The Expansion of Education in and Across International Organizations

Abstract

Abstract Today, international organizations (IOs) are significant actors that confront national education systems across the globe with data, standards, and norms. Beyond case studies of single IOs, however, we know little about how many and what types of IOs work on education policy. In this chapter, we examine how education as a policy field has spread across and within IOs. While education has always been a relevant issue for some IOs based on their mandate, others gradually adopt the topic for various reasons, for example, to promote economic growth. In this chapter, we examine the expansion of education as a field of IO activity and identify two major trends: economist IOs added education as a field to their portfolio, and education IOs with a regional focus flourished.