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• About the Center

  The Center for Universal Education was founded in 2002 by Gene Sperling, former National Economic Advisor to President Clinton, and is housed at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.  The ultimate aim of the Center is to work with key officials, NGOs and other experts to formulate strategies, policies and recommendations to advance the UN Millennium Development Goal of education for all by 2015.

  The Center achieves this goal through several key activities:

  • Convening key parties in a central forum to review major policy issues regarding basic education
  • Providing effective and accessible policy and political analysis to assist U.S. policy makers and educate the public on the issue of universal education
  • Designing and promoting effective policies for a global financing framework at the World Bank and G-8 level
  • Providing high-profile public commentary on education in poor nations

  Some of the key activities of the Center over the past year include:

  • Providing analyses and recommendations which have been instrumental in the development of a global architecture for universal education. The Center's recommendations have been particularly influential in the development of the bipartisan Education for All Act of 2007, the strengthening of the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI), the UK's major expansion of basic education funding under Gordon Brown's leadership and the recommendations of the UN Millennium Task Force Report on Education and Gender Equity.
  • Delivering new analyses and recommendations on financing education in conflict situations to major G-8 development agencies, the United Nations, and the World Bank at major forums in Cairo, London, and Bonn.
  • Collaborating with the newly-formed Education Partnership for Children of Conflict. Working closely with the Education Partnership, the Center produces and disseminates ongoing policy analyses on issues for education in emergencies. The Education Partnership aims to raise awareness of the issue of young people denied education by conflict and emergency situations. 
  • Serving in advisory capacities on the FTI Steering Committee, FTI Fragile States Task Team, the Advisory Board of the Gates/Hewlett Foundations Partnership on Quality Education in Developing Countries (QEDC), and the US Chapter of the Global Campaign for Education, and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Working Group on Education and Fragility.
  • Hosting Roundtable series featuring prominent guests, including Ministers from Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Rwanda.  The Center also hosted the Secretary of State for International Development for the UK, Douglas Alexander, on his first visit to Washington, D.C. in his new role.
  • Forging partnerships to reach classrooms across the country.  Through partnerships with PBS Wide Angle and Global Campaign for Education, the Center for Universal Education has distributed curriculum and DVDs to over 1,000 schools in the United States to educate tens of thousands of students about universal education.

  The activities of the Center for Universal Education are made possible thanks to the generous support of William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Unbound Philanthropy, and the Boeing Company.

• 

  CUE Event Highlight

  Lessons in Shared Growth: Business and Entrepreneurship Education for Women in Developing Countries

  Washington, DC

  June 23, 2008

  The Center for Universal Education will host Linda Rottenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Endeavor Global, a leader in supporting emerging entrepreneurs worldwide, and Dina Habib Powell, Director of Global Corporate Engagement at Goldman Sachs, for a lunchtime discussion about the need for financing the development of greater financial and managerial talent in developing countries. In particular, they will examine what type of education is needed and scalable for women in developing and emerging economies to create this new class of entrepreneurs, managers, and financial leaders who will develop and grow small and medium enterprises.  

  

  

  Featured Publication

  Soaring Food Prices Mean Less Education for Poor

  Bloomberg Commentary

  Gene Sperling

  May 1, 2008

  Among the casualties of the food crisis will be the schooling of millions of the world's poorest children. The connection is as simple as a school lunch.

   

  

  

  Global Education Action Week

  Today, 72 million children worldwide are denied access to a basic education. In addition, over 226 million youth are denied the opportunity to attend secondary school.

  Global Education Action Week was April 20-27, 2008.

  Through the Council on Foreign Relations, the Center for Universal Education conducted outreach for a youth training that brought over 50 young students from across the country to Washington, DC to learn about education in developing countries.  

  

  

  Center for Universal Education

  For more information on the CUE, contact:

  Gene Sperling
  Senior Fellow for Economic Studies
  Director, Center for Universal Education
  +1-202-518-3401
  gsperling@cfr.org

  Anda Adams
  Associate Director
  +1-202-518-3404
  aadams@cfr.org

  Victoria Palomo
  Research Associate
  +1-202-518-3472
  vpalomo@cfr.org

  

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