ESSA Newsletter: March 2026

From conference stages to the launch of research chairs, March was a busy month for the ESSA team. Here's a roundup of what we've been up to:

ESSA at CIES 2026 – San Francisco

Our team is hosting a panel session titled "Promoting the Visibility of Education Research in a Context of Fragile Peace" at the 70th CIES Conference, sharing African-led insights from the African Centre for School Leadership and the HERI AFRICA project.

Celebrating Women Researchers – International Women's Day

We spotlighted women driving education research across Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia through our Early Childhood Development and Foundational Learning projects, implemented jointly with the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX)

HERI Africa Research Chair Launch – University of Embu, Kenya

On the International Day of Mathematics, the University of Embu launched a Research Chair in Mathematics Education, part of the HERI Africa initiative, implemented by a consortium that includes ESSA, with a bold goal of raising African education research productivity from 3% to 30% by 2050.

Strengthening Execution with McKinsey.org

As ESSA marks its 10th anniversary, we are participating in McKinsey.org's Ability to Execute (A2E) Essentials programme alongside partners including Dignitas Project, Education Africa, Funda Wande, and Mizizi Elimu Afrika.

ESSA at the Africa Universities Summit 2026 – Nairobi

Our Research Policy Manager for East Africa, Daniel Omanyo, moderated a workshop on graduate outcomes at the Times Higher Education Africa Universities Summit, building on ESSA's Employability: Systems Change Programme.

ESSA at Kenya's Inaugural National Foundational Learning Conference – Mombasa

We joined national and county leaders, state agencies, and partners at Kenya's first-ever National Foundational Learning Conference to strengthen evidence-to-action dialogue and accelerate early-grade learning reforms.

Increasing the Visibility of African Research

An ESSA-supported ECD researcher in Malawi is sharing findings from their study in an online dissemination session on 2nd April 2026. The grants were delivered in partnership with the REAL Centre and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and GPE KIX.

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