Naser Faruqui

Naser Faruqui is the Director of Education and Science at IDRC where he leads a global team that helps vulnerable children and adults benefit from high-quality education and strong science systems in which women emerge as leaders, producing essential knowledge and innovations. Naser holds an Executive MBA from Queen’s University, a Master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Ottawa, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. His areas of expertise include education, water management, urban development, and climate change, science and innovation systems in developing countries, science diplomacy, open science, and digital innovations for improving education, entrepreneurship, and governance. Naser oversees programs such as the Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI), the Artificial Intelligence for Development in Africa (AI4D), and the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) program in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education. He is the chief architect of IDRC’s Open Access to Research Outputs Policy and Chairs IDRC’s Open Data Working Group. He has published widely, most recently on science, innovation, and AI.