Ed Lawless

Executive Director, Learning & Innovation - Pre-University Education - The Qatar Foundation

My 35-year career has spanned four continents and multiple curricula in both state and independent schools around the world. I am passionate about reimagining education under flexible and sustainable learning conditions that increase educational access and opportunity for all. I have served as the inaugural Head of Professional Development for the International Baccalaureate’s Asia Pacific Region and the Founding Principal and Chief Academic Officer for Pamoja Education, an Oxford-based edtech organisation working in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate. Today, I am the Founding Director of The Centre for Innovation (CFI), a Tokyo-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a gateway to global education innovation in Japan. With its own digital learning environment, CFI works with key partners to support the Japanese Ministry of Education’s (MEXT) agenda for education innovation, particularly in fostering learner inquiry, agency and collaboration. I have recently been appointed as a member of the Japanese Ministry’s Consortium for Promotion of IB Education in Japan, where I play a key support role in public relations, resource development and online network development.