Education advocates to gather in Hong Kong for the Yidan Prize Summit

The Yidan Prize Summit will take place on December 10 in Hong Kong to address some of the most challenging questions facing education around the world.

December 03, 2018 by Maureen Lea, Alarice International
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3 minutes read
Yidan Prize Summit

The Yidan Prize Summit returns to Hong Kong for the second year in a row to tackle some of the trickiest questions facing education now and in the future.

Changes need to be made in education systems to prepare for a world dominated by technology and digital solutions. This is clear to everyone. But just how can these changes be made? How can entire systems begin the revamping process? How can education systems in developing countries catch up? And how can the most vulnerable children and those that have been denied access to education in the past be included in this process?

In Hong Kong, on December 10, 2018, educators, policymakers, academics, philanthropists, innovators and entrepreneurs will gather to discuss these and other issues.

A summit with many prominent education advocates

With an opening keynote address by HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, access to education will be a clear focus of the summit. Princess Laurentien has been active in promoting literacy in the Netherlands and globally since 2001. She was designated UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development in 2009, is Chair of the European Commission’s High Level Group of Experts on Literacy and was appointed Honorary Chair of the Reading and Writing Foundation in 2014. She will discuss how philanthropists and donors can identify areas where their funds are needed most.

During the summit, Vicky Colbert, Founder of the Escuela Nueva schooling model and a 2017 Yidan Prize laureate, will update attendees on what she has achieved in the past year. The Escuela Nueva model has been used to great effect in many countries to provide equitable access to quality education mainly to rural and vulnerable populations as well as those in major centers. Escuela Nueva, which was established in Columbia and has spread to 19 countries worldwide, challenges teachers to take on a new role and empowers students who gain new skills and knowledge through collaboration and participation. The model is a timely reminder that effective solutions need not be high-tech.

There will also be a special keynote address by Graça Machel, an international advocate for women's and children's rights, who will talk about the special role of developing nations in global education, their unique issues and potential solutions to the challenges they face.

Yidan-Logo

A new prize to recognize innovative education technology

In addition to discussions with this year’s laureates, Professor Larry V. Hedges, who is being recognized for his groundbreaking work in educational data and statistics, and Professor Anant Agarwal, who is being recognized for his key role in bringing affordable, global access to education through the EdX online learning platform, there will be a panel discussion on how to deploy new educational models.

There is also some suspense as the winners of an international competition for developers of educational technology, the Yidan Prize Global EdTech Challenge, will be unveiled. The three finalists will conduct an interactive session for summit attendees before the winner is announced.

As a timely reminder, summit participants will also get a chance to hear from Colonel Terry Virts, who will talk about  his experiences with lifelong learning and how education prepared him for his career. Colonel Virts is one of the few people to see the Earth from space and one of only 4 astronauts ever to pilot the space shuttle, fly on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft and perform space walks.

Join us for the Yidan Prize Summit Live Stream to discover the strategies to ensure today’s education meets the needs of tomorrow. Key sessions will be broadcast on our official Facebook page starting at 8:00 AM (UTC+8), on 10 December.

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