Maria-Rafaela Kaldi, CEID class of 2020                                                            Nationality: Greek                                                                                                                  Current Position: Education Policy and Research Consultant at the Global  Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, UNESCO

I have been working as a research consultant at the Global Monitoring (GEM) Report since November 2020, three months following the completion of my CEID master’s degree. As a consultant, I have the flexibility to work remotely from Athens (where I’m from), and travel to the office in Paris every few months for big team meetings or events. My position at GEM is largely research-based; I am the lead author of one of the chapters for the upcoming GEM Report on technology in education and am now working on a chapter for the upcoming regional report on Southeast Asia. I also work as part of the PEER team, where I draft country profiles based on a review of national education laws, policies and programs on issues central to achieving SDG4  on the PEER website.

My CEID master’s degree and connections I made during my time at Edinburgh were central in being offered a position at GEM (so much so that it surprised me)! I was first introduced to the topic of low-fee private schools through a talk by expert Joanna Härmä which was organized during the first semester. I was immediately intrigued by the issue, dedicated two or three assignments to exploring it further, and finally decided to pursue it for my dissertation, where I had the space to properly dive in and explore the nuances and gaps that existed. I was lucky enough to have Joanna as my supervisor, one of the key experts on the issue of low-fee private schools globally. Once I had completed my dissertation, Joanna decided to send it to her former colleagues at the GEM Report, which were preparing the very relevant 2021/2 GEM Report on non-state actors in education during that time. It was through that important connection and great recommendation on Joanna’s part that I eventually got offered a role as a research consultant on the team, assisting in the preparation of the 2021/2 report.

Before starting my work with GEM, our program coordinator Will Smith, which knew of my work and interest in this area, also introduced me to Alice Beste, the coordinator of the Privatization in Education and Human Rights Consortium (PEHRC), who was looking for a fellow to support PEHRC’s work. Following this initial introduction and an interview where I shared my work on low-fee private schools and public-private partnerships developed during my degree, I was offered a position as a part-time fellow for one year, where I was exposed to the inner workings and most recent developments in the field, while meeting inspiring and dedicated people all across the world that were advocating for issues I strongly believed in.

I am well aware my journey had a big element of luck involved (which of course is out of our control and can often make or break a situation), but I think it can also serve as an example of how important connections can be in this field, how far a good recommendation can go to get your foot in the door, and how to use the crazy amount of work you did for your dissertation to your benefit. Getting your foot in the door is often the most challenging part, so try and use all the connections, knowledge, and events the CEID community offers to your benefit. Being part of the CEID community does not end after you complete your degree – so continue participating, be curious, critical, passionate, and above all – active!