December 6, 2021

Honoring 2021 Yidan Prize Laureates and Fostering a Global Dialogue in Education

HONG KONG, Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Yidan Prize Foundation, the global philanthropic foundation behind the world’s highest education accolade, hosted the 2021 Yidan Prize Summit and Awards Presentation Ceremony yesterday.

A toast to our 2021 laureates from our Awards Presentation Ceremony guests, including Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR and Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize

The global hybrid event gathered policymakers and education experts to debate and discuss the world’s most pressing education issues, and practical, innovative solutions for a better future. The event also celebrated and formally recognized the pioneering work of this year’s Yidan Prize laureates.

In a series of panel discussions, attendees discussed new ideas to bring fair, accessible, quality education to all. Themes included learning losses arising from COVID-19, scalable education solutions, and learning through play. UNESCO’s report on ‘Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education’ was also addressed, with attendees discussing the importance of education in ensuring a prosperous future for children.

‘Creating a Better Future Through Education’ Summit

In one panel, Professor Eric A. Hanushek, 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate, and Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution of Stanford University, stressed the critical role of teachers in enriching education quality. The distinguished panel of economists called for more support for the teachers tackling knowledge gaps in children.

Professor Eric A. Hanushek, 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate, and Dr Rukmini Banerji, 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate

Dr Rukmini Banerji, 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate, and CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, shared why she believes children fall behind in school, and whether school curricula are too fast paced. She was joined by Professor Esther Duflo and Professor Abhijit Banerjee, 2019 Nobel Prize Laureates in Economics, to discuss how to implement meaningful changes in education—from developing scalable, effective solutions, to adapting the curriculum to every child’s level.

Panelists included Dr Sobhi Tawil, Director, Future of Learning and Innovation, UNESCO; Dr Jaime Saavedra, Senior Director, Education Global Practice, World Bank Group; and Professor Ludger Woessmann, Professor of Economics, University of Munich, among others.

Celebrating the 2021 Yidan Prize laureates

The event concluded with an awards ceremony celebrating the remarkable achievements of this year’s Yidan Prize laureates. Professor Hanushek and Dr Banerji were formally awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research and Education Development in recognition of their ground-breaking work to improve education quality and outcomes for learners at scale.

Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize said: “Today, we celebrate Professor Hanushek’s and Dr Banerji’s work. In a world that is recovering from the pandemic, we need more effective innovations. Let’s reimagine the future: A future where innovations bring real and impactful change. This is a future we can create and a world we would all be very happy to be part of. Together, we can create a better world through education.”

Nominations for 2022 Yidan Prize

Nominations for the 2022 Yidan Prize are open until 31 March 2022. On 12 January 2022, the Yidan Prize Foundation will host a webinar to share more information about the prize, how to enter and what judges look for in a laureate. Sign up here.

About the Yidan Prize Foundation

The Yidan Prize Foundation is a global philanthropic foundation, with a mission of creating a better world through education. Through its network of innovators, the foundation supports ideas and practices in education—specifically, ones with the power to positively change lives and society.

The Yidan Prize is an inclusive education accolade that recognizes individuals or teams who have contributed significantly to education.

https://yidanprize.org

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December 6, 2021

Honorer les lauréats du Prix Yidan 2021 et favoriser un dialogue mondial sur l’éducation

HONG KONG, 6 décembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — La Fondation du Prix Yidan, la fondation philanthropique mondiale à l’origine de la plus haute distinction dans le domaine de l’éducation au monde, a accueilli hier le Sommet du Prix Yidan 2021 et la cérémonie de remise des prix.

L’événement hybride mondial a rassemblé des décideurs et des experts en éducation pour débattre et discuter des questions éducatives les plus urgentes au monde et des solutions pratiques et innovantes pour un avenir meilleur. L’événement a également célébré et reconnu officiellement le travail pionnier des lauréats du Prix Yidan de cette année.

Au cours d’une série de tables rondes, les participants ont échangé de nouvelles idées pour offrir à tous une éducation juste, accessible et de qualité. Les thèmes incluaient notamment les pertes d’apprentissage découlant de la COVID-19, les solutions d’éducation évolutives et l’apprentissage par le jeu. Le rapport de l’UNESCO intitulé « Repenser nos futurs ensemble : un nouveau contrat social pour l’éducation » a également été abordé et les participants ont pu discuter de l’importance de l’éducation pour assurer un avenir prospère aux enfants.

Sommet « Créer un avenir meilleur grâce à l’éducation »

Dans un panel, le professeur Eric A. Hanushek, lauréat du Prix Yidan 2021 pour la recherche en éducation, et agrégé supérieur au titre « Paul and Jean Hanna » à l’institution Hoover de l’Université de Stanford, a souligné le rôle crucial des enseignants dans l’enrichissement de la qualité de l’éducation. Le distingué panel d’économistes a demandé plus de soutien pour les enseignants qui s’attaquent aux lacunes en matière de connaissances chez les enfants.

Le Dr Rukmini Banerji, lauréate du Prix Yidan 2021 pour le développement de l’éducation et PDG de la Pratham Education Foundation, a expliqué pourquoi elle pense que les enfants prennent du retard à l’école et si les programmes scolaires sont trop rapides. Elle était accompagnée des professeurs Esther Duflo et Abhijit Banerjee, lauréats du prix Nobel d’économie en 2019, pour discuter de la façon de mettre en œuvre des changements significatifs dans l’éducation, depuis l’élaboration de solutions efficaces et évolutives jusqu’à l’adaptation du programme d’études au niveau de chaque enfant.

