Anna Vignoles
Director of the Leverhulme Trust,
Formerly Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge, I am the Director of the Leverhulme Trust and an economist of education. I’m an economist of education, which means I apply economic principles to the study of education. I do lots of work on trying to understand the effectiveness of different education systems, of understanding the causes of inequality in our education systems, and I try to come up with practical solutions to how we can narrow these inequalities.
EXPs by Anna Vignoles
We think of education as an investment because when you invest in more education, you gain skills that are valuable in the labour market.
Education systems are unequal in most societies around the world in that we see big gaps in achievement levels.
Assessment and formative feedback so that the child knows what they're doing wrong and learns from their mistakes are vital for improving academic achievement.
Research drives human progress, but its greatest breakthroughs often begin without a clear destination or immediate application. Blue-skies research, intellectual risk-taking and crossing disciplinary boundaries are a necessary “leap of faith” in the pursuit of knowledge.
Research is never a solitary endeavour: behind every discovery lies a community of researchers, technicians, support staff and institutions. Supporting people, collaboration and intellectual freedom is what ultimately makes great research possible.
Universities face growing financial pressure, public scepticism and a flood of misinformation. Research must engage the public, strengthen critical thinking and provide rigorous evidence to inform — rather than dictate — public debate.