The Yidan Prize Foundation, a global philanthropic educational foundation in Hong Kong has announced the 2020 laureates of the Yidan Prize.
This was announced on Wednesday September 23, 2020 by Founder of Yidan Prize Foundation, Dr Charles Chen Yidan.
Chen stated that Prof Carl Wieman, Ms Lucy Lake and Ms Angeline Murimirwa were awarded for their contribution to STEM and women’s education.
The Yidan Prize is the world’s largest international prize in education.
It recognizes individuals and teams, who have contributed significantly to education research and education development.
Professor Carl Wieman has been awarded the Yidan Prize for Education Research, while Ms Lucy Lake and Ms Angeline Murimirwa from Campaign for Female Education have been granted the Yidan Prize for Education Development – the first team to be granted a Yidan prize since its inception in 2017.
The laureates will be recognized at the Yidan Prize Awards Presentation Ceremony and the Yidan Prize Annual Summit on 7 December, 2020.
“Education transformation is more important than ever.
“The outstanding achievements and commitment of this year’s laureates demonstrate that in a post-pandemic world, education continues to be of vital importance to solving future problems and creating positive change in individuals, communities and the environment,” Chen said.
He added that innovative ideas and practices are key to driving progress in education to create a better world.
“This year has been challenging for many in the education system with COVID-19 causing unprecedented disruption to learning and to schools.
“It is therefore crucial that we champion people with the courage to bring educational change and reimagine the future of education,” he added.
The Yidan Prize 2020 laureates were chosen by the Yidan Prize Judging Committee in a five-month judging process, from an extensive number of strong candidates.
The geographical reach of the nominated projects this year covers 103 countries such as US, China, India, Indonesia, UK, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and many others, indicating the growing significance of the Yidan Prize on the global stage.
This year nominated projects cover eight new countries including Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Fiji, Greece, Bolivia, Djibouti, Senegal, Cook Islands, representing a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and geographies.
Among the nominated projects this year are digital citizenship skills, access to digital learning, education equity, teacher education and education system improvement.
These exciting topics reflect the growing importance of digital learning in the ‘new normal’ and the Yidan Prize Foundation’s determination to drive positive change.
Dr Koichiro Matsuura, Chairman of Yidan Prize Judging Committee and the former Director-General of UNESCO, stated that “This year, we are pleased to receive nominees and project submissions from different regions and topics, including research in improving education and education systems, education equity and quality, female education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education.
“Education transcends borders, and we hope the nominees and laureates will continue their inspiring work to solve education challenges of different communities in an increasingly complex society.”
