Dr. Robert Schware is Managing Director of the Global Learning Portal (GLP), supervising development of the GLP’s worldwide educator network, directing country-level engagement, and coordinating the development and expansion of the open GLP Alliance. Rob works with his diverse and talented staff to ensure that GLP and ICT activities in the field are aligned with national education goals and meet the expectations of donors. He leads outreach to alliance members including USAID, AED, and private foundations, strengthening existing partnerships and promoting new ones around IT and education. Rob works with GLP Alliance members to identify stakeholders, governance issues, and the education sector needs for an Africa Education Commons.
Prior to joining GLP, Rob managed the World Bank's largest portfolio of IT investments in the education, health, and public management sectors as Lead Informatics Specialist and e-Government Practice Group Leader of the Global Information and Communications Technology Department. He worked in the field on telecommunications reform and IT-related projects in East and South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East. He helped the Ministry of Education in Turkey establish its education portal and 5,000 IT classrooms with Internet connectivity and local software.
He helped found and co-chair the World Bank’s e-Development Services Thematic Group and is also a UNU-IIST (Macau) Senior Associate Development Fellow. He authored and co-authored such works as an Internet Toolkit Manual for Policy Makers in Africa, Information Technology and National Trade Facilitation Guide to Best Practice and Rural Applications of ICT in India, and papers on the impact of ICT in development agency projects and the sustainability of telecenters.
Rob received a PhD from the London School of Economics, and was a Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations. He also serves as Senior Consultant with the Global E Team, and is a UNU-IIST (Macau) Senior Associate Development Fellow. Rob is married, has three children, and is co-founder of the Give Back Yoga Foundation.