The 5th biennial conference is very timely. The new Government (since September 2022) has committed to reforming the education sector – from basic to higher education – to improve efficiency in the system and address the challenges and concerns raised by stakeholders. The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms appointed in late 2022 is anticipated to make critical recommendations to inform the Government’s priorities in education, with the report expected at the end of June 2023. This will inform the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (NESSP) (2023-2027), and the finalization of the revisions to the Basic Education Act, among other key education policies.A shift from the previous conferences that focused on particular aspects of education, the 2023 conference aims at revitalizing the connections and relationships among members of the evidence community. The theme of the Conference ‘Revitalizing Education and Training through Research’ puts to centrality the members of this community – government and those that need evidence to make decisions, the academia in and out of the University whose role is to avail evidence in accessible formats, and those that lie in-between, teachers and members of the civil society, including parents.