• Dr Charles CHEN Yidan, Founder, Yidan Prize 

Harmonizing progress at a crossroads of education

Education systems worldwide are navigating unprecedented disruption, from technological upheaval to demographic shifts and social pressures. This address explored how four harmonies can serve as a guiding principle for transformation: harmony between technology and humanity, leadership and participation, equity and efficiency, and global vision with local vitality. Through vivid examples of reform and innovation, Professor Lee illustrated how to turn challenges into opportunities, offering a roadmap for co-creating resilient, compassionate, and future-ready education systems.

• Professor Ju-Ho Lee, Professor, KDI School; former Acting President and Minister for Education, The Republic of Korea

How can education make us human in the age of AI?

As artificial intelligence transforms how we live and work, education must remind us of what makes us human. It is not only about equipping learners with technical skills but about nurturing creativity, empathy, and ethical judgment, the qualities that allow us to flourish alongside technology. By embedding equity and agency into both our learning systems and our digital tools, we can ensure that innovation strengthens human dignity rather than erodes it.

• Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD; Head, Judging Panel, Yidan Prize for Education Research

The rise of AI challenges us to rethink what human capital truly means for the future. This fireside session considered how evolving notions of human potential beyond productivity can shape societies in an age of technological transformation. Together, we explored the qualities and values that matter most for thriving in a world of human and machine intelligence.

Speakers:

• Professor Ju-Ho Lee, Professor, KDI School; former Acting President and Minister for Education, The Republic of Korea
• Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD; Head, Judging Panel, Yidan Prize for Education Research

Moderator:

• Professor Becky Francis, CEO, Education Endowment Foundation; Chen Yidan Visiting Global Fellows, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Advances in generative AI and edtech are accelerating education toward a new era — one that confronts us with pressing questions. As some education systems embrace AI and edtech integration, the risk is that technological capabilities determine educational needs, rather than the other way round.

This panel debated the importance of AI and edtech to augment education across contexts. Positioning technology not as an endpoint, but as a provocation, surfaces a spectrum of pathways ahead. What principles should anchor us? What should guide our choice of path?

Speakers: 

• Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, Member, House of Lords, United Kingdom; Chancellor, The Open University
• Dr Fengchun Miao, Lead on AI and Future of Education, UNESCO 
• HE Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, The Republic of Kazakhstan 

Moderator:

• Christie Pang, CEO and Co-Founder, Lirvana Labs

To achieve lasting change, think global and act local. Through groundbreaking partnerships with local initiatives, firmly rooted in their communities, governments and the philanthropic sector are discovering new pathways toward education for all.

Guided by local expertise, enhanced by innovative uses of technology and data, cross-sector collaboration and shared responsibility can make use of untapped assets, unlock new resources, build resilient education systems, and keep education front and center in a world of competing priorities.

Speakers: 

• Dr Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer, Mastercard Foundation; Member, Advisory Committee, Yidan Prize 
• Dr Laura Savage, Executive Director, International Education Funders Group (IEFG) 
• HE Serigne Mbaye Thiam, High-Level Envoy, Global Partnership for Education; former Minister of National Education, Senegal 

Moderator: 

• Dr David V. Johnson, Deputy Editor, Print, Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) 

• Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO 

The success of innovative practices and emerging pathways depends not only on tools and technologies, but also on the people who lead us to implement and adapt them. Leadership at every level — in classrooms, schools, communities, households, and among policymakers — is essential to translate ideas into meaningful actions. We must nurture and sustain these leaders to realize the full potential of educational transformation.

This conversation recognized the potential of all to become agents of change. In spotlighting some of these possibilities, we also explored how to support people to develop the skills and mindset to lead boldly and adaptively.

Speakers: 

• Bassem Saad, CEO, Queen Rania Foundation 
• Kiran Bir Sethi, Founder, The Riverside School and Design for Change; Member, Judging Panel, Yidan Prize for Education Development 
• Marjorie Yang, Chairman, Esquel Group 

Moderator: 

• Myra Anubi, Presenter, People Fixing the World, BBC World Service 

This interactive session sparked fresh thinking and collective action at the crossroads of innovation and collaboration. By sharing local insights and exchanging ideas, participants explored big concepts while connecting them to practical, adaptable strategies.

We invited reflection on how education can address complex global challenges by grounding solutions in local contexts, ensuring long-term impact, and fostering meaningful human connections. This session emphasized collaboration and mutual learning among diverse stakeholders: educators, policymakers, innovators, and community leaders.

Professor Yongxin Zhu founded the New Education Initiative (NEI) in 2000, starting out from a single school, with a goal to improve education equity and bring change to the teaching-to-test culture in China. NEI’s network now numbers more than 8,300 schools and 500,000 teachers, reaching more than 8 million children in China — many based in hard-to-reach rural areas.

Professor Zhu shared his insights on the evolving landscape of education and the essential changes needed to prepare teachers and learners for the challenges of tomorrow.

• Professor Yongxin Zhu, Founder, New Education Initiative; 2022 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate

The second day of the Summit transitioned from examining the crossroads facing global education to zooming into the turning points that changemakers experienced as they led transformation in education. While every changemaker’s path has been unique, they share moments of decision-making, milestones that extended boundaries, and, at times, failures that served as valuable lessons.

In this morning session, we heard behind-the-scenes stories from Yidan Prize laureates and future makers in education, as they shared critical junctures in their journey, as well as the principles and practices that guided their transformative work during those moments.

Speakers: 

• Dr Rukmini Banerji, CEO, Pratham Education Foundation; 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 
• Professor Usha Goswami, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, University of Cambridge; 2019 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate 
• Angeline Murimirwa, CEO, CAMFED; 2020 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 

We turned to our guests in the room, who shared with us a turning point on their journey to create a better world through education. This session was an open discussion where the Yidan Prize laureates and participants shared the critical junctures they are navigating — grounding diverse sharing in personal contexts and experiences.

Speakers: 

• Dr Rukmini Banerji, CEO, Pratham Education Foundation; 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 
• Professor Usha Goswami, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, University of Cambridge; 2019 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate 
• Angeline Murimirwa, CEO, CAMFED; 2020 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 

Moderator:

• Yvette Kong, Founder and CEO, Arelyx
• Anna Yao, Fellow, Project Melo; Student, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

• Lucy Lake, Director of Global Engagement, Yidan Prize Foundation; 2020 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate