Innovation Spotlight Reviewed • Published in Proceedings • Plenary Stage Presentation (10 min) | |
Purpose | A focused, high-impact presentation of a policy initiative, programme, or systemic intervention in digital education, TVET, or workforce development. Innovation Spotlights occupy the main plenary stage as part of the Curated Keynote Symposium and are reserved for contributions that demonstrate real-world reach, institutional mandate, and documented evidence of impact at scale. |
Eligibility | Submissions are open to national and regional government ministries; multilateral and intergovernmental organisations (e.g. UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, World Bank, African Development Bank, Commonwealth of Learning); regional bodies and national agencies; and universities or research consortia presenting findings from large-scale public programmes. Private sector organisations may submit only as formal partners of an eligible public or multilateral institution, with the public partner as lead presenter and the initiative operating under a public mandate or public funding. Purely commercial or promotional submissions will not be considered. |
Word count | Extended abstract: 800 – 1,200 words, structured as: (1) Problem or policy challenge addressed, (2) Initiative or programme description, (3) Evidence of reach and impact (data, evaluation, documented outcomes), (4) Scalability and transferability, (5) Relevance to EDvance Summit themes. |
Review process | Review by the Scientific Committee and Programme Committee jointly, with focus on institutional credibility, evidence quality, scale of reach, and fit with the conference day theme. Competition for the 9 available Spotlight slots (3 per day) is high; submissions are evaluated against the full pool. |
Presentation | 10-minute stage presentation as part of the Curated Keynote Symposium. Spotlight speakers also participate in the 30-minute Moderated Synthesis Dialogue following all spotlights on their conference day. Presenters must attend in person. |
Language | English. |
Proceedings | Extended abstract published in proceedings with DOI. Spotlight speakers are acknowledged in the conference programme by name, title, and institution. |
Review Criteria - Innovation Spotlights
Only 9 Spotlight slots are available across the three conference days. The committee selects submissions that best serve the plenary programme as a whole.
- Institutional mandate and credibility of the presenting organisation
- Scale and documented reach of the initiative (national, regional, or multi-country)
- Quality and credibility of the evidence base (data, evaluations, official reports)
- Policy relevance and potential to inform systemic change
- Transferability and lessons for other contexts
- Fit with the thematic focus of the relevant conference day
General Requirements
- Language: English only
- File format: PDF for initial submission; Microsoft Word (.docx) for camera-ready versions
- Font: Times New Roman 10pt, paper size 210x297mm, margins on all sides (see template)
- Line spacing: 1.2 for body text
- Referencing: APA 7th edition throughout
- Anonymisation: All submissions undergo blind review. Remove all author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and self-identifying references from the manuscript.
- Tables and figures: Numbered consecutively, with captions; referenced in the text; submitted at sufficient resolution (min. 300 dpi for images)
- Ethical considerations: Submissions reporting on human participants must confirm ethical approval or waiver in the methods section
Submission Structure
Innovation Spotlight (Extended abstract: 1000 – 1,500 words)
- Title (max. 12 words)
- Presenting organisation, country/region, and institutional type (not anonymised)
- Policy challenge or problem addressed
- Initiative or programme description
- Evidence of reach and impact (quantitative data, evaluation results, official reports)
- Scalability and transferability to other contexts
- Relevance to the EDvance Summit theme of the relevant conference day
- References (optional, max. 10)
Note: Innovation Spotlight submissions are not anonymised. The presenting organisation and lead presenter are identified in the submission form and, if accepted, in the conference programme.
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