Sonia Ben Jaafar – Keynote Speaker

Experienced strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in educational development across Canada, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar currently serves as the CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, one of the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiatives in the Arab world. A key focus of her expertise is promoting the use of rigorous evidence as a means of gaining insight into and collaborating on sustainable solutions to pressing educational challenges. She is committed to assisting key stakeholders in having a collective positive impact on education and enhancing livelihoods.

Her additional role as Chairperson of the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goals focuses on cultivating partnerships that contribute to achieving sustainable development goals with measurable impact in the education and talent ecosystems. During the course of her career, Dr. Ben Jaafar has worked on major educational development projects with organizations including the American Institute of Research, Ericsson, UNESCO, UNICEF, and War Child UK.

Prior to her appointment as CEO of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar was Managing Director of EduEval, where she developed partnerships with governments, international agencies, non-profit organizations, and multinational corporations to promote evidence-based education decisions.

Sonia Ben Jaafar holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Toronto, as well as a MA in Curriculum Studies. She utilizes her experience as well as her academic background to promote knowledge sharing and education for the greater good.