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The article focuses on views of Andreas Schleicher, the director for education and skills at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), on global education, as of December 2016. Topics include significance of Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which ranks the world's education systems in science, reading and maths; potential role of Pisa as a tool for development; and the said superiority of education systems.

The article discusses developments in the global education sector as of January 2014. It focuses on the voluntary programmes to tackle educational inequality in the U.S., Great Britain and around the world, particularly the Teach for America in the U.S., Teach First in Great Britain and Teach For All worldwide. The opinion of Teach First volunteer John Rendel on the developments is also cited.

The article discusses private-sector funded education in developing countries such as Ghana, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which fill in for government and foreign aid sponsored education in order to meet the public education needs for the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. Western education companies, public-private social services, and an international education conference in Dubai, UAE are also mentioned. INSET: Universal schooling.

The article discusses the educational project Flat Classroom, which aims to connect students around the world using electronic communication. Also noted are the book "Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time," by project creators Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay, the similar project Dissolving Boundaries in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and international collaboration between students. INSETS: BLOGGERS UNITE;BREAKING BOUNDARIES.

The article discusses the development of international assessments for 15-year-old students in the subjects of reading, mathematics, and science, being overseen by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It comments on the use of the model employed by the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), the launch of a pilot programme in the U.S., and attempts to benchmark secondary education.

The article profiles British educators Vanessa and Paul Buckley, teachers at the Grange School in England, who have formed a partnership between the Grange School and the Kunta Kinteh School in a Gambian village near Brikama. The author explains how one visit to the area and the opportunity to see the need in Gambian schools led to the partnership, which eventually led to annual student visits, improved understanding of cultural differences, and increased participation in volunteer tourism. INSET: Creating school ties.

The article discusses Great Britain's Newcastle University's (NU) commitment with international partners to invest in collaborative teaching and research projects. Its international branch campus for medicine and biomedical sciences in Malaysia saw the start of a new chapter in NU's medical history. It cites its collaboration with Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to launch Newcastle University International Singapore (NUIS) and its Strategic Partnership with Xiamen University in China.

The article presents a profile of the British-based charity the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), run by chief executive Alice Albright as of 2014. Details are given describing the mission and practices of the organization, collecting and distributing financial aid to education programs in developing countries. Accounts are given noting how funding has dropped significantly for the group since 2011. Comments by Albright asserting the importance of educational aid are also included.

The article discusses nonprofit advocacy organization the Cotton Campaign's resistance to international organization the Global Partnership for Education's (GPE) proposal to donate 50 million dollars towards education reforms in Uzbekistan, highlighting concerns over alleged child labour in Uzbekistan. Topics addressed include a report alleging widespread corruption in Uzbekistan, and teachers and students that are allegedly forced by the government to leave school in order to pick cotton.

The article discusses the collaboration between the South East Asian nations of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to improve vocational education. It addresses the creation of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), offering the same work-based qualifications the the three countries to promote job opportunities, and improving the reputation of vocational education in Asia.

The article reports on the negotiation between the British Council and the Nigerian National Universities Commission concerning the establishment by British universities of campuses in Nigeria. A pilot scheme will not only allow foreign universities to build campuses but will also allow them to offer distance-learning courses. Information on an Education United Kingdom Partnership conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland is also presented.

The article discusses a cross-cultural program in Europe that is called Comenius Regio, which is part of the European Commission. Comenius Regio is aimed at creating partnerships between schools in different countries but will also involve the local authorities. Policeman Colin Moorhouse began several school-based initiatives that have been singled out for their effectiveness. Keith Walters of the European Union comments that authorities in Britain may not know about the program. INSETS: Who was Comenius?;Key programmes under the Comenius banner.

The article focuses on the growing popularity of joint degree programmes offered by universities across international borders and their potential challenges, according to a study by the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education. The report says joint degrees are a principal instrument for improving the competitiveness of higher education in Europe worlwide. The study notes that the continent offers the most joint and double degree programmes. Also cited are the factors that had contributed to the increase in cross-border education schemes.

Highlights the cross-continent curricular activities between a school in Great Britain and Sri Lanka. Claim that children from Sri Lanka made a book of simple recipes for their counterpart children to make; Recipe for the Dhal curry.

Presents tips and ideas related to teaching. Advantage in participating in the Franco-British Council school partnership prize; Involvement of students in filmmaking; Use of mnemonics.

Focuses on the role of Matthew Humberstone CE secondary school, in Lincolnshire, England, in the establishment of the Gramin Janta school in a remote village in Nepal. Efforts of Matthew Humberstone deputy head Tom Allen for the establishment of the school; Details of the source of funding for the project; Background on the initiation of the project.

