UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT in education with prizes worth of $50.000

The UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT in education is now accepting candidatures. The theme of the 2020 edition is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the continuity and quality of learning.

In the context of the education crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this focus is all the more important. Indeed, the way we use new technologies to respond to the crisis reveals both their potential and the need to support their development – so that they can help to improve learning and inclusivity rather than exacerbate existing inequalities.

Technology innovations fueled by AI have the potential to locate and reach excluded and marginalized groups and provide quality learning programmes for learners in emergency contexts or learners with physical and cognitive disabilities. AI technologies can also help accurately analyze difficulties faced by students studying in a language other than their mother tongue. At the same time, they can support teachers with a better diagnosis of learning problems and personally adaptive feedback to improve pedagogical responses.

Eligibility criteria:

• Individuals, institutions, non-governmental organizations or other entities.

• The project should be ongoing for at least for 1 year
• The project and its organization should not be affiliated to UNESCO or receive any funding from UNESCO
• The technology solutions used by the project should be designed completely for public good or for charitable purposes, meaning that they should not be the free parts of commercial applications or application packages that only offer limited functions free of charge while requesting users to pay for advanced functions

• The Prize is not a grant scheme aimed at supporting new projects or organization. The Prize is aimed at recognizing already implemented projects and activities.
• All projects should be nominated by a
  National Commission for UNESCO or a
  NGO in official partnership with UNESCO. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Evaluation criteria

• Relevance to the Thematic Focus: The project is in line with the objectives of the Prize and is relevant to the specific theme of the year
• Innovation: The project applies innovative technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced solutions or blends AI and conventional technologies in a new innovative way
• Evidence of Impact: The project should provide evidence of improved learning outcomes of the targeted beneficiaries
• Potential for Replicability and Scalability: The project should show evidence that it can be replicated in other contexts or have the potential to further optimize and scale its impact
• Inclusion and Equity: The project should use AI or innovative technologies to advance inclusion and equity in education, while taking into account marginalized groups, leaners in crises and emergencies contexts and learners with physical or cognitive disabilities

Prizes

Two winners will be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO based on the recommendations of an international Jury, and each winner will receive a reward of USD 25,000 and a diploma.

About UNESCO:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris, founded in 1945. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations charter. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information. 

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