DHAKA: Sir Fazle Hasan ABED KCMG, Founder and Chair Emeritus of Bangladesh’s BRAC has been granted the Yidan Prize for Education Development in recognition and support of their ground-breaking work. 

The Yidan Prize, the world’s largest international prize in education, announces its 2019 laureates in a statement on September 19.

Sir Fazle Hasan ABED KCMG is the Founder and Chair Emeritus of BRAC, ranked by Geneva-based ‘NGO Advisor’ as the number one NGO in the world in 2019 for the fourth consecutive year based on its innovation, impact and governance. 

As the Founder and Chair Emeritus of BRAC, the world’s largest non-governmental organization, Sir Fazle’s work of innovative Play Labs allows the poorest and the most vulnerable children to obtain high-quality and low-cost early childhood education.

In 1972, Sir Fazle Hasan ABED KCMG, Laureate of Yidan Prize for Education Development, founded BRAC, an international organization with a focus on empowering the poor, especially women and girls, to achieve their full potential through education. Since then, BRAC has grown to be one of the most effective development organizations in the world, working each year with over 100 million people globally.

Sir Fazle has been honoured with numerous national and international awards for his achievements in leading BRAC. In 2009, Sir Fazle was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George by the British Crown in recognition of his services to reducing poverty in Bangladesh and internationally.

Besides, Professor Usha GOSWAMI, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, has been awarded the Yidan Prize for Education Research. 

The two laureates will receive their awards at the Yidan Prize Awards Presentation Ceremony in December. 

Distinguished guests from around the world will witness this memorable moment at a widely anticipated international education event.

As a Yidan Prize Laureate, Professor Usha GOSWAMI and , Sir Fazle Hasan Abed will receive a gold medal during the award presentation ceremony in December in Hong Kong and HKD 30 million (around $3.9 million or Tk 33 crore), half of which is a cash prize and the other half a project fund. 

This year’s laureates were chosen by the Yidan Prize Judging Committee during a six-month judging process from an overwhelming number of strong candidates to the two laureates. 

The geographical reach of the nominated projects this year covers 129 countries or regions such as China, the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Brazil and many others, indicating the growing significance of the Yidan Prize on the global stage. 

The 13 new countries on the list include Saudi Arabia, Belarus, North Macedonia, El Salvador, Gambia, Togo, Lesotho, Belize and others, representing a rich tapestry of different cultures and geographic regions.

Dr. Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize, expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Yidan Prize Judging Committee for their completion of the judging process in Hong Kong.

He said: “I congratulate Professor Usha GOSWAMI and Sir Fazle Hasan ABED KCMG on their outstanding achievements and commitment to improving education. Knowledge attainment is an area that transcends racial, religious, economic and national boundaries, affecting everything from human health and the environment to well-being and personal fulfilment. I hope every country and region can benefit from the results of the best research and education development work, helping to create a better world through education.”

Dr. CHEN added, “I believe, in the future, education will continue to evolve — alongside with technological breakthrough and social change — and we will have deeper understanding on education. To me, education itself is not an end goal; it is an ongoing process to help mankind pursue long-term individual well-being and sustainable social development.”

Yidan Prize Judging Committee is led by Dr. Koichiro MATSUURA, former Director-General of UNESCO. Mr. Andreas SCHLEICHER, Director for the OECD’s Directorate of Education and Skills, heads the panel judging the Yidan Prize for Education Research, while Ms. Dorothy K. GORDON, Chair of UNESCO IFAP, leads the panel judging the Yidan Prize for Education Development.

BDST: 1945 HRS, SEP 19, 2019
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