Reports on how the world's major powers are facing the challenge of poverty, deprivation and lack of education. Focus of the growing international commitment on poverty-reduction programmes; Development of plans for universal primary education by the end of 2002; Establishment of a monitoring system and task force to identify financing gaps.

The article reports on the statement issued by Iranian Deputy Science Minister in International Affairs Hossein Salar Amoli on the strengthening of academic links between French and Iranian universities in 2014.

The article reports on the partnerships formed by Brazilian universities located outside the country's major cities with British higher education institutions. Topics discussed include challenges associated with partnering with Brazilian universities, British universities that have formed partnerships with local universities and reasons behind the efforts of Brazilian universities to internationalize higher education in the country.

The article discusses the 2014 briefing paper on higher education systems, published by the American Council on Education. It cites various challenges associated with language and cultural misunderstandings, faced by U.S. universities that intend to establish partnership with higher education institutions in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Topics explored include perceived benefits of international engagement between foreign educational institutions and complications of student exchange programs.

The author discusses the University of Leicester's program to help Kurdistan, Iraq rebuild an academy damaged by years of ethnic cleansing by former President Saddam Hussein. Its capacity building project with the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr created an English language centre to provide opportunities for local students to gain internationally recognised qualifications The university also helped develop courses at the University of Kufa's Medical School.

The article presents charts and diagrams depicting efforts to improve education in fragile states, or countries with severely limited resources including Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Somalia, particularly focusing on international aid to improving educational opportunities in fragile countries.

The article reports that the University of Portsmouth has won a contract to develop military engineering degrees for Oman's Military Technological College. Portsmouth is expecting around 1,000 students to enroll for the degrees in September 2013. The Campaign Against Arms Trade has criticized the university's decision, warning that the agreement will enable internal oppression in Oman. The campaign group further states that Oman is an authoritarian government.

The article reports on the visit of representatives of the Association of Indian Universities to 12 European institutions in the Netherlands, Finland and Scotland to explore the potential for international collaboration in research.

The author reflects on the education system of Great Britain and its role as an importer and exporter of ideas. He comments that although the country's education system is better than the others, educational explorers should not stop to look for inspirations overseas. He mentions several countries with good educational system such as Finland, Germany, and Sweden. He adds that Great Britain is not just a recipient of ideas and the fact that the country is also an exporter of ideas is forgotten.

The article focuses on academic input as the key to international alliances, according to a report from the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education in Great Britain. The report, produced by Tim Gore of the Centre for Indian Business at the University of Greenwich in England, assesses the field of global research collaboration through the experience of the British-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI). The importance of trust in developing lasting partnerships is a key lesson from the UKIERI.

The author discusses the insular nature of teacher training programs in Great Britain. An overview of an Ecole Supérieure de l'Education Nationale (ESEN) seminar in France is offered and the author points out that education professionals from several countries gave presentations. The author suggests that British educational policy makers could learn a lot from the successes and failures of other countries.

The article presents information on the Balls to Poverty campaign, which aims to provide sports training and equipment to impoverished townships in South Africa, carried out by South Nottinghamshire College in England. As part of the campaign the British manufacturing union Unite and the Nottingham Forest Football Club have contributed thousands of soccer balls, and each child who receives a ball also receives coaching from a South Nottinghamshire student volunteer.

The article presents information on the Fair Trade in Skills partnership initiative between colleges in Great Britain and Tanzania. The idea for the initiative came from Ken Spouts, of England's London University Institute of Education, who visited Tanzania and wanted to do something to help alleviate the poverty he found there. Participation in Fair Trade in Skills includes fund raising for and building projects in Tanzania, student exchanges, and training for faculty from Tanzania.

The article presents a retrospective of further education (FE) in Great Britain during 2007. The author discusses cooperative efforts between British colleges and those in Najaf, Iraq to provide training to former militia fighters in Iraq. He discusses events affecting aspects of FE including finance, government and non-governmental organizations' involvement, and education and training of people with disabilities beyond compulsory education years.

The article reports on a program to develop football programs between Great Britain and Iraq as a means of providing hope to Iraqi youth. Former Royal Air Force squadron leader Alan Corbett devised the idea after serving in Basra, Iraq and noting the despair of local children, who have little to no access to education but a true love of football. Plans for the program include providing footballs to youth in Basra and bringing Iraqi youth to England's Sussex Downs College for instruction.

The article explains that Louise Taylor-Porter, a British teacher of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), is working with Chinese volunteers in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Taylor-Porter is teaching English classes for volunteers while local teachers learn about student-centered teaching methods and colloquial English from her. Other British-Chinese education collaborations include training for cabin crews and training in Western cuisine for chefs.

