How can Africa’s innovations in education fuel transformation across the continent and contribute to global wellbeing?   

Education is humanity’s most powerful lever for shaping a better world. It is a driver for every area of development — from the economy to health and nutrition — and strengthens resilience in the face of global challenges. Africa, with the fastest growing and youngest population of any continent, stands at the heart of this transformation. Its innovations in education research and practice are already driving large-scale system transformation. It’s vital we champion, celebrate, and share that work. 

 

The inaugural Yidan Prize Conference in Africa will highlight the role of language in unlocking human potential 

 

Taking place in Dakar, Senegal, it’s co-convened with ARED (Associates in Research and Education for Development), led by 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate Mamadou Amadou Ly, and with ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa). 

 

Guided by the powerful example of ARED’s work in multilingual foundational learning, the conference will shine a spotlight on language as a gateway to learning and dignity, a foundation for confidence and agency, and a pathway to secure livelihoods. 

 

Participants will explore the power of cross-sectoral partnerships in support of continent-wide priorities 

 

The conference aligns with the African Union’s Decade of Accelerated Action (2025 – 2034) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) which underscore the importance of foundational and labor‑market‑ready skills, support for teachers and school leadership, and education’s role in tackling challenges such as climate and conflict. Echoing the Global Partnership for Education’s Multiply Possibility campaign, it will spotlight new cross-sectoral collaborations in Africa to finance innovation and system‑wide transformation.  

 

The conference brings together distinguished contributors from research, practice, and policy, featuring:  

• keynote addresses from the African Union and leading figures in education and development on the continent  

• a plenary session on multilingual foundational learning, with education ministers across the region 

• roundtable discussions on groundbreaking regional initiatives and Yidan Prize laureate projects at the intersections of education, economy, health, nutrition, and climate 

• thematic working groups on multilingual foundational learning, secondary education and transition to livelihoods, education research for impact, and school leadership — each viewed through the crosscutting lenses of gender equity and inclusion, and AI and edtech.