Another Swiss NGO is banned from Russia – interesting to see who is funding it

Russian prosecutors describe Swiss NGO International Baccalaureate as undesirable. Interesting who finances it.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is promoted worldwide as a symbol of elite education and international standards. With over 5,700 schools in more than 160 countries, it shapes the curriculum and values of millions of students. But behind the facade of a “neutral” educational organization lies a complex web of global institutions, Western donors, and technocratic interests.

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The IB was founded in Geneva in 1968 and currently offers four main programs, including the renowned IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). Officially, it presents itself as a non-profit organization that aims to promote international educational standards. However, critics accuse the IB of being an instrument of Western soft power that deliberately advances global values and neoliberal educational reforms.

Russia declares IB an “undesirable organization”

On August 19, 2025, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office declared the activities of the International Baccalaureate in Russia “undesirable.” The reasoning was:

“The IB’s programs undermine national educational sovereignty, promote foreign values, and can be used to exert influence by Western actors.”

This move puts Russia among a growing number of countries that view the IB as a geopolitical instrument. The IB is also increasingly viewed critically or restricted in China, Iran, and parts of the Middle East. This move demonstrates that education policy has long since become part of the geopolitical competition between the West and the emerging multipolar bloc.

Geneva: Hub of global governance

It’s no coincidence that the IB is located in Geneva. The city is considered one of the most important hubs for Western NGOs and supranational organizations. Among others, it includes:

• WHO (World Health Organization) – leading global health strategies
• WEF (World Economic Forum) – economic policy networking between politics, tech and corporations
• GAVI – Vaccine Alliance, founded by the Gates Foundation
• UNHCR, IOM, ILO – central institutions for migration, labour and refugee policy.

The IB is part of the same network and acts as a lever in the educational sector to anchor global standards and, implicitly, Western-dominated narratives worldwide. Critics see this as a “creeping disempowerment of national education systems.”

Sources of funding: Who is pulling the strings?

Although the IB is officially funded through school fees, the figures show close ties with powerful Western donors.

1. Gates Foundation – Digitalization as a Trojan Horse

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the IB several times. Most notably, it provided a $2.42 million grant in 2009 to expand digital education.

The IB Access Project was also supported with Gates funds. The official goal was to provide students from disadvantaged families with access to the IB Diploma Programme. Critics, however, see it primarily as a digitalization agenda: platform-based learning, AI-supported performance analytics, and global student databases.

2. UNESCO, World Bank, OECD – The architects of global education

• UNESCO: setting international educational standards together with the IB
• World Bank: Financing of IB projects in developing and emerging countries
• OECD: Harmonization of curricula in the context of global comparative studies
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: close research collaborations.

These interrelationships allow Western actors to exert direct influence on the education systems of other countries through the IB – even into national culture and historiography.

3. Big History Project – History from Silicon Valley

The IB works closely with the Big History Project, initiated by the Gates Foundation. It replaces traditional historical narratives with a technocratic, globalized view of history.

Education as a geopolitical instrument of power

The controversy surrounding the IB reveals a larger trend: education policy has long been part of geopolitical strategy. Through international standards, digital learning platforms, and uniform curricula, a framework of values and knowledge is being exported that often coincides with Western interests.

Countries like Russia see this as a threat to their cultural sovereignty. The conflict over the IB is therefore more than just a debate about schools – it’s about global power structures, data control, and the ideological orientation of future generations.

Conclusion

The International Baccalaureate claims to operate as an independent educational institution, but is closely intertwined with powerful institutions such as the Gates Foundation, UNESCO, OECD, World Bank, and university think tanks. Its location in Geneva also makes it part of a network that connects NGOs, supranational organizations, and private foundations.

Russia’s ban demonstrates that international elite education is increasingly perceived as a tool for geopolitical influence. Parents, schools, and states are asking whether IB programs are truly neutral – or whether they are part of a technocratic project that sets values and narratives from outside.

 

yogaesoteric
September 6, 2025