Celebrating 10 years of the REAL Centre: A decade of learning together
In 2015, the REAL Centre was launched with a clear mission: to promote evidence to improve education systems by focusing on those most likely to be left behind. A decade later, through meaningful collaboration with our partners, the Centre has fulfilled—and exceeded—that ambition. Our collaborations have been key for ensuring this collective evidence has an impact on policy and practice.
On 12 June 2025, the REAL Centre hosted a conference to celebrate a decade of impact, evidence and partnerships. We are grateful to everyone for making the 10-year anniversary conference such a success and a memorable event.
This page summarises some of the discussions and outputs from the conference that celebrated a decade of learning, and invites us to look forward to what comes next for the REAL Centre as well as for the global education community more widely.
This illustration by Paola Rozo summarises some of the key points from the conference discussions.
Conference agenda and themes
Opening keynote addresses
Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia and the first, and only, woman to serve in that role. Julia Gillard also opened the REAL Centre Launch in June 2015. She highlighted how the global education landscape has shifted dramatically in the last decade and how we must continue to advocate for data and evidence to support policy.
Professor Tassew Woldehanna
Professor Tassew Woldehanna, former President of Addis Ababa University. Tassew highlighted some of the learning from our long-running RISE Ethiopia programme.
This blog summarises highlights from the opening panel, and includes a link to the video:
A decade of learning, a future of inclusion: The REAL Centre’s journey
Panel discussions
- Teachers at the centre of equitable learning
Read the highlights; Watch the video - Changing norms, changing futures: Evidence and action for gender equality and social inclusion
Read the highlights; Watch the video - Advancing inclusive education: moving beyond tokenism
Read the highlights; Watch the video - Decolonisation, climate and conflict
Read the highlights; Watch the video - Where next?
Read highlights from the panel discussion; Watch the video
Shaping the next 10 years and beyond - A summary illustration
In addition to the panel discussion, conference participants contributed further ideas for shaping the next 10 years and beyond. This is captured in a summary illustration by Paola Rozo.
A decade of REAL Centre research
The Faculty of Education published a celebratory feature with highlights and publications from many of the REAL Centre’s collaborations over the last decade:
10 years of the REAL Centre: Tackling injustices in and through education
Memories of a decade of mutual learning
In the lead up to the June 2025 conference, we asked partners, students, staff and friends to send in their memories of their engagement with the REAL Cenre.
We were humbled to receive nearly 60 extremely thoughtful quotes, and a couple of hundred photos! These were displayed at the conference and were a highlight during the coffee breaks. We worked with Paola Rozo to summarise these soundbites into a visual Memory Wall illustration. You can also view this in a short video.
Our 2025 conference celebrates our journey since our launch 10 years ago. You can watch highlights of the launch event from June 2015 below:
REAL Centre launch in collaboration with CAMFED
The need for the REAL Centre is pressing. It will make a difference in helping us to understand what works to make education more equitable. It will generate much light to educate every child, including every girl. The REAL Centre will be one of real achievement.
You can also read about our launch event in a University of Cambridge news article: Cambridge gets REAL about overcoming obstacles to global education.
