Prof. Geeta Gandhi Kingdon is the Manager of City Montessori School (CMS), Lucknow. Under her stewardship, CMS has seamlessly embedded the UN Sustainable Development Goals and India’s National Education Policy 2020 into its educational framework, reinforcing a values-based and globally conscious model of learning.

An education economist by training, she holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the London School of Economics and MSc and DPhil degrees from the University of Oxford. She is currently Emeritus Professor at UCL. She has previously served for 31 years as an Academic Economist at LSE, the University of Bristol, and the University of Oxford, later becoming a tenured Professor of Economics of Education at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL).

Based on her policy-relevant research, she is ranked among the top 5% of economists globally (RePEc database), and her research has shaped education and labour-market policies in India, South Africa, and the UK. She has advised the World Bank, the European Union, and the UK’s Department for International Development. In 2013, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University London for her “outstanding contributions to education and development”.

As Manager of CMS, Prof. Kingdon leads this institution that promotes project-based, experiential learning; skill-based, competency-based assessments; and global citizenship education through curated international events and MUNs that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. Her leadership seeks to nurture students as global citizens who embody academic excellence, moral courage, and a deep sense of social responsibility.

Prof. Kingdon also serves as the convenor of the prestigious annual International Conference of Chief Justices of the World (ICCJW), a forum bringing together judicial leaders from across the globe to deliberate on strengthening governance structures to safeguard the future of the world’s 2.5 billion children. Her lifelong commitment to education, interfaith harmony, and moral leadership inspires students, educators, and policymakers to make a positive, meaningful change in society.