Antoni Verger i Planells

Antoni Verger i Planells is Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and ICREA Acadèmia researcher specializing in educational policy and comparative education. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Education Policy and World Yearbook of Education, and coordinates the European Master GLOBED (Education Policies for Global Development) and GLANCE research group within GEPS-UAB.

His research centers on the political economy of global education governance, with primary focus on privatization, marketization, and accountability systems. He examines how international organizations drive policy convergence through instruments like large-scale assessments and public-private partnerships, while analyzing equity implications across diverse national contexts including Spain, Latin America, and OECD countries. His work critically engages with theories of policy transfer, network governance, and the emerging global education industry.

Verger's recent publications (2024-2025) reveal intensifying research on privatization dynamics, showing how corporate strategies shape education reform through policy entrepreneurship and regulatory innovation. His analysis of accountability regimes demonstrates how hybrid systems create contradictory pressures on schools, while his work on teacher governance exposes tensions between performance metrics and professional autonomy across regulatory contexts.

Scientific recognition:

• ICREA Acadèmia award for research excellence

He has directed major funded projects including ILSAINC (2019-2023) mapping the global assessment industry, REFORMED (2016-2022) analyzing autonomy/accountability policies, and EDUPARTNER (2013-2016) studying public-private partnerships. His grant portfolio demonstrates sustained funding for critical analysis of global education governance structures and their implementation.

Through GLANCE research group and GLOBED master program, Verger fosters international collaboration on comparative education studies, connecting scholars from Global South and North to examine power dynamics in transnational education policy processes.