Implementing EdTech Initiatives during the Emergency and Recovery Phases of COVID: Lessons from South Asia and Latin America

This week, Robert Hawkins speaks with Omar Arias, Emanuela Di Gropello, and Cristian Aedo about some of the major edtech initiatives implemented in South Asia and Latin America during the emergency phase and now in the recovery phase of COVID. Robert Hawkins is the World Bank's Senior Education & Technology Policy Specialist and Global Lead for Technology and Innovation in Education, working on issues at the intersection of technology use and education in middle- and low-income countries and emerging markets around the world. At a practical level, Bob provides advice and technical assistance to governments seeking innovative ways to improve teaching and learning in the classroom and strategic advice on improvement of education systems and management. Omar Arias is Manager of Global Engagement and Knowledge in the Education Global Practice. Previously, he was the Practice Lead Economist of the Social Protection and Labor Global Practice and Global Lead for skills at the World Bank. He was also the acting Sector Manager and Lead Economist in the Human Development Economics Unit for the World Bank Europe and Central Asia region; the sector leader of Human Development for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela; a senior economist in the Poverty and Gender Group of the Latin American region; and a research economist at the Inter-American Development Bank. Emanuela Di Gropello is currently the Practice Leader for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously, she was Manager for IEGHC Human Development & Corporate Evaluations and Program Leader for Human Development in the Cameroon/Gabon/Angola/Equatorial Guinea/Sao Tome & Principe CMU and Mali/Niger/Chad/Guinea CMU of the Africa Region. She was also successively Economist, Senior Economist, and Lead Economist in Human Development Departments in the Latin America & Caribbean and the East Asia and Regions. Cristian Aedo is Practice Manager for the South Asia Region Education Global Practice. He has led investment loans and development policy lending for strengthening human development outcomes through better accountability and relevant skills. He has managed education projects, programs and studies and in the Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe and Central Asia Regions. Cristian has also authored studies on Skills and Country Skills Patterns.