Yidan Prize 2026: $3.8M Awards Go to Education Research, Early Childhood Program
Hong Kong – September 08, 2026 -- The Yidan Prize Foundation named its 2026 laureates on the tenth anniversary of the award, granting HK$30 million (approximately US$3.8 million) each to Professor Paul W. Glewwe and a three-member team behind the Reach Up early childhood program.
Independent jury awards two prizes worth HK$60 million combined
The judging panel, chaired by OECD education and skills director Andreas Schleicher, selected Paul W. Glewwe for the Yidan Prize for Education Research and Professor Susan P. Walker, Professor Sally Grantham-McGregor and Dr Susan M. Chang-Lopez jointly for the Yidan Prize for Education Development. Each award comprises a HK$15 million cash prize and a HK$15 million unrestricted project fund. Since 2017 the foundation has distributed HK$600 million (approximately US$77 million) to 25 laureates working across nearly 60 countries and regions.