Robert F. Sylvester 
12 Bradford Road, 
Winchester, Massachusetts, 01890
Telephone - 781-721-1973
email: sylvesterfamily@attbi.com

	EDUCATION

Ph.D.  		  	(July, 2001) International Education - 
		    		University of Bath, United Kingdom	
Masters of Arts   	(August 1975) Elementary Education and Reading - 
		    		Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Bachelor of Science  	(June 1974) English and Secondary Education -
 		    		Salem State College, Salem Massachusetts.

	PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

Asian Development Bank Secondary Education Modernization Project - Colombo, Sri Lanka, School-Based Management Specialist (2001-2002) - International consultant responsible to advise the Ministry of Education in Colombo with regard to the modernization of training programs for several thousand school principals with a view to preparing school communities for a change from a centrally-administered school system, country-wide, to a site-based managed system in more than 9,000 schools in Sri Lanka. The consultancy involves the preparation of a new training program which includes all the professional, financial, governance, policy, and supervisory competencies which need to be developed both at the level of each school and at the level of the Ministry headquarters.  The outcomes of the consultancy also include advising the Ministry on the establishment of the necessary national legislation, policies and procedures and further training of the existing  human resources through the development of capacity for training of trainers at the ministerial level. 

Co-Editor for the Americas (2001)  - The Journal for Research in International Education - a research journal providing a scholarly forum for a wide range of research in the field of international education.   Launched in 2002 by Sage Publications in London.

Member of Research Committee, International Baccalaureate Research Unit (2001-Present) - Geneva, Switzerland,  currently engaged in research and research policy development for the International Baccalaureate Organization as member of advisory group to the Director of Research for the IBO.
	
Completion of Doctoral Studies and Research Dissertation  University of Bath, United Kingdom (2000-2001) -  dissertation successfully defended May, 2001  on the subject;  The Mission of International Education in Africa: Principles of human unity and world-view in school mission statements and in the literature of the Bahá’í Faith.

Principal (Chief Executive Officer) Westwood International School, Gaborone, Botswana (1990-2000) - responsible for the planning, development, supervision and professional leadership of an emerging community-based primary school, that over a period of ten years, evolved into a K-12 international school accredited to both the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and to the European Council of International Schools.  The Principal was responsible for the academic program of over 500 students from over forty countries and for instructional leadership of over 50 professional staff from over twenty countries.   At the same time, the Principal was held accountable for a recurrent budget of over $3,000,000.  The Principal was in charge of all world-wide recruitment, hiring, supervision and professional development activities and led an administrative and executive team of 15 professionals.  The Principal served as the Chief Executive Officer of the School Governing Council and was responsible for all legal, government and diplomatic relations between the school and its constituent communities.  The Principal was given authority for the development and supervision of all school building  projects totaling $8,000,000 over a ten-year period.  Arrangements for the  International Baccalaureate Diploma were in place in the year 2000.  

Assistant Registrar / Deputy to Chief Administrative Officer, United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN) Lusaka, Zambia (1989-1990) - responsible for personnel, budget, properties, general services and capital development activities serving over 65 professional staff, five hundred adult refugee students and over one hundred local service staff.  Specific job responsibilities included implementation of United Nations Staff Rules, support of all student services, supervision of all expenditures and disbursements and during the period of the closing of the Institute in the year 1990, serving on an executive transition committee reporting directly to the Director of UNIN.  

Lecturer, Department of Education and Teacher Training / UNESCO Expert  - United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN) Lusaka, Zambia (1984-1989)- specialized training of exiled Namibian teachers in reading instruction and parallel curriculum development and research work focused on reading instruction in an effort towards establishing a national English syllabus for a future independent Namibia.  Job responsibilities included participation in supervised teaching practice, developing instructional materials in school curriculum and basic literacy training for teacher educators and teacher trainees, and in developing technical documents that were prepared for the future national authorities in Namibia.  Two technical survey tours of Namibia were made just before and after independence on behalf of the United Nations Institute.  The duties of lecturer also included teaching advanced technical English skills to student Magistrates.  A Teacher Resource Center was established in 1986 which enabled trainee teachers to produce classroom materials for supervised teaching practice.  In 1988 responsibility was given for the design of a suite of three science laboratories for all the departments of the United Nations Institute for Namibia.  The Science complex was built and handed over to the Zambian government in 1990.

Director of Reading (K-12) International School of Lusaka, Zambia (1978-1984) -  responsible as school-wide administrator and consultant for developing reading curriculum, monitoring student progress and enhancing staff professional  growth as instructional leader in a school of over 1400 students from over fifty countries and over seventy professional staff from over fifteen countries.  Duties included instructional, clinical and inservice aspects, as well as counseling of parents.  

Areas of Specialization and Interest

International Education (history and mission)
Teaching Human Unity and Human Diversity
Teacher Training - Primary and Secondary Levels
Globalization and Education
Strategic Planning / Mission Statements
Development of Professional Contract Documents
Professional Supervision, Observation and Evaluation Models
School Facilities Planning and  School Master-Planning
School Development Planning and Fund-Raising
Information Technology Policy and Technology Curriculum 
Informal Education / Community Development / Literacy Training
Peace Education and Conflict Resolution in Schools / Human Rights Education
Moral Education / Intercultural Studies
Lifelong Study Skills Training (student and adult)
African History / Human Origins
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Family Counseling

Selected  Baha'i Community Activities

Assistant to the Auxiliary Board Member for Protection (2002)- serving Auxiliary board member Lori Wilson with regard to the Watertown Massachusetts community.

External Affairs Advisor to National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sri Lanka, (2002) facilitated strategic planning workshops for National Assembly and assisted in the training of officers responsible for the work of external affairs in Sri Lanka.

Baha’i Institute Advisor to National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sri Lanka, (2002) facilitated Ruhi Book Two and Book Three with members of the National Spiritual Assembly and assisted in the preparation of collaborators for training in Ruhi Book Seven.

Permanent Bahá’í Training Institute in Botswana - Board of Directors (1996-2000) appointed by the National Baha’i trustees to serve as member of adult education training initiative that focused on moral education.  Responsibilities of Board included establishment of operations of institute, development of curricular materials and training of trainers.

External Affairs Officer for National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Botswana (1999-2000) appointed to represent the National Baha’i Community in Botswana to the larger national civic communities in areas of mutual concern.

Elected Member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Zambia (1985-1990) and served as Treasurer of the National community for the same period.

Properties Advisor to National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Zambia (1985-1990) - facilitated the development and use of rural and urban adult education facilities within context of self-help projects.

Social and Economic Development Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Zambia (1985-1990) - facilitated in the  development of programs of primary health care and adult moral education in context of self-help projects.