Pioneers of learning win Yidan prize worth Dh28m

Two women who have dedicated their lives to education research and development were awarded the inaugural HK$60 million (Dh28.22m) Yidan Prize in Hong Kong on Sunday.

The winners, American Dr Carol S Dweck and Colombian Vicky Colbert, each received a no-strings-attached cash prize of US$1.9 million (Dh6.9m) and another $1.9m each to support their respective education project or research.

Dr Dweck, an author and professor at Stanford University, was recognised with the Yidan Prize for Education Research for her influential study on the “growth mindset”, a term she coined to refer to her theory that intelligence is not fixed, but can grow and be developed through trial and error.

Mrs Colbert, founder and director of Fundacion Escuela Nueva, has spent four decades working to improve the quality of education in rural public schools in Colombia. Her education model, which promotes independent, selfpaced student learning with the teacher acting as a guide, is being replicated in 14 countries. She was awarded the Yidan Prize for Education Development.

The Yidan Prize was launched last year by Chinese billionaire and tech entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Charles Chen Yidan to celebrate and support two individuals each year who have

made significant and sustainable contributions to education in one of two categories, research and development.

Dr Yidan is a co-founder of Tencent, an investment company that owns and develops digital games and communications platforms in China, including WeChat.

Dr Yidan said the prize would be a platform to promote the best ideas in education that can be shared on an international scale to solve some of the most pressing issues facing schools. He acknowledged that technology poses great challenges to modern education.

“It used to be the case that educational institutions were the most valuable mediums for storing and disseminating knowledge, but then the internet entered every household and, all of a sudden, knowledge became abundant and affordable,” Dr Yidan said.

The evolution of science and technology is “exerting an unprecedented impact on social order”, he said.

“Much has been discussed about the significant loss of jobs due to artificial intelligence – most conclusions are certain of this revolutionary impact,” Dr Yidan said.

“What kind of educational programmes will prepare people to overcome these challenges? How can we co-operate while competing against machines? These questions demand serious rethinking.”