From Policy to Practice: Rethinking Education Reform at Scale
On 19 May 2026, the School of Education at Sunway University had the privilege of hosting a masterclass by Prof. Fernando Reimers (Harvard University), titled “Why Education Reform Fails: Leadership, the Missing Middle and AI’s Potential.”
Held at the Chancellor’s Suite, the session brought together invited participants from across academia and professional networks for an in-depth and thought-provoking dialogue on one of the most pressing challenges in education today.
Key Reflections from the Masterclass
The session opened with a powerful question:
Is the failure of education reform really a failure of policy—or a failure of institutional leadership and implementation capacity?
Across the masterclass, several critical insights emerged:
- The implementation gap matters most
Reform is not defined by policy ambition alone—it is ultimately shaped by what is enacted in practice. - The ‘missing middle’ is central to success
District and mid-level actors serve as the connective tissue between policy and classrooms, yet are often under-resourced and underdeveloped. - Universities must step up as capacity institutions
Beyond teaching and research, universities play a vital role in building leadership, supporting systems, and sustaining reform efforts at scale. - AI is a leadership multiplier—not a shortcut
When used responsibly, AI can enhance learning, strengthen data use, and enable scalable capacity-building—but only within strong governance and ethical frameworks.
Moving Forward
A central takeaway from the session was clear:
The question is no longer whether ambitious reforms are needed—but whether we are building the institutional capacity to make them real.
The masterclass also reinforced the importance of coherence, leadership at all levels, and sustained partnerships between universities and education systems in driving meaningful and lasting change.
A Collaborative Effort
This session was made possible through the collaboration between Sunway University, the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), MACEE, and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.
We extend our sincere appreciation to Prof. Reimers and all participants for contributing to a rich and forward-looking conversation on the future of education reform.
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