Education

My mother passed away 10 years ago; and she was always someone who pushed me to get educated, and to work on my academic side. She always made me remember that football could be temporary; what if I broke a leg? What if I lose my ability to play? She never wanted me to give-up my dreams, but to be smart and hedge my bets.

Manchester City Captain & Belgian Football Legend

If I could snap my fingers today and make every STEM program in the world into a STEAM program I would do it now. The idea that science, technology and mathematics are enough to build a world forgets the importance of the humanities.

CEO and Chairwoman of Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation

There was no single spark that got me into science. My parents were both scientists, so I was exposed to that world from an early age. I remember noticing that science was international – in our house in India, we would have visitors from many different countries and I found that fascinating.

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for Ribosome Structure Studies

There has been a pathetic failure of governments to invest in educating people about the rights that they hold and enjoy; I suspect because if people knew their rights, they would claim them and put the governments of the world under pressure.

Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

We are all creative beings, but we're brought up being told not to colour outside the lines – but why? It's OK to be different…. It's more than OK to be different, and we need to encourage that. Art has been the most freeing and therapeutic thing I can do.

Actress & #MeToo activist who exposed Harvey Weinstein harassment

I remember we used to have much better family ties too… parents very often lived with you, little children learned from the older generations, there was a deep personal link between generations… now? if I give advice to one of my grandchildren they laugh and say, 'oh my, you don't know about our lives today…'

Holocaust survivor and author, stepsister of Anne Frank

If you say 'I hate politics!' you are removing yourself from the public sphere, and are rejecting the ability to be a political subject. You are submitting yourself to a higher order, a powerful ruler…

Turkish journalist, author, and political commentator known for critical writings on democracy

This is nothing to do with the 0.000001% who go on to be professional fighters – it's about the 99.9% of people who train because they enjoy it, and connect with it – and who apply the lessons they've learned to deal with the setbacks, failures, victories, challenges and tests they're going to get in work and life.

Boxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin

I've been teaching for most of the last 40 years, and I've not come across a generation as dedicated to public service and the common good as my current generation of students. They will inherit the future, and I have great confidence that they know what they must do.

Labor Secretary & Economist; Leading Voice on Inequality

People are not born homophobic – or racist or misogynist. That's learned behaviour. This is why the current bid for LGBT-inclusive education in schools is so important.

Human rights activist & campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality and justice

You can go and build a schoolhouse in any village or community, but it will do nothing without impassioned and brilliant teachers. In many ways, the teacher is more important than the building because a good teacher can teach anywhere.

Director of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University

I recently heard from a woman in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo who said, 'until I met the IRC, I didn't know that rape was a crime… I didn't know rape was even a word…' that was immensely powerful.

British Labour Politician & Former Foreign Secretary

I should be just as excited to find out I was wrong as to prove I am right. Perhaps I should be even more excited about being wrong, because if I am always proving myself right, I'm just affirming my beliefs and not evolving them… and that's not learning at all, is it?

Organizational psychologist & bestselling author on work culture and human potential

What's unnerving is that when students learn about this character (rational economic man), over time they begin to value self-interest and competition over altruism and collaboration. These models are performative. When we say rational economic man, we become more like him. Who we tell ourselves we are, shapes who we become…

Creator of the Doughnut Economics framework for sustainable development

We fear the unknown, but the less you know about something the more knowledge there is to gain, and hence the less afraid you will be. When you understand a situation and are fully prepared having analysed the risks and mitigated them- you may well still be apprehensive, and that's normal.

British Astronaut & ISS Expedition Commander

The process of problem definition is a discipline that we rarely teach or learn. It is one of the most important things that we can invest our time in.

Chief Innovation Officer of the White House & Open Government Advocate