Established in 1945 after World War II, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) works to inspire and help build peace through promoting robust and comprehensive educational opportunities and reforms worldwide. With 193 member states in all parts of the world, from Thailand, Iraq, and Germany to the Pacific Islands and virtually all countries in between, the organization takes on issues like gender disparity, teacher training, and equitable access.

Dr. Rupert Maclean of RMIT University is now based in Australia, but spent much of his educational career at UNESCO offices in Paris, Bonn, Yangon, and Bangkok. “One of the things that we try to emphasize across all our programs in education is educational innovation for development. What innovations can we adopt to help improve the situation regarding strengthening education and schooling?”

In this first episode, Dr. Maclean discusses the educational trends he has identified by working internationally, and how they connect to his primary interests in vocational education and adapting curricula to fit rapidly evolving workforce needs. He also provides a brief overview of the multiple book series and handbooks published by Springer Nature that he’s worked on throughout his career as an academic, UNESCO professional, and educational consultant.