“Unleashing Africa’s Potential”: Inside the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference in Dakar

2026 Yidan Prize Conference: Unleashing Africa’s Potential

A Historic Moment for Global Education

In June 2026, the world’s eyes will turn to Dakar, Senegal, for a landmark event in international education. The Yidan Prize Conference, the first ever held on African soil, represents more than just another academic gathering. It signals a fundamental shift in how the global education community views innovation, leadership, and the future of learning.

Founded by Tencent co-founder Chen Yidan, the Yidan Prize Foundation has spent nearly a decade identifying and championing the world’s most transformative education ideas. With HK$540 million already invested in 21 laureates across 50 countries, the foundation has built what its Secretary General, Stephen Tze-wai Au, calls “a global community of action”—not just a prize, but a movement.

The choice of Dakar for the 2026 conference is deliberate and powerful. It honors the work of Mamadou Amadou Ly, the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate, whose organization ARED (Associates in Research and Education for Development) has revolutionized multilingual foundational learning in West Africa. It also places the conversation exactly where it needs to be: in the heart of the continent with the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population.

Conference Dates, Location and Theme

When: June 29 – July 1, 2026
Where: Dakar, Senegal
Theme: “Unleashing Africa’s Potential”

The conference theme poses a urgent question to educators, policymakers, and innovators worldwide:

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

This is not a question about what the world can do for Africa. It is an invitation to recognize what Africa is already doing and what the rest of the world can learn from it.

Why Africa? Why Now?

Africa is home to the world’s youngest population. By 2030, one in every five people on the planet will be African. This demographic reality is not just a statistic. It is the single most important factor in the future of global education, economic development, and human flourishing.

Across the continent, innovations in education research and practice are already driving large-scale systems change. From multilingual classrooms in Senegal to technology-enabled learning in Kenya, African educators are solving problems that the rest of the world is only beginning to confront.

The 2026 conference aligns with two major continental frameworks:

• The African Union’s Decade of Accelerated Action (2025–2034)

• The Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA)

These initiatives underscore the importance of foundational skills, teacher support, and education’s role in tackling challenges like climate change and conflict. The Yidan Prize Conference will serve as a platform to accelerate this work.

Language as Liberation

At the core of the conference is a deceptively simple idea: language is the gateway to learning and dignity.

For millions of children across Africa, the language of instruction in school is different from the language spoken at home. This disconnect is not just an inconvenience. It is a barrier that prevents foundational learning, erodes confidence, and limits life opportunities.

The work of Mamadou Amadou Ly and ARED has demonstrated that multilingual foundational learning, teaching children to read and write first in their mother tongue, dramatically improves educational outcomes. It preserves cultural identity while opening doors to broader participation in national and global economies.

The conference will feature a dedicated plenary session on multilingual foundational learning, bringing together education ministers from across the region to share strategies and commitments.

What Will Happen at the Conference?

The three-day event is designed to move beyond speeches into actionable collaboration. Participants will include distinguished contributors from research, practice, and policy.

Keynote Addresses
Representatives of the African Union and leading figures in education and development will set the stage, framing the continent’s priorities and aspirations.

Plenary Session: Multilingual Foundational Learning
Education ministers from across Africa will discuss policy approaches to scaling mother-tongue instruction, one of the most powerful levers for improving learning outcomes.

Roundtable Discussions
These sessions will explore groundbreaking regional initiatives and Yidan Prize laureate projects at the intersections of education with economic development, health and nutrition, and climate resilience.

Thematic Working Groups
Four parallel working groups will dive deep into specific challenges:

1. Multilingual foundational learning

2. Secondary education and transition to sustainable livelihoods

3. Education research for impact

4. School leadership

Each working group will examine its topic through two crosscutting lenses:

• Gender equity and inclusion

• AI and educational technology

The conference is co-convened with two key organizations that represent the best of African education leadership.

ARED (Associates in Research and Education for Development)
Led by 2025 Laureate Mamadou Amadou Ly, ARED has pioneered approaches to multilingual education that are now being adapted across West Africa and beyond.

ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa)
ADEA brings decades of experience in supporting education policy and practice across the continent. Their work on foundational learning provides the research backbone for the conference’s policy discussions.

This partnership model reflects the Yidan Prize Foundation’s belief that cross-sectoral collaboration is essential for systems change. Governments, philanthropies, researchers, and practitioners must work together to finance innovation and scale what works.

Beyond Dakar

The 2026 conference comes at a pivotal moment for the Yidan Prize itself.

