Political leaders from Asia to the Middle East and from Latin America to Africa regularly state that education is central to their development strategies. Without quality education, tomorrow’s youth will not be able to access the global economy; good jobs will prove more elusive; and political instability will likely follow. Creative education policies and strategies, especially those that bridge the “technology divide,” are needed to empower young people to become significant drivers of global change. How can we provide the world’s youth with the educational and job opportunities that will allow them to compete in a globalized world? What role will technology play in addressing the global need for quality education, and can it help bridge the divide between rich and poor nations?

Craig R. Barrett is the retired chief executive officer/chairman of the board of Intel Corporation. He joined Intel in 1974, holding a variety of senior positions before ultimately becoming chief executive officer. He served until June 2009 as chairman of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development. He cochairs Achieve, Inc., is president and chairman of the board at BASIS Schools, Inc., and is a member of the board of directors of Society for Science and the Public. Barrett serves on the advisory board of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and served on the Clinton Global Initiative Education Advisory Board. Barrett was recently appointed by President Obama as one of the private sector leaders for a national education science, technology, engineering and math STEM initiative now known as Change the Equation. He served on the faculty of Stanford University in the department of materials science and engineering from 1964 to 1974, and is the author of over forty technical papers and a textbook on materials science. Barrett earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

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