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Education, equity & employment
The Global Education & Skills Forum (GESF) brings together world leaders from the public, private and social sectors to seek solutions to achieve education, equity and employment for all. GESF is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, a global education charity.
Known as the "Davos of education," GESF provides the international community with a platform for collaboration and problem solving on key education issues. From 2016-2019, the Varkey Foundation convened GESF as a series of conferences in Dubai, UAE. Participants included presidents, prime ministers, education ministers, senior government officials, leading tech companies, celebrities, teachers and students. Today, GESF continues online as a series of remote events that continue to connect world leaders on education.
GESF In numbers*

Delegates
1,500+

Programming
125 hours

Ministers
40+
Past Partners

Key Speakers

Julius Maada Bio
President of Sierra Leone

Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Actress

Taron Egerton
Actor

Mo Farah
Athlete

Thomas Friedman
Political commentator and author

Stefania Giannini
Assistant Director-General, UNESCO

Julia Gillard
Chair, Global Partnership for Education

Al Gore
Former Vice President, USA

Tariq Al Gurg
CEO, Dubai Cares

Lewis Hamilton
F1 Champion

Wladimir Klitschko
Former boxer and philanthropist

Steven Pinker
Researcher, psychology and cognitive science

Jaime Saavedra
Head of Education Global Practice, The World Bank

Simon Schama
Historian, Columbia University

Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills, OECD

Charlize Theron
Actress