Times Higher Education has announced that it is to acquire the Education World Forum (EWF), the world’s largest gathering of education and skills ministers.
The deal was announced during the open plenary of the 2024 EWF, taking place at the QEII Centre in London, at which UK education secretary Gillian Keegan was due to deliver the opening address. In 2023 EWF hosted 120 education and skills ministers and the total is expected to be even higher this year.
The event was developed in 2004 with Charles Clarke, who was then the UK’s education secretary, and is now organised by Dominic Savage, the former director general of the British Education Suppliers Association. It comprises three days of sessions featuring policymakers and experts, with many sessions given by ministers themselves as part of an honest assessment of education’s common issues and challenges.
The event will join THE’s portfolio of events for education leaders, which include the flagship World Summit Series and Global Sustainable Development Congress.
Mr Savage, EWF’s director, and programme director Gavin Dykes will remain with the company under its new ownership.
Paul Howarth, THE’s chief executive, described EWF as an “unparalleled” event.
“It is with great pride, and an enormous sense of responsibility, that THE has taken on the mantle as the custodian of the Education World Forum,” Mr Howarth said.
“There is great pride because this is the world’s pre-eminent gathering of education ministers – the most prestigious and impactful education conference in the world. It is beyond doubt that the global collaboration and exchange of ideas that this event stimulates influence the lives of many millions of young people across the world for the better.
“And there is a sense of great responsibility too. Because we know how important it is to protect the special nature of this truly unique gathering, to preserve its legacy on its 20th anniversary, and to ensure we develop it for the next 20 years with care and respect for its traditions.”
The announcement comes after THE was honoured with the most prestigious prize for UK businesses, the King’s Awards for Enterprise. The accolade, in the international trade category, recognised the company’s growth from a UK policy magazine into a global higher education business working with universities, organisations and governments around the world.
Mr Savage said that he was “delighted that THE will take over the reins at EWF”.
“It was of paramount importance to us that we reached out to a company which recognises the unique nature of the forum and shares our values and objectives for its future,” he said.
“THE already has a brilliant history of developing global summits for the education sector, so I have no doubt that EWF is in good hands. I look forward to working together with THE on its future development.”
