PARIS: The International Jury of the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development met at the UNESCO headquarters over the past two days, in Paris to discuss preparations for the launch of the eighth edition of the prize and to review the latest nominations.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Ali Abdullah Alhaj Al Ali, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to UNESCO, affirmed the UAE’s ongoing support for and commitment to strengthening UNESCO’s education programmes.

“The UAE considers education to be a cornerstone of sustainable development and social progress. Therefore, we are committed to supporting all initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education around the world,” he said.

For his part, Dr. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, said the Prize aims to support, encourage, and enhance the performance and effectiveness of teachers in order to achieve the goals of education for all. ‘It
seeks to recognise teachers who demonstrate excellence in their teaching practices, which contributes to raising the level of education worldwide.’

The UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development was created in 2008 to support the improvement of teaching and learning quality in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, which is one of UNESCO’s priorities.

Awarded every two years, the Prize is generously supported by the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance (Hamdan Foundation).

The Prize amounts to $300,000, which is equally divided between three winners whose projects aim at improving worldwide the performance and effectiveness of teachers worldwide.

The winners are selected by an International Jury composed of five distinguished professionals chosen for their high-level of knowledge and experience in teacher-related issues.

Source: Emirates News Agency