Parmi les participants figuraient le Dr Sobhi Tawil, directeur de l’avenir de l’apprentissage et de l’innovation à l’UNESCO ; le Dr Jaime Saavedra, directeur général du pôle d’expertise en éducation au sein du Groupe de la Banque mondiale ; et le Professeur Ludger Woessmann, professeur d’économie à l’Université de Munich, entre autres.

Célébration des lauréats du Prix Yidan 2021

L’événement s’est terminé par une cérémonie de remise des prix soulignant les réalisations remarquables des lauréats du Prix Yidan de cette année. Le professeur Hanushek et le Dr Banerji ont reçu officiellement le Prix Yidan 2021 pour la recherche en éducation et le développement de l’éducation en reconnaissance de leur travail novateur visant à améliorer la qualité de l’éducation et les résultats pour les apprenants à grande échelle.

Le Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, fondateur du Prix Yidan, a déclaré : « Aujourd’hui, nous célébrons le travail du professeur Hanushek et du Dr Banerji. Dans un monde qui se remet de la pandémie, nous avons besoin d’innovations plus efficaces. Repensons l’avenir : un avenir où les innovations apportent des changements réels et percutants. C’est un avenir que nous pouvons créer et un monde dont nous serions tous très heureux de faire partie. Ensemble, nous pouvons créer un monde meilleur grâce à l’éducation. »

Candidatures pour le Prix Yidan 2022

Les candidatures pour le Prix Yidan 2022 sont ouvertes jusqu’au 31 mars 2022. Le 12 janvier 2022, la Fondation du Prix Yidan organisera un webinaire pour partager plus d’informations sur le prix, expliquera comment y participer et ce que les juges recherchent chez un lauréat. Inscrivez-vous ici.

À propos de la Fondation du Prix Yidan

La Fondation du Prix Yidan est une fondation philanthropique mondiale dont la mission est de créer un monde meilleur à travers l’éducation. Grâce à son réseau d’innovateurs, la fondation soutient les idées et les pratiques dans le domaine de l’éducation, en particulier celles qui ont le pouvoir de changer positivement les vies et la société.

Le Prix Yidan est un hommage à l’éducation inclusive qui reconnaît les personnes ou les équipes qui ont contribué de façon importante à l’éducation.

https://yidanprize.org

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December 6, 2021

Scientist Behind UK Vaccine Says Next Pandemic May Be Worse

One of the scientists behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is warning that the next pandemic may be more contagious and more lethal unless more money is devoted to research and preparations to fight emerging viral threats.

In excerpts released before a speech Monday, Professor Sarah Gilbert says the scientific advances made in fighting deadly viruses “must not be lost” because of the cost of fighting the current pandemic.

“This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods,” Gilbert is expected to say. “The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both.”

Gilbert is scheduled to make the remarks Monday night when she delivers this year’s Richard Dimbleby lecture, named after the late broadcaster who was the BBC’s first war correspondent and a pioneer of television news in Britain. The annual televised lecture features addresses by influential figures in business, science and government.

Gilbert is set to call on governments to redouble their commitment to scientific research and pandemic preparedness, even after the threat of COVID-19 wanes.

“We cannot allow a situation where we have gone through all we have gone through, and then find that the enormous economic losses we have sustained mean that there is still no funding for pandemic preparedness,” she said. “The advances we have made, and the knowledge we have gained, must not be lost.”

Source: Voice of America

December 6, 2021

COVID-19 Disruptions Linked to Rise in Malaria Infections, Deaths

The World Health Organization reports a significant rise in malaria cases and deaths in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions in malaria services.

Over the past two decades, global malaria death rates have been cut in half, saving the lives of 10.6 million people. New data gathered by the WHO show COVID-19 has stopped and even reversed the progress made in reducing deaths from this preventable, treatable disease.

The WHO’s World Malaria Report estimates 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths globally have occurred in 2020.This represents an increase of 14 million cases and 69,000 deaths compared to the previous year. WHO links the increase to disruptions of malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services during the pandemic.

Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Program, Pedro Alonso, said the situation could have been far worse. The good news, he said is that the predicted doomsday scenario did not transpire. He notes gloomy projections made in March 2020 of a huge spike in malaria have not materialized.

“One worst case scenario implied a doubling of malaria deaths. So, let me reiterate this, that is not the case. We can call this a success story, even though an extra 47,000 people have died as a consequence of the disruptions,” said Alonso.

The report finds progress in the global fight against malaria remains uneven.

Between 2000 and 2020, WHO has certified 12 countries as being malaria-free. Two countries, China and El Salvador, have achieved this status in 2021, despite the ongoing pandemic.

Since 2015, both cases and deaths have stalled in most of the world’s 93 endemic countries and territories. However, other figures show malaria cases have increased in 32 countries, most in Sub-Saharan Africa and some in South America.

Alonso said the situation remains especially precarious in Africa, where the malaria burden remains unacceptably high. He notes Africa accounts for about 96 percent of global deaths, 80 percent among children under age five.

“At the same time, the pandemic is not over, and the pace of economic recovery is uncertain. Without immediate and accelerated action key 2030 targets of the WHO Global technical strategy will be missed, and additional ground may be lost,” he said.

WHO’s strategy calls for a 90-percent reduction in malaria cases and deaths by 2030.It also presses for the elimination of malaria in at least 35 countries and for the prevention of disease resurgence in all countries that are malaria-free.

Source: Voice of America