2025 Yidan Prize Honors Educational Innovators Aiming for Systemic Literacy and Multilingual Learning
The Yidan Prize Foundation has announced the distinguished winners for the 2025 Yidan Prize, honoring exceptional endeavors in the realm of education. This prestigious award is presented to individuals who pioneer significant advancements in teaching and learning processes around the globe. The laureates for this year, Professor Uri Wilensky and Mamadou Amadou Ly, have made remarkable contributions that promise to reshape educational landscapes, focusing on systemic literacy and multilingual education.
Professor Uri Wilensky embodies excellence in educational research and development. As a faculty member at Northwestern University, Wilensky is recognized for his groundbreaking work in agent-based modeling (ABM), which serves as a pivotal tool in understanding complex systems. His innovation, the NetLogo platform, enables users—from young students to seasoned researchers—to explore various phenomena, such as climate change and epidemiology. This user-friendly tool helps illustrate how individual components, or "agents," interact to produce significant outcomes, making complicated concepts accessible to all learners.
Mamadou Amadou Ly, the executive director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED), has been at the forefront of bilingual education. Under his leadership, ARED has pioneered transformative bilingual models that improve early literacy and math skills among children in various educational settings. Ly is particularly noted for promoting education in languages familiar to children while also teaching them new languages, thereby enhancing bilingualism across West and Central Africa. His culturally relevant and community-focused educational strategies have greatly influenced national educational policies in numerous African nations.
The independent jury's selection of these laureates highlights a critical perspective: the need for educational investment even when funding is lacking. In a world where traditional education systems face numerous obstacles, recognizing inventive and scalable ideas is crucial for fostering a generation of learners equipped to navigate the complexity of our times.
Dr. Charles Chen Yidan, the founder of the Yidan Prize, emphasizes that education unlocks individual and societal potential by providing skills necessary for lifelong learning and adaptability. His vision for the Yidan Prize is that it acts as a guiding light, illuminating paths to a brighter future through education.
The 2025 Yidan Prize rewards each laureate with an endowment of 30 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 3.8 million USD). This comprises an unrestricted project fund of 15 million Hong Kong dollars aimed at expanding their groundbreaking initiatives. Since its inception, the Yidan Prize Foundation has disbursed over 540 million Hong Kong dollars (around 69.2 million USD) to celebrate excellence and innovative practices in over 50 countries.
Professor Uri Wilensky explains the significance of comprehending complex systems, noting that his work enables students to grasp the interconnectedness of scientific and social domains through computer representations. By equipping students with tools to understand nonlinear and complex systems, he enhances their confidence and capability to navigate today’s intricately linked world. The implications of this work are vast, outlining an educational framework that fosters critical thinking and problem-solving in real-world situations.
On the other hand, Mamadou Amadou Ly’s advocacy for multilingual education stands as a testament to his visionary approach to learning. His dedication to developing impactful educational frameworks not only promotes literacy but also champions equality and inclusivity in accessing education. His work has provided tangible paths to literacy for students, facilitating opportunities for diverse populations while protecting linguistic and cultural identities.
The 2025 Yidan Prize ceremony is scheduled for December 6 in Hong Kong, coinciding with the annual Yidan Prize Summit on December 5 and 6. This event will serve as a platform to explore innovative educational strategies and foster dialogue amongst educators and stakeholders committed to transforming education. Nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize will open from October 2025 through March 2026, further extending the reach of this inspiring initiative.
In conclusion, the Yidan Prize Foundation’s recognition of Professor Uri Wilensky and Mamadou Amadou Ly underscores a global commitment to foster innovative educational practices. Their remarkable achievement serves as an inspiration for educators worldwide, reminding us of the profound impact that innovative approaches to education can have on societies at large.
The Laureates
Professor Uri Wilensky embodies excellence in educational research and development. As a faculty member at Northwestern University, Wilensky is recognized for his groundbreaking work in agent-based modeling (ABM), which serves as a pivotal tool in understanding complex systems. His innovation, the NetLogo platform, enables users—from young students to seasoned researchers—to explore various phenomena, such as climate change and epidemiology. This user-friendly tool helps illustrate how individual components, or "agents," interact to produce significant outcomes, making complicated concepts accessible to all learners.
Mamadou Amadou Ly, the executive director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED), has been at the forefront of bilingual education. Under his leadership, ARED has pioneered transformative bilingual models that improve early literacy and math skills among children in various educational settings. Ly is particularly noted for promoting education in languages familiar to children while also teaching them new languages, thereby enhancing bilingualism across West and Central Africa. His culturally relevant and community-focused educational strategies have greatly influenced national educational policies in numerous African nations.
The Importance of Their Work
The independent jury's selection of these laureates highlights a critical perspective: the need for educational investment even when funding is lacking. In a world where traditional education systems face numerous obstacles, recognizing inventive and scalable ideas is crucial for fostering a generation of learners equipped to navigate the complexity of our times.
Dr. Charles Chen Yidan, the founder of the Yidan Prize, emphasizes that education unlocks individual and societal potential by providing skills necessary for lifelong learning and adaptability. His vision for the Yidan Prize is that it acts as a guiding light, illuminating paths to a brighter future through education.
The 2025 Yidan Prize rewards each laureate with an endowment of 30 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 3.8 million USD). This comprises an unrestricted project fund of 15 million Hong Kong dollars aimed at expanding their groundbreaking initiatives. Since its inception, the Yidan Prize Foundation has disbursed over 540 million Hong Kong dollars (around 69.2 million USD) to celebrate excellence and innovative practices in over 50 countries.
Emphasizing Systemic Literacy
Professor Uri Wilensky explains the significance of comprehending complex systems, noting that his work enables students to grasp the interconnectedness of scientific and social domains through computer representations. By equipping students with tools to understand nonlinear and complex systems, he enhances their confidence and capability to navigate today’s intricately linked world. The implications of this work are vast, outlining an educational framework that fosters critical thinking and problem-solving in real-world situations.
Multilingual Education's Transformational Force
On the other hand, Mamadou Amadou Ly’s advocacy for multilingual education stands as a testament to his visionary approach to learning. His dedication to developing impactful educational frameworks not only promotes literacy but also champions equality and inclusivity in accessing education. His work has provided tangible paths to literacy for students, facilitating opportunities for diverse populations while protecting linguistic and cultural identities.
A Celebration of Innovation
The 2025 Yidan Prize ceremony is scheduled for December 6 in Hong Kong, coinciding with the annual Yidan Prize Summit on December 5 and 6. This event will serve as a platform to explore innovative educational strategies and foster dialogue amongst educators and stakeholders committed to transforming education. Nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize will open from October 2025 through March 2026, further extending the reach of this inspiring initiative.
In conclusion, the Yidan Prize Foundation’s recognition of Professor Uri Wilensky and Mamadou Amadou Ly underscores a global commitment to foster innovative educational practices. Their remarkable achievement serves as an inspiration for educators worldwide, reminding us of the profound impact that innovative approaches to education can have on societies at large.
Topics Other）
【About Using Articles】
You can freely use the title and article content by linking to the page where the article is posted.
※ Images cannot be used.
【About Links】
Links are free to use.