Dr. Asyia Kazmi
2026
CEO of WISE

Dr. Asyia Kazmi, OBE is the CEO of WISE – the World Innovation
Summit for Education (WISE) is a Qatar Foundation initiative that
drives innovation, research, and policy to address global
education challenges.
Prior to joining Qatar Foundation, Asyia served as the Global
Education Policy Lead at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
where she focused on effective instructional practices, education
advocacy, edtech and AI.
She has held senior roles in three UK Government departments:
as a Senior Education Adviser in DFID, a Project Director in the
Department for Education, and a Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector at Ofsted, where she
inspected schools, local authorities, and teacher education programs, and trained
headteachers and inspectors.
Asyia holds a Master’s in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London,
a Doctorate in Education from the Institute of Education, University College London,
and two PGCEs—one in mathematics teaching and another in leadership development
and educational consulting.
She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2022 New Year’s Honors List for her services to
education, particularly girls’ education.