#Hong Kong #Yidan Prize #Uri Wilensky #Mamadou Amadou Ly

Yidan Prize 2025 Recognizes Educational Pioneers

The Yidan Prize Foundation, an esteemed global philanthropic organization, has announced the recipients of the Yidan Prize for 2025. This year, the prestigious award honors Professor Uri Wilensky and Mamadou Amadou Ly for their groundbreaking contributions to education, particularly in the realms of computational thinking and breaking down barriers in access to fundamental education.

Celebrating Innovative Minds

Both awardees will join an exclusive community of distinguished scholars and practitioners in the Yidan Prize Laureates Council. This platform encourages collaboration, sharing of opportunities, and collective efforts towards shaping a better world through education. Through the prolific work of these two individuals, the Yidan Prize seeks to spotlight innovative and scalable solutions at a time when educational investments are dwindling globally.

Dr. Charles CHEN Yidan, the founder of the prize, stated, "Education unlocks potential. It equips individuals and societies with the skills necessary to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. In the face of global developmental crossroads, we remain steadfast in our commitment to education. The Yidan Prize serves as a beacon highlighting opportunities to cultivate a brighter future through education."

Breakthroughs in Computational Thinking by Professor Wilensky

Professor Uri Wilensky, recognized as the Yidan Prize Education Research Laureate for 2025, is a prominent figure in the field of learning sciences, computer science, and complex systems at Northwestern University. Renowned for his pioneering work in agent-based modeling (ABM), Wilensky has created the open-source tool NetLogo, which facilitates a deeper comprehension of complex phenomena such as climate dynamics, epidemics, and economic instability.

NetLogo allows users—ranging from elementary students to researchers—to explore and build models that demonstrate how the interactions of numerous individual agents can lead to significant patterns on larger scales. This universal language, which is adaptable across various educational and research contexts, empowers learners to tackle complex problems effectively.

Andreas Schleicher, the chair of the Yidan Prize Education Research jury, emphasized the relevance of Wilensky's contributions: "Professor Wilensky's investigations into how computational representations can transform knowledge in scientific and social domains enable learners to gain confidence and skills to navigate today's interconnected world."

Mamadou Amadou Ly’s Visionary Approach to Multilingual Education

Mamadou Amadou Ly, named the Yidan Prize Education Development Laureate for 2025, serves as the Executive Director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED). Under his leadership, ARED has developed bilingual education models demonstrating significant improvements in core literacy and numeracy skills among children across both formal and informal educational settings.

His research highlights the transformational potential of teaching languages that children already know alongside those they need to learn, presenting a scalable path for bilingual education throughout West and Central Africa. ARED’s educational materials are shared openly through the Early Learning Resource Network, making them readily accessible worldwide. Ly’s culturally-responsive, community-centered approach has influenced national educational policies in Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, and beyond.

Dorothy Gordon, the chair of the Yidan Prize Education Development jury, noted the global significance of Ly’s achievements in promoting equity and inclusion in education. "Mamadou Amadou Ly’s visionary work in multilingual education provides pathways for literacy that preserve linguistic and cultural identity while opening doors for students globally. His initiatives inspire a revolution in educational reform across Africa and beyond."

The Ceremony and Future Aspirations

The Yidan Prize 2025 award ceremony is set to unfold on December 6 in Hong Kong, alongside the annual Yidan Prize Summit scheduled for December 5-6. Nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize will be accepted starting from October 2025 to March 2026.

As the Yidan Prize continues to spotlight pioneering contributions in education worldwide, it emphasizes the critical role of innovative, future-oriented approaches to learning that empower individuals and societies to address their unique challenges effectively.