International Jury of UNESCO-Hamdan Prize Begins Final Deliberations for Ninth Cycle
The International Jury of the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development convened in Paris to conclude the judging process for the ninth cycle of the prestigious global award, with 129 nominations submitted from 62 countries.
The meeting was attended by H.E. Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, and H.E. Qun Chen, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO.
During the meeting, Qun Chen highlighted the longstanding partnership between UNESCO and the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, noting that the prize has represented a valued collaboration since its establishment in 2008.
He expressed appreciation to the Foundation and Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi for their continued support in promoting excellence in education and expanding the reach of effective educational solutions worldwide.
Chen said the prize recognises the important work undertaken by institutions, schools, and educational organisations globally through innovative approaches that improve the quality of education. He added that the 23 winning projects from previous editions have showcased diverse educational tools and techniques designed to empower teachers and support continuous professional learning, particularly for marginalised communities.
He noted that by highlighting these initiatives, the prize contributes directly to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Goal 4, which focuses on quality education.
Addressing global education challenges, Chen stated that teacher quality remains one of the most significant factors influencing student learning outcomes. He also pointed to the worldwide shortage of 44 million teachers, alongside gaps in training and changing educational requirements, stressing that innovation in teacher development is more critical than ever.
He further explained that UNESCO has launched a review of two major international frameworks this year — the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers and the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel — to ensure alignment with ongoing transformations in the education sector.
Chen added that UNESCO has intensified efforts in recent years to increase the visibility of the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize by promoting practical models and effective teacher policies. The prize was featured during the 2025 Global Teacher Summit in Chile, supported by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, with participation from award laureates and jury members.
UNESCO is also finalising a research study examining previous winning projects with support from the Foundation.
For his part, Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi praised the strong partnership with UNESCO and acknowledged the organisation’s continued support for collaborative projects and programmes aimed at improving education worldwide.
He said the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development has established itself as an influential platform for advancing teacher performance and supporting educational excellence globally.
Al Suwaidi added that the record number of nominations and their broad international representation reflect the growing recognition of the prize and its role in supporting teachers as a cornerstone of quality education.
