiple international organisations, including the World Bank, UNESCO and the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada, among others. In Chile, he served as Minister Secretary General of Government (1994-98) and chaired the President’s Committee on Modernisation of Chilean Education in 1994. José Joaquín has also chaired multiple committees, including the Presidential Committee on Tertiary Education Policy (1990), and written extensively on the sociology of education and culture.

Candido Alberto Gomes was Legislative Adviser for Educational Affairs to the Brazilian Federal Senate and the National Constituent Assembly. He is a Professor of Sociology and Education at the Catholic University of Brasilia. Candido has also acted as a consultant in the fields of education and work, and educational finance to national and international organizations, such as UNESCO and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He has almost 300 academic publications in several languages, including diverse editions of the book A educação em novas perspectivas sociológicas [Education in new sociological perspectives].

OECD staff

Elizabeth Fordham is the Senior Advisor for Global Relations in the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills and leads the OECD’s Reviews of National Education Policies in partner countries. She most recently published the OECD Review of Education in Indonesia (2015) and is currently engaged in reviews of education policies in Thailand, Costa Rica and Morocco. Prior to joining the OECD in 2014, Elizabeth served as education programme specialist at UNESCO for nearly a decade, most recently as policy lead for cooperation with BRICS countries. Elizabeth Fordham has a BA Hons and MPhil from the University of Cambridge, UK, and a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

Rowena Phair is the Project Leader of the Early Learning Study in the Early Childhood and Schools Division of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. She is also currently involved in a review of education policy in Canada. Prior to joining the OECD, Rowena worked on public policy development and implementation in various sectors of the New Zealand government, most recently as Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Education, where she was responsible for schooling policies, curriculum and assessment, resourcing for schools and industrial relations. Rowena has a Masters in Economics and a BA in Economics and Political Science, from the University of Auckland.

Anna Pons is a Policy Analyst in the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. Most recently, she has coordinated the Education and Skills OECD Accession Review of Colombia and contributed to reviews of the effectiveness and equity of schools in Mexico, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. She also co-authored a thematic report on Equity and Quality in Education (2012). Prior to joining the OECD in 2010, Anna worked for the Higher Education Commission of the Government of Catalonia and the private sector. She holds BAs in Economics and Political Science from University Pompeu Fabra, Spain, and a Masters in Economics and Public Policy from Sciences Po, ENSAE and École Polytechnique, France.

Juliana Zapata is a Research Assistant in the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. She is currently contributing to the reviews of education policies in Chile and Costa Rica. Since joining the OECD in 2010, Juliana has worked on a range of education policy issues across OECD countries and participated in the Education Policy Outlook series and the Improving Schools projects of Iceland and Wales. Juliana was a teacher in both New York City and Paris. She holds a Masters of Public Affairs from Sciences Po, France, a Masters in Urban Education from Mercy College, United States, and a BA in International Affairs from Tufts University, United States.