About
Faith Abiodun is an educator, writer, and architect of institutions. As Executive Director of United World Colleges, he leads one of the world’s most consequential education movements.
Speaking at the House of Lords, London, October 2024
Faith Abiodun is an education and social enterprise leader, international affairs analyst, writer and speaker. As Executive Director of the United World Colleges (UWC) International, he leads a global movement of 175 organisations dedicated to making education a force for peace and sustainability.
From 2012-2020, Faith served in several leadership roles at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, helping to develop the next generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders for the continent. As a senior executive, he was responsible for recruiting the most talented young leaders from across Africa and beyond, building ALA’s global brand and developing strategic partnerships with governments, corporates, foundations and schools. He also founded the ALA Model African Union, an annual conference through which more than 1,500 young leaders from 58 countries cultivated diplomatic leadership skills.
“Do the most what you do the best.”
Earlier in his career, Faith was a journalist with The Guardian and a radio host with Diamond FM in Nigeria, and he provided socio-political commentary for global news outlets like the BBC and South African Broadcasting Corporation over a decade. In 2009, he founded The Speech Academy – an elocution and public speaking institution, and in 2016, he founded Future Africa - a public sector leadership organization with a network of emerging leaders in more than 30 African countries. Previously, he worked in Corporate Communications at the Bi-Courtney Group and served a sabbatical stint with the international secretariat of Catalyst 2030, a coalition of the world’s leading social enterprises advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Today, Faith serves in a range of board and advisory roles, supporting the development of transformational organisations globally. He is the inaugural Chair of the International Baccalaureate’s Education Systems Advisory Council and he also serves on the advisory councils and Boards of organisations such as Teach for All, United World College of the Adriatic, News Decoder and The ONE Campaign's UK Ubuntu Circle.
“Start with the idea, design the architecture, and invest in the people who will carry it forward.”
Faith earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University, New York. He is an alumnus of the World Innovation Summit for Education’s (WISE) Learners Voice Executive Education programme, and he was honoured with a degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa) from Macalester College, USA in 2023, in recognition of his leadership in global education.
The Ephebic Oath
We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice.
We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the City both alone and with many.
We will revere and obey the City’s laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught.
We will strive increasingly to quicken the public’s sense of civic duty.
Thus in all these ways we will transmit this City not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.
Sworn by the young citizens of ancient Athens as they came of age, the oath bound each generation to the city it inherited. It is carved in stone at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Short bio · for programmes and introductions
Faith Abiodun is an educator, writer, and architect of institutions. As Executive Director of the United World Colleges (UWC) International, he leads one of the world's most consequential education movements — 18 colleges, more than 150 national committees, and alumni in 150+ countries. Before UWC, he spent nearly a decade helping to shape the African Leadership Academy in South Africa, leading student recruitment, global brand development and partnerships across 46 African countries, and he founded Future Africa, a public sector leadership network active across 30 African countries. He was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, by Macalester College in 2023, and he currently chairs the International Baccalaureate’s Education Systems Advisory Council.
