Our Collective

Fora Education is a global collective of independent consultants who conduct work on behalf of ForaEd but also pursue their own projects and employment with other firms and agencies.

Fora Education is managed by Dr. Matt Schuelka.

Geographic Areas of Experience and Expertise

South Asia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal

Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

East Asia

China, Japan

Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Eastern Europe

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Georgia, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine

Western Europe

Denmark, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Sub-Saharan Africa

Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Zambia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Jamaica

North America

United States of America

Language Expertise

English, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bangla, Creole, Dzongkha, French, Italian, Javanese, Nepali, Russian

Meet the Team

Matthew Schuelka, PhD

FOUNDER & CEO
Nisma Elias, PhD

ASSOCIATE
Kate Lapham, PhD

ASSOCIATE
Anwari Nur Muttaqin, MEd

ASSOCIATE
Ghada Swadek, PhD

ASSOCIATE
Kate Thomas, MA

ASSOCIATE
Anick Tolbize-Azie, PhD

ASSOCIATE

Read our bios

Affiliates

Associate
Shiba Bagale is a development professional, educator, and researcher with deep expertise in gender studies, inclusive education, climate change, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) from Nepal. She is pursuing a PhD in Gender Studies at Tribhuvan University and holds an M.Phil in Development Studies and an M.Ed in Environment Education from Kathmandu University.
With over a decade of experience, Shiba has served as a trainer at the Training Institute for Technical Instruction (TITI), a consultant to various national and international organisations, and an evaluator of development projects across Nepal. Her work spans project planning, monitoring and evaluation, training, and policy development. She has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed journals and has published books on GEDSI climate change, education and training practices.
Associate
Dr. Tara N. Poudel is an experienced practitioner in Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptive Management. He has extensive expertise in project design and development, monitoring and evaluation, large-scale assessments, and policy discourse at various levels. He has experience across all levels of education.
Dr. Poudel has working experience with national and international development agencies, including Chemonics International Inc., DAI Global LLC, Itad Inc., Bixal Solutions Inc., RTI International, Oxfam GB, and Save the Children International. He has significant experience collaborating with Nepal's Ministry of Education for education programs and the Ministry of Federal Affairs on governance initiatives. Additionally, he has worked as an employee and/or consultant with bilateral and multilateral organizations such as USAID, KOICA, FCDO, the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, SDC, and other UN agencies in various capacities.
An expert in gender and social inclusion, Dr Poudel specializes in inclusive approaches for project design, research, and evaluations. He has extensive proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. He has contributed to projects across Nepal, Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Turkey.