Dr Anise Waljee has worked in Central Asia for four years managing the Aga Khan Foundation education programme for Tajikistan working with the government to reform the education system to adapt to the transition from communism to capitalism and from a centrally planned economy to a market one. One of her chief tasks was to manage the institutional transformation of the teacher in-service institution in Badakhshan, Tajikistan. Her role as team manager included oversight of curriculum and materials development, educational management, community mobilisation, capacity building, facilitating decentralisation and school autonomy. Her areas of expertise and interests include: organisational change and strategic planning in and for various NGOs in London, Lebanon and Pakistan; biodiversity and the premeating of local knowledge in conjunction with Central Asian academics, practionners, local community of farmers, parents, teachers and government ministries of education as well as other universities and Academies of Science; environmental and health education in various capacities including curriculum development, research, international course director and writer of material for children and teachers/youth workers on health and well -being; early childhood education (East Timore, Tajikistan, Macedonia, Moldova); student in-take issues for emerging universities in East Africa and examining ways of defining, identifying and nurturing talent in marginalised communities in East Africa; and inclusive education policy and practice (Ghana, Tajikistan).