Aigly Zafeirakou

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT AIGLY ZAFEIRAKOU

Senior Education Technical Advisor | Foundational Learning | Program Design | Results-Based & Innovative FinancingI am an education specialist with 20+ years of experience designing and implementing education programs in low- and middle-income countries, primarily through the World Bank and other major development partners. My work centers on improving human capital outcomes by translating scientific evidence into practical, scalable teaching and learning solutions. A strong track record in program design and results-based financing mechanisms with multilateral development banks to support national education reforms. Governments and partners recognize me as a trusted advisor for driving contextualized, evidence-based change and building sustainable, country-led systems.I have led national capacity-building and reform scale-up efforts in Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Benin. The Côte d’Ivoire foundational learning program (World Bank, 2022) achieved promising results and became a reference point in the region, supporting study tours and cross-country learning across Sub-Saharan Africa. Strengthening national teams is central to my approach, ensuring ownership, institutionalization, and long-term sustainability.My current work focuses on expanding applied research on foundational learning implementation to provide governments with timely, actionable evidence.Beyond my World Bank portfolio, I have advised the Gates Foundation, Chemonics, GPE (as Senior Education Specialist), UNICEF, UNESCO, OECD, and the EU, working across diverse regions. Earlier in my career, I served as an assistant professor at Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.I hold a PhD in Teacher Education & Professional Development (Paris West University Nanterre La Défense) and have authored multiple publications on education reform and implementation.