Andreas Schleicher

Andreas Schleicher is a prominent figure in global education policy, serving as director for education and skills and special adviser on education policy to the secretary-general at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. A German mathematician and statistician by training, Schleicher studied physics in Hamburg before earning a Master of Science degree in mathematics and statistics from Deakin University in Australia. His academic background in quantitative disciplines provides a data-driven approach to examining and reforming education systems worldwide.

Schleicher is recognized as the architect of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international benchmarking tool that has shaped how governments evaluate and understand their education systems. He initiated and oversees PISA, as well as other major international instruments including the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) and the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). PISA has expanded from an assessment involving a few of the world's wealthiest nations to a global platform for educational reform, including more than 40 non-OECD member countries. Before joining the OECD, Schleicher served as director for analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA), where he also worked as international coordinator for the IEA Reading Literacy Study.

Throughout his career, Schleicher has collaborated with ministers and education leaders across more than 70 countries to improve quality and equity in education. He has received numerous honors, including the Theodor Heuss prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for democratic engagement. Schleicher holds an honorary professorship at the University of Heidelberg and is an international fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Schleicher is also an author and public intellectual. His book, "World Class: How to Build a 21st-Century School System," presents global research and policy experience, advocating for education reform as a science-based endeavor. His work addresses the evolving role of artificial intelligence in education, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, problem-solving, and competency-based learning to prepare students for a changing world. Fluent in German, English, Italian, and French, Schleicher brings a global perspective to education policy and reform.