Anna Odrowąż-Coates, prof. PhD, President of the International Korczak Association (IKA)Holds the UNESCO Janusz Korczak Chair, Chair of the Early-ASD Research Team: Interdisciplinary Teachers' Professional Development LAB, Chair of the Board of the Research Network of Sociology of Education of the European Sociological Association and Vice-Chair of the Polish Educational Research Association. Expert at the intergovernmental office of MOST Management of Social Transformations at UNESCO HQ, Paris 2024. Task expert at BRPD and at the KNP PAS. She is editor-in-chief of "Language, Discourse and Society" (ISA) and co-editor of the journals "Society Register" (AMU) and "Pedagogika Społeczna NOVA" (AMU). She researches social science issues related to inequality, inclusion, human rights, and children's rights.
Laura Lundy, prof. PhD., is Honorary Professor of Education Law and Children’s Rights at Queen’s University, Belfast, Professor of Law at University College Cork and a barrister at law. She is co-Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Children’s Rights. Her expertise is in law and human rights with a particular focus on children’s right to participate in decision-making and education rights. Her 2007 paper in the British Educational Research Journal, “’Voice’ is not enough” is one of the most highly cited academic papers on children’s rights ever. The model of children’s participation it proposes (based on four key concepts - Space, Voice, Audience and Influence) is used extensively in scholarship and practice. The “Lundy model” has been adopted by numerous national governments, including Ireland it its national strategy and framework on child and youth participation, as well as international organizations including the European Commission, Council of Europe, and UNICEF.
Laura Lundy
Northern Island
Mercedes Mayol Lassalle
Argentina
Mercedes Mayol Lassalle, Professor of Public Policies for Early Childhood in the Master’s Programme in Early Childhood Education at the University of Buenos Aires. She has also taught in the IIEP–UNESCO Regional Training Programme on Educational Policies for Latin America and worked as a teacher educator in early childhood education at several universities. Expert in early childhood education and care, public policies, and human rights. She served as World President of OMEP – World Organization for Early Childhood Education from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025. Throughout 2026, she continues to serve as a member of OMEP’s World Executive Committee in her role as Past President. She was democratically elected as a representative of international NGOs and is a member of the Board of the Global Campaign for Education and of the Coordination Group of the UNESCO Collective Consultation of NGOs on Education 2030 (CCNGO–Education 2030). Representing OMEP, she was a member of the Programme Committee and the Drafting Committee of the Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education (UNESCO, 2022). She is also a member of the UNESCO Technical Advisory Group responsible for the follow-up of the Declaration.
Steven Barnett, prof. PhD., is the Board of Governors Professor of Education, Economics, and Policy, and Founding Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett is an economist who conducted groundbreaking long-term benefit-cost analyses of the Perry Preschool and other early childhood programs beginning in the 1980. His research demonstrates that high quality early education can produce a broad range of immediate and lifelong benefits for both the child and the broader society. In addition to establishing a public interest in investments to provide a high quality early education to young children, his work informed a unique state Supreme Court ruling regarding young children’s constitutional right to an education that meets their specific needs. Dr. Barnett is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a member of the National Academy of Education, a member of the Board of Trustees for Sharjah Education Academy, and chair of the Awarding Committee for the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning.
Steven Barnett
USA
Modupe (Mo) Adefeso-Olateju
Nigeria
Modupe (Mo) Adefeso-Olateju, PhD, is a policy expert specializing in public-private collaboration in education and with keen interests in innovation, systems transformation and skills development. She is a Fellow at Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education where she leads research with the Network for Education Systems Transformation (NEST); global network of 11 organizations researching how education systems can transform to prioritize the development of a breadth of skills in learners. She founded The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre; Nigeria’s pioneering education partnership organization where she supported policymakers, global think tanks and corporations on a range of education sector support initiatives. At TEP, she also led LEARNigeria; Nigeria citizen-led assessment program and established the annual pan-African education innovation summit, NEDIS, which is now in its 9th year. As an appointee on the 3-man Presidential Policy Advisory Council (PAC), she helped to articulate education sector priorities for Nigeria’s current national government. Previously, she drafted a section of Nigeria’s 2011-2015 education strategy and was a member of the technical team which developed Nigeria’s Medium- and Long-Term National Strategic Plans. Dr. Mo is a sought-after thought international speaker who has delivered evidence-informed keynote addresses at global conferences including The Platform Africa and the Global Conference of the International Baccalaureate Organization. She continues to offer thought leadership at several international conferences including the World Innovation Summit on Education (WISE) in Doha, the PAL Network Conferences in Kenya; the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conferences in North America and the Better Futures Forum in Singapore. She is the Chair of the US Board of Malala Fund, serves on the boards of Human Capital Africa, Slum2School Africa and FabAI, on the Global Advisory Council of the Teach for All (TFA) Global Institute for Shaping a Better Future and on the Advisory Board of the International Rescue Committee’s program on education in conflict and crisis (ERICC). She is also Fellow of the Asia-Global Institute in Hong Kong. Dr. Mo was recognized by BusinessDay Media in 2025 as one of 50 Inspiring Nigerian Women of 2025, and by Vive Africa in 2023 as one of the Top 25 Nigerians Changing the Face of Education in Nigeria. She was also conferred an Honorary Fellowship Award by the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in 2019.
