Investment in Global Education: A Strategic Imperative For Business

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Executive Summary (excerpt)

The 21st century is marked by global interconnections. People, capital, information and goods all flow across borders at ever-increasing rates. By 2030, not only will emerging market economies contribute 65 percent of the global GDP but they will also be home to the majority of the world’s working age population. As national and international businesses increasingly compete for the best graduates in emerging market economies, skilled young people are rapidly migrating from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to provide much needed talent in the face of aging workforces in Europe and North America.

It is clear that the skills and talents of youth in the global south will be the engines of the world’s future growth and prosperity. But, critically, an education crisis in these regions threatens this very possibility. In too many locations, parents and governments are unable to provide young people with a quality education and existing international assistance programs are not coming close to addressing the magnitude of the problem. A quality education for all young people, especially those in the global south, is a good for which there is a global public interest and it is time to ensure that all that benefit from it can play a role in ensuring its provision.