Dankert Vedeler is the Chair of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Governing Board and former Assistant Director General in the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, working on the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Agenda. Dankert has made contributions to Norway’s education system. He joined the ministry in the early 1990s, and implemented reforms of upper secondary education, specializing in the design of a large-scale in-service program for teachers and principals. To improve the program’s effectiveness, he also initiated with colleagues an independent formative research program.

In addition to national policy-making, Dankert took part in bringing two of the Europe Union’s education programs—Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci—to Norway. He plays a key role in the Education For All (EFA) movement launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

In 2014, he was elected Chair of the EFA Steering Committee. Together with Dr Qian Tang, chairman of the Yidan Prize’s advisory committee, they co-chaired the Drafting Group of the Incheon Declaration, which represents the global education community’s commitment to the Education 2030 agenda, calling for bold and urgent country-led action to transform lives through a new vision for education.