Who produces global education policy knowledge? Comparing author networks of UNESCO, OECD, and World Bank publications

• In Event: Demystifying knowledge production and transfer in education policy

Proposal

Knowledge has become an integral part of today’s education governance. Particularly, knowledge generated by intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as UNESCO, OECD, and the World Bank has significant epistemological and instrumental power and influence in international education. In the past decades, IGOs have employed various mechanisms of knowledge production, management, and transmission to strengthen their legitimacy and authority (Littoz-Monnet, 2017; Zapp, 2020). At the same time, IGOs and their expertise are often criticized for drawing knowledge dominantly from a particular discipline (e.g., economics for the World Bank) and mostly from actors and organizations based in the Global North (Menashy & Read, 2016). However, while scholars have investigated what constitutes and who generates global education policy knowledge, there has been a lack of comparative analysis between different IGOs. Understanding the similarities and differences between the producers of the UNESCO, OECD, and World Bank knowledge helps identify the knowledge base unique to each IGO and critically reflects on their policy impact.

This study examines who produces global education policy knowledge by examining the authorship of the UNESCO, OECD, and World Bank publications. The criteria for the selected publications include: (1) on the theme of education, (2) published by the respective organization, (3) published between 2012-2022, (4) lists individual authors, and (5) contains empirical knowledge (excluding meeting notes, newsletters, etc.). The electronic publications are accessed via UNESCO Digital Library, OECD iLibrary, and World Bank Open Knowledge Repository. The presentation will compare author characteristics, such as the type and location of current institutional affiliation, disciplinary background, and career stage, between the IGO publications. Furthermore, it will discuss the relationships within and between the networks of each IGO.

Drawing on the theoretical concepts of policy networks (Börzel, 1998; Rhodes & Marsh, 1992; Stone, 2013) and epistemic communities (Cross, 2012; Haas, 1992), the presentation aims to not only demystify knowledge and expertise generated by IGOs but also allow us to uncover hierarchies and power inequalities in global education governance. In addressing the CIES 2024 theme, “The Power of Protest,” this study advances existing research by critically reflecting on and challenging how global education policy knowledge and expertise are constructed and disseminated.

Author

• Chanwoong Baek, Geneva Graduate Institute & NORRAG