Deadline: 03-Mar-2026
The Yidan Prize Foundation has opened global nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize, the world’s highest award dedicated to education. Recognizing future-oriented and transformative contributions across Education Research and Education Development, each category offers an award of HK$30 million shared among laureates, alongside long-term project funding and global recognition.
The Yidan Prize Foundation has announced its global call for nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize, widely regarded as the world’s highest accolade dedicated exclusively to education.
The prize celebrates individuals and teams whose work delivers innovative, transformative, and sustainable solutions that shape the future of education worldwide.
Focus and Vision of the Yidan Prize
The Yidan Prize is grounded in a future-focused vision of education, recognizing changemakers who champion impactful models and demonstrate the potential for long-term systemic change.
By spotlighting exemplary practices and research, the prize aims to inspire global progress in education and expand what is possible across diverse learning contexts.
Prize Categories
The Yidan Prize is awarded in two distinct categories:
Education Research, which honors outstanding research that advances understanding of how people learn and how education systems can improve.
Education Development, which recognizes initiatives and practices that translate ideas into action and deliver measurable impact at scale.
What’s New for the 2026 Yidan Prize
As the Yidan Prize approaches its 10th anniversary in 2026, several enhancements have been introduced to broaden recognition and accessibility.
Nominators can now keep a nomination active for up to four prize cycles, reducing the need for annual resubmission and allowing impactful work to be considered over multiple years.
In addition, the prize may now be awarded to multiple nominations within each category, significantly expanding the number of potential laureates recognized each year.
Flexible Recognition of Individuals and Teams
Under each prize category, the Yidan Prize may be awarded in several formats.
This includes a single individual from one nomination, a team of up to three members from the same nomination, or up to three laureates drawn from multiple nominations.
These enhancements allow for flexible recognition, including combinations of individual and team-based contributions, reflecting the collaborative nature of many educational breakthroughs.
Award Value and Benefits
Each prize category carries a total award of HK$30 million, which is shared among the selected laureates.
Half of the award is presented as a cash prize in recognition of past achievements, while the remaining half is allocated as a project fund to support the scaling, continuation, and sustainability of the laureates’ work.
In addition to the financial award, all laureates receive a gold medal, symbolizing global recognition of their contribution to education.
Who Can Be Nominated?
Nominations are open to everyone and do not require an invitation.
Nominees may be individuals or teams whose work demonstrates innovation, impact, and long-term potential in education research or development.
Who Can Nominate?
Anyone can serve as a nominator, provided they are a credible witness with a deep understanding of the nominee’s work and its impact.
While nominators often come from government bodies, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, or the education sector, nominations are welcomed from individuals of all backgrounds.
Why the Yidan Prize Matters
The Yidan Prize plays a critical role in advancing global education by recognizing excellence, supporting scale, and encouraging bold ideas.
By combining substantial financial support with international visibility, the prize enables laureates to extend their impact and accelerate positive change across education systems worldwide.
Conclusion
The 2026 Yidan Prize offers an exceptional opportunity to recognize visionary leaders and teams transforming education through research and practice.
With expanded eligibility, flexible recognition, and a significant HK$30 million award per category, the prize continues to set a global benchmark for excellence and innovation in education.
For more information, visit Yidan Prize Foundation.