Rethinking Digital Transformation in Education: Inclusion as an Ongoing Process in LAC

Currently, Alejandra Cardini is the Acting Head of Office and Coordinator of the Knowledge Generation and Mobilization team at the IIEP-UNESCO Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. She leads various areas and programmes of the office, developing strategic alliances and managing human and financial resources. She is also responsible for the knowledge production and dissemination strategy through the development of research and the Information System on Educational Trends in Latin America (SITEAL), the Regional Forum on Educational Policy, and the Network of Specialists in Educational Policy.

She has extensive experience in research projects, advisory roles, and educational policy advocacy. She served as the Director of the Education Programme at the Centre for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) and led the education theme in Think 20, a G20 affinity group focused on public policy recommendations, from 2018 to 2022. She conducted research at the University of Buenos Aires, the University of San Andrés, and the Centre for Critical Education Policy Research (University of London). She worked for the Ministry of Education of the Argentine Republic, collaborating with provincial ministries on educational planning. As a teacher, she has taught at the primary level and, as a professor, in master's programmes in educational policy (at the Institute of Education, University of London; Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago de Chile; the Inter-Institutional Doctorate in Education [UNTREF, UNLA, and UNSAM]; Universidad de San Andrés; and Universidad Austral).

She holds a Primary School Teacher qualification from the Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas Sofía Esther Broquen de Spangenberg.

Laura Stipanovic co-leads in the development of advocacy partnerships and events strategies. She managed the consultation process of the 2023 GEM Report on technology in education and currently leads on advocacy, outreach and dissemination activities for the global report, and the gender, youth, and regional editions. Her work focuses on strengthening stakeholder engagement in the development of the Report and its workstreams and in growing the coalition of advocacy partners to improve the resonance of and policy dialogue around the Report’s messages and recommendations at global, regional, and national levels.

Laura also supports the outreach and dissemination efforts of the GEM Report particularly for Spanish speaking audiences. She re-joined the GEM Report in 2018 to oversee the development of the 2020 GEM Report on inclusion and education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since then, she has been working closely with partners across the region and has been leading in the overall communication efforts of the GEM Report in Spanish.

Prior to joining the GEM Report, Laura held research and communications positions in Bogota, Geneva, Paris, and Washington. She worked on issues related to migration and conflict resolution, inclusion, and philanthropy for development at the OECD Development Centre, UNESCO, and the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva. Laura holds a research master on Political Studies from l’École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris, a Bachelor on Political Science and History from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota and professional certifications on conflict resolution and French studies from American University in Washington and the Sorbonne University in Paris.