Aanya Niaz is an influential leader in smart AI design and adoption, currently pursuing her PhD on the role of AI in learning at the University of Cambridge. She has shaped global education - Aanya has led the development of Pakistan's premier English as a Foreign Language curriculum for pre-primary grades with The Citizens Foundation, contributed to international education policies with the OECD, taught with Teach For America in New York and Raise The Children in South Africa, and advised on a range of education policy and practitioner initiatives, including with USAID.

In early 2025, Aanya was nominated for AfroTech's 50 Influencers in Tech, recognising her impact at the intersection of innovation and equity. She was also featured on BAM Radio in a segment titled "How a New Genre of Creative Collaborations is Closing the Education Divide." Later this month, Carvd N Stone will publish a spotlight on her leadership and innovation journey.

Aanya is the founder of The Maple Group, a dedicated network of education leaders bridging the gap between researchers and practitioners. She holds an MSc in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford and a double-major BA in Global Development and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. She is also the Global Education Equity Leader at Amazon Web Services, where she spearheaded and now leads their $100 million commitment of technology to organizations building learning solutions globally.



First published: 29 July 2025

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Dates: 2nd to 4th October 2024 at the Advanced Research Centre and online

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