Education in a Post-USAID World: Reimagining Sustainable K–12 and Higher Education Systems

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Education, Democracy, and Epistemic Justice in a Changing Global Order

Proposal

For more than sixty years, USAID was a cornerstone of international education assistance, policy making, and thought leadership in both the K–12 and higher education sectors. In basic education, USAID drove global policy reform, financing large-scale literacy programs, teacher training, curriculum reform, and systems strengthening, while also investing in secondary and postsecondary initiatives that built research capacity, professional networks, and academic exchanges. The Agency’s sudden elimination in 2025 represents a profound turning point for the sector, leaving a vacuum for its bilateral and multilateral counterparts, and for partner countries that relied heavily on USAID programming to improve access, equity, and learning outcomes for millions of students around the globe.
This roundtable, led by a former USAID Education Officer with 17 years of experience across USAID Missions in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, will explore the implications of this shift. Central questions include: What does the absence of USAID mean for the global education community? How can countries sustain progress in K–12 learning outcomes while continuing to build pathways through higher education and workforce development? What alternative strategies are emerging to fill the gaps in financing, technical expertise, and convening power once provided by USAID?
In the spirit of the CIES 2026 theme, this session will also consider the political and social consequences of USAID’s departure. Education has long been positioned not only as a driver of learning and economic growth but also as a foundation for stability and social cohesion in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. With USAID’s exit, how can partner countries safeguard inclusive education systems that promote peace in increasingly divided societies?

Authors

• Sarah Banashek, Independent Expert

• Siena Fleischer, Association of State Colleges & Universities

• Kate Maloney, Program Manager