Global Initiative Bi-weekly Newsletter
November 24th to December 10th 2025
Lebanon
Driven by a shared vision to strengthen Lebanon's education sector, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the American University of Beirut (AUB), through its Government Engagement Platform (GEP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a strategic partnership to advance education reform, enhance institutional capacities, and strengthen the quality and governance of online and digital learning.
The signing ceremony was held at AUB and was attended by Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president; Dr. Rima Karami, minister of education and higher education; Dr. Zaher Dawy, AUB provost; Dr. Imad Baalbaki, the university's senior vice president for advancement and business development; senior administrators; academics; and senior representatives from both AUB and MEHE. The MoU signed by the president of AUB and the minister of education and higher education lays the foundation for collaborative action to modernize the education sector, improve policymaking processes, and expand experiential learning opportunities for university students across public schools in Lebanon.
The fall of the Assad regime has opened an extraordinary window of hope for peace and stability in Syria. A year on, displaced Syrians are returning to their homes – over 3 million to date – but much more international support is required if the trend is to prove lasting. According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, more than 1.2 million Syrians have voluntarily returned from neighbouring countries since December 2024, alongside over 1.9 million internally displaced people (IDPs) who have gone back to their areas of origin. Many more have expressed a desire to return. This marks a critical step in Syria's healing process. Forced displacement was among the deep wounds inflicted by the conflict, and return is critical to end years of suffering and ensure stabilization. “This is a once-in-a-generation chance to help end one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “But without urgent global backing, this window of hope will close. Syrians are ready to rebuild – the question is whether the world is ready to help them do it".
Rwanda
The Minister in Charge of Emergency Management witnessed the signing of an agreement to formalise the joint “Refugee Socio-Economic Graduation & Livelihood Opportunities in Rwanda” project between the European Union (EU), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP). This three-year project is designed to support 3,200 refugee families and 800 host community families to achieve greater selfreliance in meeting their basic needs.This project marks a significant step forward in implementing Rwanda’s Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (2025–2030), a landmark initiative that aims to help 50% of refugee households in Rwanda transition from dependence on humanitarian assistance to sustainable livelihoods by 2030.
Kenya
In the vast, wind-swept plains of northwestern Kenya, the Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei settlement stretch across the dry Turkana landscape. This temporary home has grown into a vibrant community of almost 310,000 people who have fled conflict, hunger, and uncertainty across the region.
However, life in Kakuma has become even more challenging in recent months. Cuts in humanitarian funding have reduced food rations, leading to growing food insecurity, heightened community tensions and increased protection risks. Many families now rely on small gardens, community support, and limited assistance to survive. Amid these challenges, daily life continues with remarkable determination. Markets buzz with trade, classrooms buzz with children’s voices and local radio stations broadcast messages of unity and hope.
Malawi
In a bid to improve literacy levels in the country, Mutharika has announced that tuition fees, examination fees, school development fees and fees for identity cards used during examinations have all been abolished.
"I also want to direct that no public school should be requesting learners to make contributions towards the School Development Fund and any other fees, except boarding fees," Mutharika added. Secondary school pupils in boarding schools will still need to pay boarding fees, which remain substantial. The move is expected to increase enrolment and lower the drop-out rate. Although the latter has improved significantly for primary education – from 11.7 percent in 2009 to 3.2 percent in 2018, according to the national education sector investment plan – retention remains a challenge.
Vietnam
The Ministry of Education and Training has drafted a plan that for the first time introduces structured AI learning across all levels of general schooling.
The ministry says the push reflects the speed and scale of technological change, with AI rapidly reshaping economies, labour markets and everyday life. The draft framework divides AI learning into four interconnected strands. It begins with human-centred thinking, underscoring that technology must ultimately serve people and teaching students how to identify real-world needs before judging whether an AI solution fits. A second strand focuses on ethics, equipping learners to recognise privacy risks, algorithmic bias and the legal and moral questions surrounding automated decision-making.
According to Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, Vietnam's education system must resist the urge to simply chase trends or speed of development. Instead, it must return to addressing fundamental human questions if it hopes to thrive in the new era.
On December 5, the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, in collaboration with UNICEF Vietnam and the British Council, hosted the 2025 National Education Science Conference themed “Education in the Era of National Transformation.” Speaking at the conference, professor Vinh emphasized that the question of what education must do in the new era cannot be a mere slogan.
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