Dr Barbara Ischinger will succeed Dr Barry McGaw as the new Director for Education at the OECD on 1 January 2006. The German, outgoing executive vice president for international affairs and public relations at Berlin’s Humboldt University, is not a newcomer to the field, holding a number of senior international positions relating to international co-operation and education.

While specialising in Europe, the US and Africa, she has experience in social development and reshaping academic curricula and professional training. She has held posts in UNESCO and as the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange, as well as publishing numerous papers on international relations and international higher education.