With UNESCO’s 2026 version of its flagship Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report launched this week, we took a moment to connect with CEID Alumni Michael Cairney and Emily Goldstein who have been contributing behind the scenes. As the inaugural Moray House-GEM Report interns Michael and Emily are near the completion of their six month internships with the GEM Report. We asked them each five questions about their experience at the GEM Report, UNESCO, and in Paris!
What have been your overall responsibilities or activities with the GEM Report?
EG: As an intern, I have been fully integrated into the GEM team, carrying out the same research and advocacy activities as staff members. The team has put a lot of trust in us to independently deliver rigorous inputs while also providing support and mentorship where needed.
MC: I’ve been mostly working with the Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews (PEER) which is a massive database containing profiles on every single country, which underpins the findings of the report. It’s a marvellous research resource and updating it is a mammoth undertaking. Working on the profiles involves a lot of research and communication with local experts.
How have you contributed to the 2026 GEM Report?
EG: One of the most exciting projects I’ve contributed to the 2026 GEM Report was drafting a country case study evaluating contextual factors that affected education completion. I have also interviewed students, parents, and activists all over the world to provide stories that emphasize the human impact of education policies. The majority of my time has been spent developing PEER profiles, documenting equity measures in education finance systems and verifying data used for analysis.
MC: I’ve written profiles, contributed some paragraphs for the report and DJed for the Christmas party. I’ve also spent a lot of time puzzling out anomalies on spreadsheets.
What has been the most illuminating or surprising part of your work at the GEM Report?
EG: The UNESCO name goes a long way in opening doors. Whether interviewing a mother of a student with disabilities for a research profile or networking with experts in the development field, it’s amazing how many people are willing to share their time and perspectives with you when you’re working with UNESCO. Being part of the organization has also provided access to a plethora of events and learning materials.
MC: I had no idea it would be so close to the centre of Paris! A view of the Eiffel tower from the window! The building itself is a mid-century modern classic. It was also great to be given so much responsibility early on.
What are the other benefits you’d enjoyed as part of your internship experience?
EG: It’s been an immense learning opportunity to peek behind the scenes and see the real processes of data analysis and reporting at an international institution that we studied in CEID. Statistics and country comparisons take on a whole different meaning when you see how they are made, and there’s no better way to learn than jumping into the fray.
MC: Being at UNESCO is a great way to see how these international systems operate. I attended a Global Citizenship Education awards ceremony and learned vastly more from a few chats than I could from looking at the website. There’s nothing like human connection.
Anything else you’d like to add?
EG: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another outstanding benefit which is access to all of the delectable pastries of Paris.
MC: Big thanks to the Korean delegation for the cookery lesson!
