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Idia F. Irele is a Nigerian-American diplomat and global education specialist currently serving as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. Her work sits at the intersection of international education, youth development, and public diplomacy. Prior to joining the State Department, Idia was based in Boston, where she served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at both the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, while completing dual Master’s degrees in Public Administration and International Education Policy.
Her career spans impactful roles with organizations such as UNICEF, Worldfund, the United Nations Association of Greater Boston, and CREFAL, a UNESCO-founded NGO focused on adult education in Latin America. She has also held leadership roles with the Latin American Leadership Academy and participated in the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program.
Idia’s experience across six countries—including Spain, Andorra, Mexico, Colombia, Romania, and the U.S.—fuels her commitment to advancing inclusive, transformative education systems worldwide. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government and International Relations from Smith College, and is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Yoruba, and Portuguese.
