The Education and Youth Employment portfolio at Busara researches effective ways to support youths in the Global South to achieve success in the workforce. We strengthen both their ability and willingness to seize a range of labor market opportunities, from full-time formal employment to less traditional options, such as entrepreneurship, agriculture, or work in the gig economy. Our research is conducted in collaboration with key partners, including the Gates Foundation, Global Schools Forum, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa, UNESCO MGIEP, and UNICEF.

Examples of research questions we seek to answer include: How can we motivate teachers in Zambia to use more effective teaching methods, thereby increasing literacy and numeracy? How can we encourage youths in Kenya to engage in self-directed work to improve their livelihoods? Our team possesses the skills and contextual knowledge to carry out this research; we are based in Kenya, India, and Nigeria, and come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, such as economics, policy, sociology, and statistics.