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Stanislav Daniel is the New Director of Roma Education Fund Slovakia

Stanislav Daniel, a distinguished professional with Romani heritage from Slovakia, assumed leadership of REF Slovakia team in August 2024. He brings a wealth of international experience across various sectors, including government, non-profits, international organizations, and private philanthropy. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in promoting the rights and education of disadvantaged groups, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.

In his new role, Stanislav will be fully committed to implementing our organization’s new strategic direction, which focuses on building resilient Roma communities through education.

Stanislav worked with European Roma Rights Centre and the Roma Education Fund in Hungary, the International Step by Step Association in the Netherlands, Porticus in Austria, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Poland. Until recently, he served on the board of the Roma Education Fund. His influence extends into academia, where he is an active board member of Trnava University in Slovakia, contributing his expertise to academic discussions and policy development.

Stanislav’s focus has been on educational equity for marginalized communities. He is deeply committed to tackling the challenges Roma children face in Slovakia’s education system. While some progress has been made, Stanislav believes there is much more to be done, particularly in empowering civil society to fill the gaps where government interventions have proven insufficient.


“Civil society organizations have a unique role in offering innovative, flexible solutions that state-run programs often cannot provide. However, the civil society landscape in Slovakia is fragmented, with limited coordination among key players. Under my leadership, REF Slovakia aims to strengthen these connections, building a more cohesive and effective sector to better serve the needs of Roma children. My vision is for Slovakia to become a springboard for pioneering solutions that can be tested locally, refined, and then scaled across Europe, developing resilient and adaptable programs that withstand shifting national policies.” – Stanislav Daniel

These locally-driven, scalable solutions have, as Stanislav underlined, the potential to transform Slovakia into a model for Roma education reform, with strategies that can be applied throughout the European Union, fostering long-term improvements that will empower Roma children and provide them with better opportunities for success.

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The World Bank

An international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
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