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Leonardo Garnier is the special advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations for the Education Transformation Summit. Garnier is a former Minister of Education of Costa Rica, from the first administration from May 2006 to May 2010 and the second administration from May 2010 to May 2014. In both periods, Garnier chaired both the Higher Education Council (CSE) and the National Council of Private University Higher Education (CONESUP).
In addition, Garnier was the minister of national planning and economic policy from 1994 to 1998, an institution where he was also an advisor and vice minister between 1987 and 1990. Garnier has worked as a consultant on economic policy, social policy, and public management issues for various international organizations such as UNDP, IDB, ECLAC, ILO and, in particular, UNICEF.
As an academic, he has published several articles in journals and books on economic and social issues linked to development, as well as the book “Costa Rica: un país subdesarrollado casi exitoso” written with Laura Cristina Blanco. Garnier is the author of three books of short stories: “Mono Congo y León Panzón”, “Gracias a Usted” and “El sastrecillo ¿valiente? Garnier is the author of multiple opinion articles and actively participates as an opinion maker in digital media and social networks.
Garnier is a professor at the University of Costa Rica and has taught economics at the University of Costa Rica and Universidad Nacional. Garnier is an economist who graduated with a PhD from the New School for Social Research in New York.
Garnier is an ambassador of connectivity for educational purposes at the Dialogue.