Serigne Mbaye Thiam

The Vice Chair assists the Chair to manage the governance of GPE and is a counsellor to both the Chair and CEO.

Serigne Mbaye Thiam, Minister of Education of Senegal, was named Vice-Chair of the Global Partnership for Education in June 2018. Minister Thiam tells us why education is important in his country and around the world, and why he thinks GPE is the right organization to help developing countries achieve their education goals.

Serigne Mbaye Thiam, Minister for Water and Sanitation and former Minister of National Education in Senegal, was selected as Vice Chair by the Board of Directors in May 2018. Between January 2013 and December 2014, Minister Thiam had been a member of the GPE Board, representing the Africa 2 constituency, which includes 18 francophone countries. Between February 2014 and December 2015, he was the chair of the Governance, Ethics, Risk and Finance Committee.

Minister Thiam held various civil service positions in Senegal since 1996, including as Deputy and Minister of Higher Education and Research. He also worked extensively in the private sector, consulting, accounting and corporate finance and serving as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at the Autonomous Port of Dakar between 1987 and 1998. Minister Thiam is also the President of UNESCO’s National Commission for Senegal and represents his country on UNESCO’s Executive Board.