Tufoua Panapa was born, raised and educated in Tuvalu. He was a teacher by profession, and had acted as deputy principal and principal in school. A great local educator that lies his interest in the areas of Geography, History, Culture, Development, Behavior Management, Educational Leadership and Teaching. In 2008, Dr. Panapa obtained his Master in Educational Leadership from the University of Canberra. In 2014 he graduated from the University of Auckland with a doctorate degree in Development Studies. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports in Tuvalu.