Learning Partnership Kick-Off for the GPE KIX Observatory on Education System Resilience Initiative
Following the launch of the GPE KIX Observatory on Education System Resilience initiative, Canada’s International Development Research Center (IDRC) hosted the six regional implementing partners for a kick-off meeting in Ottawa on November 25-28. These partners include Grupo de análisis para el desarrollo (GRADE) for Latin America and the Caribbean; Makerere University - Resilient Africa Network (RAN) for East, West, Central, and Southern Africa; the Centre for Lebanese Studies for Middle East and North Africa; the Centre for Society Research (CEDOS) for Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia, the Pacific Community for the Pacific, and a sixth partner in South and Southeast Asia that will be announced soon. The meeting aimed to establish a collaborative foundation among the partners in order to strengthen their ability to generate and share evidence on education system resilience and future disruptions in GPE partner countries.
The meeting allowed partners to reflect on resilience in both personal and educational contexts, helping to build a shared understanding of it. It also highlighted that "education system resilience" lacks a clear definition, with interpretations varying widely across different contexts. This emphasized the need for applying a local lens to understand resilience in different contexts.
Through the sessions, partners also gained a better understanding of each other’s research designs and approaches and exchanged on common research challenges and how they can be overcome. Special attention was given to identifying relevant stakeholders—from policymakers to local communities—to ensure that research is both relevant and impactful.
Knowledge mobilization was another critical topic, as partners discussed strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in the research from the onset and communicating effectively research findings to relevant audiences.
Additionally, foresight research, which uses systematic methodologies to anticipate potential future disruptions to education systems, took center stage. Participants were introduced to various foresight tools and frameworks. These approaches will continue to be explored throughout the initiative, enabling the partners to better conduct foresight research about potential future disruptions to education systems across different contexts and identify potentially effective strategies for addressing them.
Another key outcome of the event was the establishment of a Community of Practice (CoP) among the six observatories. This CoP will foster ongoing dialogue, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among the partners, linking regional efforts and tackling common challenges in education resilience, rather than working in silos.
The learning partnership meeting laid a strong foundation for collaboration and shared learning across the six partners. Moving forward, the partners will begin to work on the implementation of their projects to generate evidence about the meanings and practices of education system resilience and potential future disruptions to education systems across different contexts.
