Our Collective
Fora Education is a collective of independent consultants who conduct work on behalf of ForaEd but also pursue their own projects and employment with other firms and agencies.
Fora Education is managed by CEO Dr. Matt Schuelka.
Matthew Schuelka, PhD
Founder and CEO
Dr. Matt Schuelka is a technical consultant, researcher, evaluator, writer, and teacher. He has experience at all levels of education, from kindergarteners to graduate students, and has lived and worked in numerous countries worldwide. He has worked in higher education since 2010, having taught at the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Royal Thimphu College, the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, and the University of Birmingham (UK and Dubai campuses). He is the author or editor of numerous books, chapters, and articles. Dr. Schuelka has been the primary investigator for large-scale international research projects funded by the Toyota Foundation, the European Union, UKAid, and the British Academy; as well as a consultant with numerous agencies, including USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank.
Dr. Schuelka has a wide range of international experiences. He has worked on projects in Europe (UK, Ireland, Croatia, Denmark), Sub-Saharan Africa (Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Sierra Leone), the Middle East and North Africa (UAE, Lebanon, Algeria), North America and the Caribbean (USA, Jamaica), and Asia (Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka).
Associates
Ghada Swadek, PhD
Dr. Ghada Swadek is an education consultant supporting schools, NGOs, and international project teams in developing, implementing, and improving programs for diverse learners. She has worked, coordinated, and volunteered in formal and informal education contexts in the United States and North Africa including religious and weekend education programs, community preschool, post-secondary disability support services, inclusive community-based education and sports programs, and homeschool programs. Her work also includes direct support to families of children with disabilities. Dr. Swadek is an experienced educator with expertise working with students with disabilities and struggling learners from diverse backgrounds and contexts. She has expertise in the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support to enhance learners’ academic and social-emotional development, disability-inclusive education policy development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), SDG 4 implications for inclusive education, literacy development, and reading disabilities in Arabic language contexts, and assessment as related to students with disabilities.
Nisma Elias, PhD
Dr. Nisma Elias is a researcher, evaluator, teacher, and writer. She has worked within the international education space since 2013. Dr. Elias has worked at all levels of education and on education programming in the private sector, in government, and in academia. She has experience working with consulting agencies such as Results for Development (R4D), large multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, and within the Ministry of Education of Zanzibar. She has authored several chapters and articles on social inclusion, private schooling, and education systems strengthening. Dr. Elias has experience teaching in higher education at the University of Minnesota and primary school in Bangladesh. She has served as an evaluation consultant for UNICEF and has worked on developing, implementing, researching, and evaluating education projects in Tanzania, Nepal, Bangladesh, Canada, and the United States.