The article presents information on British teachers who teach and work with disadvantaged children in Africa. Research indicates that teachers who participate in overseas programs return to Great Britain invigorated and ready to cope with higher grade jobs. The Department for Children, Schools and Families is helping to fund a pilot program in partnership with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the National Association of Head Teachers to promote the practice.

The article presents information on an international symposium on the future of career guidance, to be held in Scotland in October, 2007. The author says delegates from more than 30 countries will examine the educational, social, and employment issues pertaining to career guidance. Speakers at the symposium include the European Commission's Gordon Clerk, Indian clinical psychologist Gideon Arulmani, and Charles Leadbeater of the British thinktank Demos.

The article reports on Great Britain's City and Guilds Institute, which is set to launch in 2008 and is carrying out preparatory research in 2007. The Institute represents City and Guilds' attempts to support vocational education in addition to accrediting it. The group's aims are to bring together teachers and researchers, provide knowledge about skills training, support international idea sharing, and help turn policy into practice.

The article profiles Asha Khemka, who emigrated to Great Britain from India as a housewife and, as of 2007, is principal of West Nottinghamshire College in England. Khemka met with the President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and negotiated a deal to create three vocational training centers in Rajasthan, India, where she grew up. The plan fits with India's view that skills training will help it become a major developed economy. The centers will be managed by West Nottinghamshire College.

The article reports on a cooperative effort by Great Britain's National College for School Leadership and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust to study leadership and relate it to school leaders. The author notes that, from the U.S., Boston College education professor Andy Hargreaves and, from England, Warwick University education professor Alma Harris will lead the international study to examine business, sport, and health leaders and what headteachers can learn from them and each other.

The article presents information on a Teachers TV series highlighting the lessons that British and African educators can learn from one another. The series begins May 21, 2007 in recognition of Education in Africa Week. The programs cover topics such as volunteer opportunities for teachers, "Black Pinocchio," a modern-day version of the story that replaces puppets with Nairobi street kids wanting better lives, and short films made by African street children.

The article reports a need for young primary school teachers to train colleagues in poor countries, according to a 2007 statement from Voluntary Service Overseas. In Gambia, West Africa, Roy Faulkner helped to train teachers in spite of his own short time in the classroom--one year and one term. He explains that the limited resources force mentors and teacher trainees to think on their feet and rely less on the resources.

The article presents commentary on a European history textbook that could be used by all countries of the European Union (EU). The author notes the common achievements of the EU, including market, currency, and voice in trade negotiations, but questions whether ministers, historians, and educators can agree on a common version of history. She cites concerns such as local interpretation, national myths, and a 21st century trend favoring national histories over collective European history.

The article reports on cooperation between British and Iraqi teachers. Ten members of the Iraqi Teachers' Union spent two weeks in Great Britain, visiting the National Union of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and hoping the experience will help the rebuild the education system in Iraq. They hope the union will help build an Iraqi identity and dispel the sectarian outlooks.

The article explains complications in the Rawabit project, which links British and Iraqi colleges. The project intends to help vocational colleges in Iraq retrain former militiamen and other citizens for peaceful work, but aid money that has been collected is going to universities, not vocational education. A spokeswoman for the United National educational, scientific, and cultural organization said that threats of violence were preventing aid from being distributed everywhere it is needed.

The article profiles African American astronaut Major General (retired) Charles Bolden, who spoke to students at Newham College, in London, England's most ethnically diverse area. Bolden's appearance was part of an effort by the International Space School Education Trust to increase interest in science and engineering. Bolden acknowledged a general effort to help minorities in education and stressed the importance of family involvement in the effort.

The article reports that Leicester University's Control and Instrumentation Research Group had been awarded £500,000 to help build collaborative projects with academics in India. As part of the Great Britain/India Education and Research Initiative, the award came after the group received a £435,000 platform grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to allow it to retain key research staff as it searches for new applications for its work.

The article reports on efforts by British colleges to retrain Iraqi militia groups for peaceful occupations. The first group of fighters completed courses in welding, building, air conditioning, and electrical installation under the guidance of Britain's Further Education programs. Dr. Ebraheem a-Moosa al-Sabary, dean of Najaf Technical Institute, initiated the program, which became part of a British initiative supported by Bill Rammell, Britain's further and higher education minister.

The article discusses the international work of Greenwich Community College, which has received several accolades for its efforts to foster global cooperation and partnerships in education. Among the projects with which the college has been involved are the Iraqi further education system, the Millennium Dome, and Ghanian textile manufacturing.