The HEAD Foundation (THF) is a charitable organisation set up in 2013 in Singapore to contribute to the development of Asia. As a think-tank, we focus on issues around human capital, education, leadership and sustainability.
With an in-house research and project management team, we support research and social initiatives related to the above issues. We also run workshops and training programmes with scholars, researchers and experts from around the world. To share our knowledge with the community, we publish books, produce research reports and host public events on a regular basis. In the long-run, we aim to influence policies and create positive social impact which will contribute to the sustainable development of Asia.
The HEAD Foundation provides a collaborative and inclusive platform for a multidisciplinary approach to scholarship, policy reform and programme development. We study the adaptation of models and best practices in light of the contexts and priorities of the Asian communities we serve, and promote public awareness of issues in our fields of expertise. We partner with like-minded global and regional experts and institutions to advance our common goal of empowering Asia’s development through education and human capital development.
The Advisory Board of The HEAD Foundation was established to provide guidance and expert advice to the Board of Directors to help the Foundation achieve its objectives.

Chairman


The HEAD Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation with its headquarters in Singapore. The Foundation is a registered International Charitable Organisation governed by a Board of Directors.

Chairman
(8 March 2013 – present)

(28 August 2014 – present)

(8 March 2013 – present)

(1 August 2018 – present)
The HEAD Foundation is run by a team of management professionals, academics and researchers, each distinguished in his or her own field. They are regularly consulted and bring to bear a wide experience in education and leadership development, as well as an awareness and understanding of Asian societies and processes of development.

Chief Executive Officer

Academic Advisor

Director, Development

Director, Operations

Finance &
Corporate Services

Events

Projects

Projects & Publications

Projects & Communications

Media & Communications

Research

Projects
PARTNERS
The HEAD Foundation (THF) seeks to collaborate with like-minded regional and international institutions to advance the field of Education for the development of Asia. We work with our institutional partners to mutually enhance knowledge-building capacities and to strengthen the influence and impact of our activities to achieve meaningful outcomes in Education.
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and THF successfully
conducted a-week-long Professional Learning Programme for ADB’s Developing Member Countries in 2016 and 2017. The programme is designed to strengthen capacity among education specialists and policy makers to better implement education reform.
Universiti Thunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
UTAR is one of the prestigious private universities in Malaysia. THF supports UTAR’s STEM
education research and activities, such as the research project on skills for’industry 4.0′, and Asian Science Camp 2017.
School of Global Studies, Thammasat University
THF and Thammasat University’s School of Global Studies (SGS), a specialist in s
ocial entrepreneurship and social impact in Southeast Asia, have joined hands through a grant agreement, for the latter to establish a case centre to develop academic case studies on social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
Arus Maker Academy
Arus Maker Academy is a social enterprise that provides after-school classes
where students actively solve problems by building and creating their own physical and digital solutions.
THF has offered a grant to Arus to support its initiatives in STEM education.JUMP! Foundation
The JUMP! Foundation is a non-profit social enterprise that provides youth
with experiential education programmes to address issues of leadership and global citizenship. THF is in partnership with JUMP! to cultivate community leadership for youth in Southeast Asia.
Green Shoots Foundation
Green Shoots Foundation is a UK-based charity whose mission is to fight
poverty and promote economic development by setting up microfinance operations. THF sponsors Green Shoots to expand its project ‘Agricultural Skills for Public Schools‘.
Aide et Action
Aide et Action (AEA) is an international NGO specialising in the education
sector. It has been active in Southeast Asia for many years. THF is providing a grant to AEA to bring mobile libraries and e-learning to rural children in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Boston College’s Centre of International Higher Education (CIHE)
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was ink
ed between THF and the Centre of International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College in January 2016. Both parties will collaborate on a newsletter entitled “Higher Education in Southeast Asia and Beyond” (HESB) to fill a gap in periodicals in the field of higher education research in Southeast Asia.Created to add value to current literature dealing with higher education research, the biannual publication includes articles written by researchers from both the Foundation and CIHE. The publication aims to create a more diverse set of perspectives on higher education garnered from the expertise at the two institutions. The newsletter will be launched later this year.
University of Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education
THF is collaborating with the University of Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education’s Professor D. Bruce Johnstone on a comparative research project for Higher Education financing and accessibility in Southeast Asia and East Asia. The International Comparative Higher Education Finance and Accessibility (ICHEFA) project for Asia will begin by compiling country profiles for the 10 Southeast Asian countries.
INSEAD Global Leadership Centre
The HEAD Foundation and the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop leadership training programmes for Southeast Asian educational leaders.
East-West Centre’s Asia Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership
The HEAD Foundation and the East-West Centre’s Asia Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership have entered into a Cooperative Agreement. The two parties are exploring opportunities to convene joint policy fora and other related activities in higher education.
The UCL Institute of Education
THF and the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 7 March 2016 to collaborate on academic initiatives. The Foundation and IOE will collaborate on research programmes, events, and academic exchange, with a focus on the Southeast Asian region. Areas of mutual interest include educational leadership, teaching and learning, equity and access, and higher education.
University of Glasgow’s Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change
THF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Glasgow in January 2016 to work on education reform implementation in Vietnam. The joint study with Vietnam National University and the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences will open leads into training and other intervention strategies to support capacity building and sustainable models for high performance in the Vietnamese context.