Approaching the 10th Anniversary
2026 marks nearly a decade of the Yidan Prize’s work. Since its founding, the prize has grown into the world’s highest education accolade, with laureates receiving a gold medal, HK$15 million cash prize, and HK$15 million project fund over three years to scale their work.

Process Enhancements
In anticipation of the 10th anniversary, the foundation has introduced two significant improvements to the nomination process. Extended eligibility means nominations now remain active for four cycles, reducing the burden on nominators and nominees. Collective recognition allows the prize to be awarded to up to three individuals in each category, honoring teams and multiple innovators together.

New Leadership
The Judging Committee has welcomed Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s Director for Education and Skills and the architect of PISA, as its new Chair. Dr. Elizabeth M. King now leads the Education Research panel, with Professor Ju-Ho Lee rejoining the panel.

Who Should Attend?

The conference is designed for a diverse audience committed to transforming education.

• Education researchers seeking to understand African innovations

• Policymakers from Africa and beyond

• Practitioners working in multilingual and foundational learning

• Philanthropists and funders interested in education

• Technology leaders exploring AI and edtech applications

• Development organizations focused on the SDGs

• Yidan Prize laureates and nominators from around the world

How to Get Involved

Nominate for the 2026 Yidan Prize
The conference celebrates innovation, but the work of identifying the next generation of laureates continues. Nominations for the 2026 Yidan Prize are open until March 3, 2026, at 12 noon Hong Kong time.

You can nominate individuals or teams in two categories. Education Research recognizes work that strengthens understanding of learning sciences or education policy. Education Development honors leaders advancing practice and access to quality education.

Register for the Conference
While specific registration details are available through the official Yidan Prize website, early planning is recommended. The conference will bring together a limited number of participants to ensure meaningful dialogue and collaboration.

Spread the Word
The success of the Yidan Prize depends on a global network of nominators and advocates. Share information about the prize and the conference with colleagues who are doing transformative work in education.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 Yidan Prize Conference is not an endpoint. It is a launching pad.

The conversations in Dakar will feed directly into the African Union’s Decade of Accelerated Action. They will inform the work of ADEA and its member countries. They will connect Yidan Prize laureates with new partners and new opportunities to scale their impact.

As Stephen Tze-wai Au has emphasized, the Yidan Prize is not just an award. It is a call to action. It belongs to everyone willing to drive change in education.

The move to Africa reflects a deeper truth: the future of global education will be shaped not in Geneva or Washington or Beijing, but in classrooms from Dakar to Dar es Salaam, from Accra to Addis Ababa. The innovations emerging from this continent are not just relevant to Africa. They are essential for a world facing unprecedented challenges.

When perspectives meet, new possibilities take root. In June 2026, the perspectives of Africa’s educators, researchers, and policymakers will meet with the global education community in Dakar. The roots they put down will sustain generations to come.

FAQs

When and where is the 2026 Yidan Prize Conference?
The conference takes place June 29 to July 1, 2026, in Dakar, Senegal.

What is the theme of the conference?
The theme is “Unleashing Africa’s Potential,” focusing on how African education innovations can drive transformation across the continent and globally.

Who is organizing the conference?
The Yidan Prize Foundation is co-convening the conference with ARED, led by 2025 Laureate Mamadou Amadou Ly, and ADEA, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa.

What topics will be covered?
Key topics include multilingual foundational learning, secondary education and livelihoods, education research impact, school leadership, gender equity, and AI and edtech applications.

How does this connect to the Yidan Prize?
The conference honors the work of laureates like Mamadou Amadou Ly and provides a platform for the global education community to collaborate on scaling innovative approaches.

Can I still nominate someone for the 2026 Yidan Prize?
Yes. Nominations are open until March 3, 2026, at 12 noon Hong Kong time.

What do Yidan Prize laureates receive?
Laureates receive a gold medal, HK$15 million cash prize, and HK$15 million project fund over three years to scale their work.

How can I stay updated on conference details?
Visit the official Yidan Prize website at yidanprize.org for the latest information.

The 2026 Yidan Prize Conference in Dakar represents a watershed moment for global education.

For educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and innovators, this is an invitation to listen, to learn, and to partner. The young people of Africa, the future doctors, teachers, engineers, and leaders of a continent, are counting on us to get it right.

The conversation begins in Dakar. The work continues everywhere.

For more information about the Yidan Prize Conference or to submit a nomination, visit yidanprize.org.