Person:
Ambasz, Diego

Global Practice on Education, The World Bank
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Learning environments, Science and technology, Tertiary education
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Global Practice on Education, The World Bank
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Last updated: April 14, 2025
Biography
Diego Ambasz is a Senior Education Specialist in the Education Global Practice at The World Bank. He leads several education projects in Latin America and in Europe and Central Asia. In addition, he contributes giving technical advice for projects in other regions of the world. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2003, he held senior analytical and management positions at the public administration in Argentina. His teaching experience in public policy included professor positions at the Santa Fe Catholic University, San Martin National University and Rosario National University. Diego is a Ph.D. Candidate in Education at San Andres University in Argentina. He received an MA in Economics and Public Policy from Di Tella University in Argentina. He has published several articles and papers on education and innovation policy. He is the co-author of “Technology and Competitiveness in the MERCOSUR. Thoughts on the development of a pending agenda.”

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2020 - 202562000 - 20191
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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Designing and Building Environmentally Sustainable, Play-based Early Learning Spaces: Operational Guidance Note
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-14) Gurgel, Anita; Ambasz, Diego
    This note aims to provide practical guidance to World Bank teams on how to support World Bank clients in designing and building and/or adapting pre-primary education PLEs that are conducive to quality ECCE, with an emphasis on play-based learning and environmental sustainability. While the note focuses primarily on early childhood education facilities, most of the approaches discussed are also applicable to childcare facilities, but topics more relevant to those designing spaces for infants and toddlers (e.g., related to activity, sleep, changing and food preparation areas) are also discussed. This note complements a series of World Bank resources on how to make school infrastructure at all levels healthier, more inclusive, resilient, teaching and learning-conducive, and greener or more environmentally sustainable, five strategies that constitute the RIGHT+ approach to ensure effective PLEs.
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    Towards Higher Education Excellence in Central Asia: A Roadmap for Improving the Quality of Education and Research through Regional Integration
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-10-19) Ambasz, Diego; Malinovskiy, Sergey; Olszak-Olszewski, Adrien; Zavalina, Polina; Botero Álvarez, Javier
    The purpose of this Report is to provide recommendations for addressing common challenges while promoting academic and research excellence in higher education in Central Asia through regional cooperation between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Regional integration of higher education systems in Central Asia has the potential to drive positive changes in the sector and to generate significant economic and social benefits overall. By fostering cooperation, knowledge sharing and resource pooling among universities, the quality of higher education, research and innovation in Central Asia can be enhanced. This can be achieved through the establishment of centers of excellence, world-class universities and regional hubs that can attract highly qualified students and workers. Moreover, the regional integration of higher education systems offers an effective platform for sharing best practices and receiving support from regional leaders. The harmonization of academic standards facilitates the recognition of qualifications across countries, contributing to the mobility of students, faculty and workers, enabling them to participate in regional labor markets. This, in turn, stimulates the development of industries that are important to the economies of Central Asian countries. Finally, greater cooperation in higher education can play a crucial role in establishing a dynamic knowledge-based economy and enable Central Asia to move away from extractive industries – to ultimately achieve competitiveness on the global level.
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    Making the European Green Deal Work for People: The Role of Human Development in the Green Transition
    (Washington, DC: World Bank Group, 2023-04-24) Sanchez-Reaza, Javier; Ambasz, Diego; Djukic, Predrag; McEvoy, Karla
    Climate change is the single most important existential threat of our times. Mounting average global temperature contributes to rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events, deteriorating biodiversity, and shifts in the sustainability of agriculture and aquaculture. The European Green Deal (EGD) is the response of the European Union (EU) to the climate challenge. It will establish regulations and incentives to nudge European society toward a more sustainable economy. To achieve these ambitious goals the EGD combines a wide range of regulations, policies, and intervention. But a green transition is only possible with an enabling human transition, and only with the proper human development (social) policies to support this transition. This report identifies the human development (HD) policies needed to enable the green transition in Europe.
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    R&D Policy and the Role of Research Institutions in Fostering Green Innovation in Poland
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-05-18) Ambasz, Diego; Zuniga, Pluvia
    The diagnostic and analysis presented in this report unveils a complex and challenging picture of Polish R&D capacity and its technological preparedness to engage and deliver green-innovation solutions for regions and industries. The report pinpoints opportunity areas to catch up, as well as the competences that Poland can leverage to address capacity and preparedness challenges. Policy goals should, therefore, ensure that actions by the state, research centers, universities, private sector, and all agents in the innovation eco-system help meet environmental and sustainable development commitments.
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    A Review of Human Development and Environmental Outcomes
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-05-11) Ambasz, Diego; Patrinos, Harry Anthony
    As climate change and its impact on the physical environment become increasingly evident, its relationship with human development outcomes is becoming a key area of research. While numerous researchers have studied the ways in which the immediate environment affects human capital, literature on the impact of human capital on the environment remains scarce. Despite the heightened interest in understanding the linkages between human development outcomes and environmental factors, most studies of this relationship are theoretical, correlational, or observational, thus lacking causality. This paper surveys the literature and explores how evidence can be established for policies focusing on human development and environmental outcomes. The paper presents a conceptual framework incorporating direct and indirect pathways – including cognitive and noncognitive factors through which improved education can lead to better environmental behaviors. Of the 31 studies reviewed, a majority (27 studies) present observational findings, while only a few (four studies, or 13 percent) use a quasi-experimental design to establish causality. The few causal studies suggest that it is possible to change attitudes but more difficult to change environmental behaviors. The review raises the key question of whether policies aimed at improving climate change awareness through education can effectively produce long-lasting changes in pro-environmental behaviors. Much more work is needed to advance understanding of how human capital policy can help mitigate or promote adaptation to climate change.
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    Greening Public Human Development Buildings in Croatia: Support for the Implementation of the European Green Deal in the Croatian Health and Education Sectors
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-05-18) Dozol, Adrien; Ambasz, Diego; Shmis, Tigran; Dozol, Adrien; Ambasz, Diego; Shmis, Tigran
    The goal of this policy note is twofold: first, to identify and propose how to address some of the key regulatory and implementation hurdles that Croatia and potentially other EU Member States are facing in greening their HD infrastructure while improving HD outcomes; and second, to compile best practices and examples in green design, construction, and renovation of public HD buildings. The Note will also provide guidance and encourage dialogue among relevant policy makers at national, regional, and local levels, and with targeted clients. Furthermore, the recommendations would address the importance of green skills development and other related topics relevant to the implementation of EUGD. Overall, the analysis results and the recommendations on these issues could also be useful for World Bank experts and other external stakeholders focused on the green economy and human development.
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    The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2019) Barrett, Peter; Treves, Alberto; Shmis, Tigran; Ambasz, Diego; Ustinova, Maria
    This book focuses on how school facilities can affect children’s learning outcomes, identifying parameters that can inform the design, implementation, and supervision of future educational infrastructure projects. It reflects on aspects for which the evidence could be strengthened, and identifies areas for further exploratory work.