Previously he worked at the World Bank for 22 years, working almost exclusively in the field of education and in three regions of the world: North Africa and the Middle East (1993-96), Latin America and the Caribbean (1974-77 and 1987-93), and sub-Saharan Africa (1978-1987). His career was unusual in the World Bank in that, while mainly working on operations, he was able to publish a number of analytical and policy reports on areas as diverse as instructional technology, primary education quality improvement, higher education reform, and educational assessments.

His current interests include new and emerging issues at all levels of education in developing countries (e.g. assessment, instructional technology, higher education reform, science and technology, early childhood development, teaching higher order skills, secondary education reform), with an emphasis on Latin America.